Château Palmer 2011

Superb, silky-dense texture, great concentration, length and breed; the angular tannins guarantee proper aging.

The opaque blue/purple-colored 2011 Palmer reveals a stunning bouquet of licorice, truffles, camphor, spring flowers, black raspberries and black currants. One of the superstars of the vintage, this brilliant 2011 possesses superb concentration and purity, medium to full body, and remarkable length of close to a minute. A tour de force in winemaking, the Palmer team merits accolades for achieving this level of quality in a more challenging vintage than either 2009 or 2010. The “wine of the vintage” in Margaux, tiny yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, a final blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a severe selection (only 55% of the production made it into Palmer) are the reasons for this success. Winemaker Thomas Duroux continues to fine tune this already brilliant estate, producing first-growth quality wines year after year.

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.

A multi-faceted wine with no Petit Verdot in the blend given the concentration of the Merlot (55%), which is unusually dominant, and Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) from the smallest harvest before 2018, since 1961. This has a wonderfully evocative nose, perfumed with violets, plums, cherries and blueberries. On the palate there is bright acidity, still so juicy and alive with a cool blue-fruit touch and menthol edges. Precise yet still structured—you’re reminded that this is a serious wine, and at this 10-year mark, there is still such life and energy that it will go on and on. Delicious.

A thoroughly unresolved wine that shows a strongly medicinal, almost bandage-like thread; it is incredibly concentrated and raw. The palate has a similarly forced or aggressive stance. It feels very engineered, trying too hard; it really lacks charm and balance. -NS

The 2011 Palmer has a delineated, focused, razor-sharp bouquet with blackberry and bilberry scents, showing more minerality than its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, moderate depth, straightlaced and uncomplicated, with satisfying freshness and grip on the finish. Not memorable, but certainly well-crafted and it might improve with further bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

Cedar chest, forest floor, blackberry, oak, and wet earth aromas create the perfume. But the show really gets going on the palate with its sweet, soft, round, fresh black raspberries, cherries, and a hint of fennel that lingers and expands in the silky finish. Knowing the wine of chateau Palmer, I expect this to keep improving in the bottle. This is a contender for the wine of the vintage in 2011.

Deep ruby, purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Fine notes of cassis and blackberry, a hint of nougat, fig and orange zest, sweet savoury 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 ageing potential for many more years. Certainly a star of the vintage.

55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. What do Palmer’s 2011, 2006, 2000 and 1995 have in common? In all these vintages, Petit Verdot was left out of the blend. For Palmer, it’s the smallest harvest since 1961! So there are only about 65,000 bottles. The first impression on the nose recalls a Harlan: dark roses, violets, cinnamon, cassis, blackcurrant, redwood; I’ve rarely experienced a young Palmer so dominated by black fruit. Velvety texture, enormous density; despite all these feminine touches, this wine doesn’t lack character, so we can expect great aging potential. (19/20). 18: Incredibly dark color. In this form, very rarely seen for the 2011 vintage. The bouquet: fresh, fruity and spicy at the same time. The many facets reveal violet notes, lilac, blueberries and Damassine plums. It’s still fully in its fruit phase and thus surprisingly approachable. It performs a real dance of aromas on the nose. The palate is both dense and meaty; the still-marked tannins show a fine sandy texture on the tongue. A characterful, still young, impetuous Palmer that sits well above general vintage expectations. From 250 francs, you’d (still) be in right now. (19/20). 19: Intense violet with purple highlights. The bouquet is practically identical to the color and shows many blue to black berries. Blueberries, blackberries and cassis. Then cassis again and again. Overall, you can speak right from the start of wonderful fruit intensity. The initial nose is soft and almost goes in a lactic-milky direction. On the second pass, you find a fresh, floral note. On the palate, especially for the 2011 vintage, it seems quite concentrated and shows lots of extract and substance—actually more substance than astringency. Thus this Palmer, one of the best in the Médoc in this vintage, will soon bring a lot of pleasure and go down in history as a feminine variant with plenty of elegance. And in the evening I liked it even more. A true vintage miracle! (19/20). 21: Very dark purple with still clearly violet highlights. Practically no signs of evolution at the rim. Almost powerful with a sweet attack, broad and expansive, many berries in all facets, a hint of vanillin. With each new sniff it cranks it up another notch. On the palate, soft, velvety, creamy, with incredible nonchalance in the smooth flow, a focused, harmonious finish. This is unquestionably one of the best wines from the entire Médoc in this year. Difficult vintage. Brilliant wine. Bravo! (19/20).

Velvety, dense, full, sweet, powerful bouquet: cassis cream, mocha, strawberry jelly, blueberries, herbs, mint, a delicate touch of eucalyptus. Tightly woven, powerful, creamy palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, a creamy, elegant structure, powerful, multifaceted aromatics, and a long, dense, full finish with plenty of lingering flavors. 19/20 drink - 2040

Touches of raspberry and tobacco leaf straight from the first nose. This can be opened now with a good few hours in a decanter, as the tannins are fine-boned and shot through with salinity and juice. An elegant, well-balanced Palmer with white truffle, loam, and gentle white pepper spice, lingering through the finish. An early harvest following a dry summer that was not overly hot, running from September 7 to 29. A hailstorm at the end of June damaged 90% of the vineyard, so this is a small yield at 21hl/ha – the lowest since 1961 (until 2018) – and unusually has no Petit Verdot. 60% new oak.

A lot of power, a strong note of licorice on the nose, long and broad, just a touch less complex than 2014.

A tannic, concentrated expression, fairly compact, with a touch of velvet that is signature Palmer.

Since the 2010 vintage, Palmer has been releasing wines that are 10 years old. It is therefore the 2011 vintage that is currently being re-released, allowing consumers to enjoy a wine kept at the estate for 10 years. The 2011 bouquet reveals intense notes of truffle as well as blackberry, blackcurrant, and licorice. On the palate, Palmer shows compact, fine tannins in great shape, and a lively structure that lends a juicy, fresh character across the whole palate. The wine is in top form and, above all, displays rare finesse in this vintage. Such harmony and persistence.

Logo on the cork: DF Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Slightly evolved. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit, subtle and noble. Silky from the attack and quickly sappy, the wine unfolds richly, with classy texture and great density on the finish. Good, savory length.

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.