2011 Chateau Palmer 2011 1500mL

96 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

95-97. Barrel sample. A wine that has density, structure and firm tannins, with touches of wood. At this stage, it is solid and impressive; and the tannins draw the great fresh fruit into the heart of the wine.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

Palmer only made 20 hectoliters of wine a hectare. That must be the record for the smallest production in the vintage. Extraordinary concentration for the vintage with full body and rich velvety tannins yet it's fresh and intense. Really impressive and powerful. Wow. One of the wines of the vintage.

95 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

A serious and concentrated wine that is one of the stars of the vintage. With its tight tannins and a considerable sense of structure, it shows a dark and dense side. It's full in the mouth, black plum skins and intense acidity giving a lilt of freshness at the end. Drink from 2019.

95 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff Magazine

Deep ruby, purple reflections, subtle ocher rim. Fine notes of cassis and blackberry, a hint of nougat, fig and orange zest, sweet savoriness nuances, a multi-faceted bouquet. Complex, ripe black cherry fruit, lively structure, fine tannins, cool style, mineral and taut, attractive sweetness on the finish, very classic style, has certain aging potential for many more years. Certainly a star of the vintage.

95 POINTS

James Suckling

A wine with currants and mineral character on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied, with silky, polished tannins and a long finish. Very tight and refined now. Tannic. Palmer only made 20 hectoliters of wine a hectare. Like a tightly wound ball of cashmere thread. Try in 2020.

93 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Offers a range of charcoal, bay and dark licorice notes out front, backed by an ample core of steeped blackberry and black currant fruit. The charcoal-studded finish has serious grip and pleasantly layered flesh. Should unwind in the cellar, but needs time. Trust it. Best from 2017 through 2030.

93 POINTS

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

Winemaker Thomas Duroux was previously at Ornellaia before fixing his place at Chateau Palmer. Could say something. Might not. A tidbit. From Cape Mentelle Cabernet Grand Tasting (2011 wines): Elegant, seamless, very firm wine. Tannins for days. Chewy in texture. Has an impressive reserve of power in fruit character, but also a rustic, heavily savoury edge that finishes the wine metallic and lightly saline. The wine feels almost forced, such is the wine-work. A hard wine that reveals little, and might just reveal little more with time. Still, structure counts.

90 POINTS

John Stimpfig - Decanter

Nice florality here with blackcurrant and juniper on the nose. Given the significantly cooler conditions of 2011, this has convincing elegant complexity and weight with black fruit, quite firm tannins and bright acidity. Still young and not a great Palmer by any means, but it punches well above most other 2011s and will repay medium term drinking.