98
Jeb Dunnuck Tasting Note
As for the Grand Vin, the 2023 Château Palmer checks in at 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. It’s inky-hued as well but is much more inward, with gorgeous blue fruits, graphite, charcoal, liquid violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. It’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and is about as sexy and seamless as the vintage gets. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this top out (or surpass) the barrel rating when all is said and done.
94
Wine Spectator Tasting Note
This is youthfully compact, with a winey core of black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry preserves that rides along the juicy and nicely inlaid acidity, while dried violet, rose hip, sandalwood and black tea notes weave around. Shows a rather serious tug of iron at the end, adding grip and depth that sets this apart from the pack. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2040. 11,500 cases made.
100
Vinous Tasting Note
A breathtaking wine, the 2023 Palmer is sensational. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2023 is a real head-turner. Readers will find an extroverted, dense Palmer that is immediately captivating. Here, too, the balance is mind-blowing. Ample and resonant, the 2023 is striking in its beauty. Waves of layered fruit rush out first, building through to the back end with stunning aromatic intensity. There is no other wine like Palmer in Bordeaux. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a great Pomerol, as heretical as that might sound! If I could pick only one wine to own from the 2023 vintage, Palmer might very well be it.
99
James Suckling Tasting Note
This is so perfumed, with aromas of dried flowers, sandalwood, black currants and blueberries. Medium- to full-bodied with tannins that melt into the wine and a beautiful texture that caresses every inch of the palate. Seductive and polished, with ripe fruit and citrus acidity. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 46% merlot and 4% petite verdot. Drinkable now, but this will give wonderful drinking pleasure in three or four years.
99
Wine Advocate Tasting Note
Bottled in August 2025, after a year in barrique followed by a second year of maturation in foudre, the 2023 Palmer has turned out beautifully. Bursting from the glass with aromas of plums and blackberries mingled with notions of licorice, iris and exotic spices, it's medium- to full-bodied, with a broad, unctuous attack segueing into an ample, layered, multidimensional mid-palate girdled by sweet, powdery tannins. Sensual and demonstrative but unerringly precise, it's a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot that was picked between September 11 and October 5.