55% merlot 45% cabernet sauvignon. Vines are planted on 55 hectares of stony gravel soils at a density of 10000 per hectare and are on average 35 years old. All are harvested by hand. Yields were an incredibly low 20 hl/ha. Deep garnet core with a medium bright garnet rim. An exceptional and complex nose of ripe red cherry warm mocha and freshly picked savory herbs. The style is warm with silky tannins that continue to build throughout the palate. Red currant and tobacco flavors are followed by subtle oak nuances and a touch of cedar. The finish is long and tight with a backbone of acidity and fine grained tannins which are all in balance. One of the top wines of the Left Bank. Enjoy 2018-2030.

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. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

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.

Shows an ample core of kirsch and bright cherry fruit that's very expressive with flecks of white pepper violet and tobacco. The racy acidity is well-embedded and this has solid length with a velvety edge in reserve that lets extra cassis and violet notes emerge. Should stretch out nicely during the rest of its élevage. Tasted non-blind.-J.M.

Touches of raspberry and tobacco leaf straight off the first nose. This could be opened now with a good few hours in a carafe, as the tannins are fine-boned and riven through with salinity and juice. An elegant, well-balanced Palmer with white truffle, loam, and soft 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 hail storm 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.

The 2011 Palmer has a ripe sweet bouquet of black cherries blueberry a touch of iodine and crushed violets flamboyant as usual. There is a hint of cough candy that develops with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm grip. There is a carapace of toasty tannins underneath which lies a core of dense black fruit although it does not have the same degree of finesse on the finish as say Rauzan Segla. This is quite a serious Margaux one that probably deserves longer ageing than others to allow those brusque rigid tannins to soften.

The 2011 Palmer has a delineated, focused, razor-sharp bouquet with blackberry and bilberry scents, demonstrated more mineralité 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 might improve with continued bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting. -- Neal Martin