2016 Alter Ego de Palmer

Other Reviews...
The 2016 Alter Ego is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Fresh, vibrant and pulsing with energy, the 2016 is utterly captivating from the very first taste. There is a purity to the 2016 that is simply remarkable. Floral overtones add lift to this super-expressive, sensual Margaux. Alter Ego is made from a selection of parcels that are picked earlier than those used for the Grand Vin. Lower temperatures in fermentation and gentle vinifications yield a wine that emphasizes freshness and energy. In that sense, Alter Ego is not really a second wine of the Grand Vin, but rather is more accurately described as a second, and independent, wine off the property.
94 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous

Blended of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 12% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Alter Ego de Palmer opens with beautifully expressive notes of black cherries, fresh blackberries and redcurrants plus suggestions of menthol, dark chocolate, cloves and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied with a rich mid-palate and stacks of exuberant black and red fruits, it has a velvety texture and fantastically long finish.
93 points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

A super fresh and expressive nose with a wealth of ripe red and dark plums, as well as blackberries and cassis, with subtle cedar and bracken complexity. The palate has a deeply rich, long and assertive style with a deep-set, flavorful and structured finish. Classically styled with great depth. Second wine of Château Palmer. Try from 2023.
97 points
James Suckling

Features an overt core of ripe plum and blackberry confiture flavors, lined with cocoa and fresh humus hints. A lacing of singed alder in the background helps harness the fruit, with cassis bush and licorice snap notes checking in on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
90 points
Wine Spectator

The 2016 Alter Ego De Palmer is cut from the same cloth as the grand vin, just less intense, with beautiful cassis fruits, notes of spring flowers, spice, and cedar pencil. A lovely, elegant wine, it has some similarities to the 2010, yet is ever so slightly more elegant, with softer tannins. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 20 years or more.
93 points
Jeb Dunnuck