2012 Château Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux

The annual release of 10 year old Château Palmer, and this time it's an often-underrated but delicious vintage that sits in the shadow of the most prestigious years of the last decade. Proof of how slowly this wine ages, it is packed with blueberry and cassis fruits, a shot of mint leaf, mandarin peel, sage and dark chocolate, with shoulders and a serious architecture, bigger than you might expect for a vintage with such an easy-drinking, gourmet reputation. I last tasted this vintage around eight months ago and it has opened up further since then, often the case as wines shift around the decade mark, and this is an upscore. A moment when Palmer was fully committing to farming biodynamically, doubling its coverage to almost 15 hectares, and had just unveiled a new cellar. Harvest October 1 to 15, Sabrina Pernet technical director, Thomas Duroux director. 68% new oak. No rush to drink, and has many decades ahead, but you can begin thinking about it.Drink 2023 - 2042jane_anson_mw, janeanson_com (Jul 2022)

The 2012 Palmer showed beautifully, with the elegance and purity this cuvée is known for front and center. Offering lots of crème de cassis, licorice, smoked earth and a hint of spring flowers, it has medium to full-bodied richness, a balanced, graceful texture, plenty of tannin, and a great finish. This is one of those wines that grows on you with time in the glass and is going to evolve gracefully on its purity and balance.Drink 2018 - 2038jeb_dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (Oct 2018)

This is mind-blowing with complex and superb aromas of dried flowers, blackcurrants and raspberries. Full-bodied, yet polished and velvety with lots of tension and intensity. Layers of fruit and character. Finishes with pure fruit, hazelnuts and minerals. About 20 hectares of 55 hectares were from biodynamically grown grapes. Try in 2022. Stunning.james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (Feb 2015)

Chteau Palmer is one of the vintages superstars. Opaque purple, with a gorgeous nose of blueberry, blackberry fruit, licorice, incense and graphite, the wine has a multi-dimensional, skyscraper-like richness, stunningly well-integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, a finish of close to 45 seconds and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This is a great wine from Margaux in 2012 and one of the vintages most remarkable efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2040+. The final blend was 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 30/04/2015

Magnificent black-red, wonderful concentration with velvety density of texture, superbly rich yet elegant, exotic yet constrained, great wine.

Sweet and voluptuous on the nose. Then lovely well-integrated freshness on the finish. So gloriously smooth. Just a note of that sweet oak I found a bit too much on the 2009 blind tasting in Southwold, but the fruit is absolutely fantastic. Very appetising. jancis_robinson_mw, JancisRobinson.com, April 22 2013

The 2012 Palmer's inky/purple color is more saturated than most Margaux's, and it offers complex notes of blackberries, cassis, licorice, truffle and spring flowers. The wine is dense, rich and full-bodied with a muscular appeal, but the tannins, as high as they are, are sweet and well-integrated. None of the new oak used during the wine-s upbringing is noticeable. Interestingly, this wine showed no evidence of dilution from the October 7-9 rainfall. I suspect it will require 3-4 years of cellaring, and should last for two decades. Thomas Duroux produced a brilliant 2012 Palmer that is unquestionably one of the stars of the vintage. High levels of tannin were up there with their best vintages, at least analytically. The final blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot results in a style of wine that is totally different than that of its nearby neighbors, Chateau Margaux, Rauzan-Segla and Malescot St.-Exupery. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - Apr 2013

Juicy, with a bright leafy note framing the dark plum and blackberry fruit. Lots of singed alder_yarrow and spice notes flow through the finish, which has solid but integrated grip. A buried iron edge emerges in the end. Tasted non-blind. james_molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 8 2013

Dark glowing crimson. Rich and opulent. Good balance of ripeness and freshness – even quite seductive and certainly very long. Better than I remember it from the Farr tasting but perhaps I overlooked its qualities then.Drink 2022 - 2038jancis_robinson_mw, JancisRobinson.com (Mar 2022)

Rich, generous, plummy fruit, with concentrated flavour and considerable tannin that makes its development an unknown quantity. Will all the elements marry? Keep for five years and hope.Drink 2027 - 2042Sebastian Payne MW, Decanter.com (Mar 2022)