Chateau Palmer 2025

Falstaff: Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Schwarze Beerenfrucht, ein Hauch von Cassis, zarter Nougat, dezente Würze, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, schwarze Kirschen, feine Extraktsüße, reife Tannine, mineralischer Nachhall, Nougattouch im Abgang, große Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial, verführerischer Stil."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Iris, violets, and roses might start the aromatics, but that's not all there is, as you also find cherries, currants, dried flowers, and hints of spice, which are all front and center. The palate, however, is the star of the show. The combination of vibrant, sweet, ripe, clean, and pure fruits, coupled with its vivid energy, drives the long, seamless, elegant, and sensuous finish. There is concentration and power, but everything is so refined that it is not something you notice. The finish starts off slowly, building into a crescendo of perfectly ripe fruits. The key to the vintage was the late-August rains, which allowed for lower ABV and better fruit maturity. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 41% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. 13.5 % ABV, 3.7 pH. The yields were small at 20 hectoliters. The harvest took place from September 4 to September 25. This is the earliest start to a harvest in the history of the estate. Drink from 2030-2070."

Wine Advocate: One of the most refined and seamless wines of the vintage is the 2025 Palmer, a blend of 55% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot that wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet blackberries, plums and licorice complemented by floral accents of violet and wisteria (yes, the window of the tasting room was closed). Full-bodied, suave and layered, with a deep and concentrated core of fruit, bright acids and supple tannins, it's already harmonious and complete, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. At only 13.5% alcohol, this is quite a bit lower than most recent sunny vintages at Palmer."

Vinum: Die Nase von Palmer ist tiefgründig und komplex, ein ganzer Korb von dunklen Beeren paart sich mit frisch gepflücktem Thymian und Veilchenblüten; dicht und fleischig im Auftakt, wird am mittleren Gaumen schlanker, vertikaler, die reife Frucht duelliert mit einer massiven Tanninstruktur, die Gerbstoffe sind perfekt reif, verleihen Grip und tragen den Wein in einen eleganten, rotfruchtigen Abgang. Monumental, kraftvoll und doch frisch ist das einer der eindrücklichsten und gleichzeitig paradoxesten Palmer, die ich je verkosten konnte."

James Suckling: Plush is the word to describe this red. Full-bodied and layered, with velvety tannins and a savory finish. Juicy at the end. Flashy and posh. Plenty of blackberry and black currant aromas and flavors."

Jeb Dunnuck: A brilliant, dense purple-hued wine cut from the same cloth as its stablemate, the 2025 Château Palmer offers a massive array of red, blue, and black fruits supported by chalky minerality, liquid violets, and graphite on the nose. Based on 55% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot that's being raised in 50% new barrels and foudres, it checks in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. It's full-bodied on the palate, with a round, sexy mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's much more structured and tannic compared to the Alter Ego, with a slightly more inward style, yet it has enough fruit and texture to offer pleasure early, and it's going to deserve at least a decade of cellaring."

Decanter: Strongly perfumed aromatics, really quite intense and upfront, so expressive but more deep and seductive with heady scents of roses and blackcurrants. Instantly alive in the mouth, there’s an energy here that’s really captivating. Chewy, succulent, light on its feel but packing so many tannins yet it feels seamless. Aerial almost but there’s complexity with a fine layer of chewiness and chalkiness. Perhaps more delicate in some ways than other more plush Palmers but there’s power for sure wrapped up in freshness and approachability. Sturdy, stately, complex. I do love the darker, maybe more firm, edgy wine. Quite a compelling Palmer for me, more than just fruit and acidity. 14% press wine. 85 IPT. Harvest September 4-26."

Jane Anson: Clear spice, cumin, cloves, incense, wonderfully balanced, extremely slow unroll through the palate, floral Cabernet character dominant with crushed rose petals, and aromatics are totally jumping out of the glass. 3.65ph, harvest September 8 to 24. In terms of the blend, 1998 had more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon in Palmer, so that is a good sign. Thomas Duroux director. The soils here have that layer of gravel but also clay that really comes in useful in dry vintages such as 2025."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Palmer charges out with energetic notes of freshly crushed plums, red currants, and ripe blackberries, giving way to nuances of violets, rose buds, anise, and fertile loam, with a touch of rosemary. The medium-bodied palate has a compelling texture of chalk mixed with silk, backed up by a racy line and intense black and red berry layers, finishing long and perfumed. A real head-turner! The blend is 55% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. It has a pH of 3.69 and the alcohol is 13.5%."