So much class in the nose with a sophisticated kaleidoscope of dark fruit such as blackcurrants, and spices such as salt and pepper, as well as cloves and nutmeg. Full-bodied. Compacted and dense yet weightless. It opens beautifully. The tannins go on and on with wonderful presence. Salty undertones.

The 2022 Château Palmer is utterly brilliant, so much so that I questioned in my notes if this would challenge the 2018. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, from tiny yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare, its mammoth-sized personality offers layers of blue and black fruits, notes of melted chocolate, crushed stone, and spring flowers, building, velvety tannins, and a great, great finish. While many estates commented that they extracted less in the vintage, Palmer went in a different direction and extracted more during the vinifications to provide a solid backbone to match the concentration and power of the vintage. It appears to have worked brilliantly, and hats off to Thomas Duroux for having the confidence to go his own path. He has produced a truly Grand Vin in 2022. The alcohol here is a normal 14.4%, and the pH is a healthy 3.79.

Thomas Duroux and his team opted to wait to pick the 2022 Palmer in pursuit of full maturity, taking advantage of the resilience of the estate's terroirs, and they have followed up with a brilliantly executed élevage that has retained pure, vivid flavors despite the wine's ripeness and unctuosity. Bursting with aromas of blackberries, crème de cassis, mulberries and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a sumptuous core of rich, fleshy fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, taking on more and more floral nuances as it sits in the glass. This is one of the Médoc's most sensual wines this year.

Ripe and sweet strawberry and cherry fruit alongside milk chocolate and dried flowers on the nose, this smells so inviting. Fleshy and filling, tannins have a gentle grip and crushed velvet texture that is so appealing, gently covering the mouth and slowly expanding the expression. The blackcurrant and cherry fruit is persistent but mint, liquorice and cola accents emerge towards the finish adding layers of nuance. Calm but confident, this is out to please and does so effortlessly. Great acidity and salty bite. It has relaxed since Primeurs, not so taught, but incredibly seductive with undeniable power. Works well with the vintage and still emerges cool and fresh.

The 2022 Palmer is a wine of sublime beauty and refinement. Silky, caressing and super-expressive, the 2022 is also one of the most surprising wines of the year in that it does not show the drought or heat of the growing season at all either in its flavor profile or feel. Succulent black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, spice and dried herbs lend notable complexity throughout. The 2022 starts off rather slow, and then really explodes on the back end. It is a magnificent wine in every way.

The 2022 Palmer was cropped at just 22hL/ha due to the berries being 25-30% smaller than usual. It bursts forth on the nose with precocious black cherries, blueberry, violet and touches of marmalade and tobacco in the background. Complex and expressive. The palate is structured, with the tannic backbone, that winemaker Thomas Duroux talked about, lending this Palmer a sense of verticality. Hints of black pepper emerge with time, multi-layered, a powerful Margaux and yet the IPT is actually lower than elsewhere (76). Quite linear on the tobacco-infused finish, which is just quintessential Palmer. Do reserve a bin in your cellar for this and let it gather dust for at least a decade. 14.4% alcohol.

Dark brooding fruits, this is intense and concentrated, ripe flavours with an exotic edge, cassis, roasted plum, damson and star fruit with a curl of woodsmoke and tobacco leaf, set against fresher edges of blueberry and iris. This is serious, structured, with everything turned up pretty high, giving the imprint of the vintage in its black pepper, rosemary, turmeric, mandarin peel and clove. 3.79ph, harvest September 7 right through to October 5. Blend done by December, yield 23hl/h. Ageing sees the first year in barrel, then second year in larger sized oak casks to minimise oak impact, something that will be particularly important in a year with these unusually high alcohols.

As is the case at neighbor Château Margaux, the 2022 Palmer is one of the most powerful wines this estate has ever produced. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it offers up aromas of blackberries, burning embers, violets, iris and sweet soil tones, followed by a full-bodied, broad and expansive palate, its velvety attack segueing into a rich and layered core. Supple, seamless and concentrated, it checks in at 14.4% alcohol and a rather high pH of 3.79.

51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. 22 hl/ha. Cask sample. Crimson hue. Genuine expression of fruit. Touch of spicy complexity. Dense but lots of vitality and energy. Beautiful texture with tannins that drive the wine. Great definition. Long on the finish. (JL)