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Palmer 2014

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

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Label

Tasting Notes

This really develops wonderfully in the glass starting out earthy with mushrooms and spices and then turns to dark fruit such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, very intense and minerally. Firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink in 2022.

95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2017

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Palmer features evocative scents of stewed plums, blackberry preserves, and garrigue with hints of leather, Indian spices, and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock full of black fruit preserves and exotic spice notes framed by plush tannins, finishing long and opulent.

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, March 2024

Intense plum colour. Plenty of dark bitter chocolate notes on the attack, with concentrated cassis fruits and chewy tannins balanced by fresh acidities, together giving an impression of concentration and finesse. Tobacco leaf as it opens, along with liqourice, grilled cedar, and a fist of rosemary spice. This needs a few more years to really soften the austerity but it's a great wine where Palmer is over-performing the vintage, something that must have given the team confidence in their decision to farm the entire vineyard biodynamically in this vintage, the 5th year after increasingly large-scale trials had begun. This was also the 200th anniversary vintage since General Charles Palmer bought the wine estate from Madame de Gascq. Harvest September 22 to October 14, 60% new oak.

94
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, December 2021

Tasted blind. Refined and classy and polished with the tannins well covered by fruit. Dry finish but ambitious rather than raw. Stony finish. Appetising.
Drink 2024-2040

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2018

The 2014 Palmer is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and should merit an even higher score in 5-7 years. A blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot brought up in 65% new French oak, its deep ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a rich, opulent bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, chocolate, and tobacco, with hints of graphite and background oak. With more texture and mid-palate depth than most in the vintage, this terrific 2014 is medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, layered and as hedonistic and sexy as it gets in the vintage. Give bottle 4-5 years and it should drink nicely for two decades. 2023 - 2043

95
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

This has a fresh, energetic feel, with lots of bramble-edged grip pushing the core of raspberry, plum and cherry coulis flavors. The finish is very pure, punctuated by lively floral and iron notes. Flaunts minerality in the end. Best from 2020 through 2035.

94
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com, February 2017

The 55% of production that went into this wine was the highest since 2010, reflecting the château's confidence in the quality of the vintage. This is a rich, concentrated Palmer that's built to last: black fruited, compact, yet silky with hints of toast, vanilla spice and tangerine and a long, refined finish.

95
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2015
Read more tasting notes...

The 2014 Palmer builds on the promise that it showed in barrel. It is clearly a more understated and nuanced Palmer from winemaker Thomas Duroux this year, but a Margaux with exquisite delineation and precision, hints of blackberry, boysenberry and a touch of pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. It feels supple and lithe in the mouth. It will not have the depth and power of the subsequent 2015 Palmer, yet the "flow" is very sensual and the Merlot (45% of the blend) just lends it roundness and a caressing texture. What a beautiful Margaux and I bet it will be deceptively long-lived. Drink 2020-2050

94
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (Interim En), April 2017

The Château Palmer 2014 is a blend of 45% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot cropped at 33hl/ha between 22 September and 14 October. There is certainly more fruit intensity on the nose compared to the Alter Ego: more density, perhaps more opaqueness in tandem with more delineation. Dark plums, boysenberry jam and mineral abound. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, edgy tannin and crisp acidity (pH 3.6), a dash of cracked black pepper enlivening the back palate with a taut, quite grippy finish. This is a more masculine Palmer in prospect, one that will deserve five or six years in bottle. Drink: 2020 - 2040.

93/95
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (218), April 2015

This has a fabulous depth of fruit with dark berries, currants, blueberries and hints of licorice and spice. Full-bodied, chewy and rich with velvety tannins and a fruity finish. The tannin backbone comes through at the end, giving the wine tension and freshness.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2015

Quite dark crimson but not super deep. Real interest on the nose. Something floral and complex. Very distinctive and far from the Médoc concentrated norm. Still the acidity creeps in but it certainly is more burgundian (T Duroux was not the only Bordelais to mention Burgundy). Racy and sinewy. Bit of a ballet dancer. Really quite delicate. Fresh and distinctive. Appetising. Striking. 13.5% Drink 2023-2040

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2015
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.