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Alter Ego De Palmer Margaux 2012 750ml

size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Margaux
JS
94
WA
93
DC
92
VM
92
WE
92
JD
92
WS
90
JS
94
Rated 94 by James Suckling
This is amazing for the second wine with incredible white truffle, stone and currant character. Purity of fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and refined. Fantastic length. Better in 2018 but almost impossible to resist now. Incredible. (Suckling) ... More details
Image of bottle
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Alter Ego De Palmer Margaux 2012 750ml

SKU 906506
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$865.14
/case
$144.19
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 6 bottles
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
JS
94
WA
93
DC
92
VM
92
WE
92
JD
92
WS
90
JS
94
Rated 94 by James Suckling
This is amazing for the second wine with incredible white truffle, stone and currant character. Purity of fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and refined. Fantastic length. Better in 2018 but almost impossible to resist now. Incredible. (Suckling)
WA
93
Rated 93 by Wine Advocate
Another brilliant example from administrator Thomas Duroux and his team, the intense second wine, Palmer’s 2012 Alter Ego (51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot), offers up plenty of blackberry and crème de cassis notes along with some spring flowers, licorice and subtle background oak. Opulently textured, full-bodied and stunning, this is an outrageously successful second wine to drink over the next 12-15 years.
DC
92
Rated 92 by Decanter
Even though it was only introduced by Château Palmer in 1998, the distinctive reverse black-and-gold label is surely one of the best known in Bordeaux. But the real success of Alter Ego has come in its consistently excellent quality. It’s hard to go wrong with the vintages, although prices are steep, with recent years coming in at above £550 for a case of 12 (in bond) at most UK merchants. The 2012 is a wonderful example of why this wine is so good. It has all the lush exoticism and fine tannic structure of Palmer, but with a softness and crème de cassis, dense fruitiness (it is 52% Merlot) that makes it drinkable now and for the next 10 to 15 years. Drinking Window 2016 - 2029.
VM
92
Rated 92 by Vinous Media
The 2012 Alter Ego is unusually dark in this vintage, the result of abnormally low yields and very ripe Merlot. An exuberant, voluptuous wine, the 2012 hits the palate with a mélange of black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice, tobacco and grilled herbs. There is more than enough tannin and acidity to support a good decade-plus of very fine drinking. This is a superb second wine that should be on consumers' radar screens, as it over delivers, big time. The 2012s at Palmer are made from unusually low yields of around 28 hectoliters per hectare. One of the effects of the 2011 hailstorm that hit the estate was a lowering of the following year's crop, which has resulted in rich, tannic wines. Estate Manager Thomas Duroux opted to give the 2012s more time in barrel than is customary and the wines were bottled in September 2014.
WE
92
Rated 92 by Wine Enthusiast
Initially densely tannic, this wine quickly reveals a more velvet character that is enhanced by the blackberry fruits. Over half the production at Palmer in 2012 was of this second wine, which is already finely integrated and developing well. Drink from 2020.
JD
92
Rated 92 by Jeb Dunnuck
The 2012 Alter Ego De Palmer is a smoking good Margaux that over-delivers. Made from 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot, its still ruby/purple color is followed by a ripe, sexy, medium to full-bodied 2012 that gives up tons of blackcurrants, licorice, crushed flowers, and graphite. With incredible charm as well as a broad, sexy texture, drink it over the coming 10-15 years.
WS
90
Rated 90 by Wine Spectator
Shows good energy, with a lively savory note, a bright iron streak and enticing damson plum, black cherry and red currant fruit. Everything knits through the finish, suggesting this should be able to handle modest cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2020. 7,083 cases made.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Margaux
Overview
This is amazing for the second wine with incredible white truffle, stone and currant character. Purity of fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and refined. Fantastic length. Better in 2018 but almost impossible to resist now. Incredible. (Suckling)
barrel

Vintage: 2012

2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in. The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

The Bordeaux method of blending quality grape varietals is something which has long been imitated and envied around the world. Whilst there are six Bordeaux grape varietals allowed for the production of red wine in this region of France – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Carménere – the most common and widely used combination involves a careful blend of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, usually with a small percentage of Petit Verdot to boost the overall flavor and balance things out. This process accentuates the finer points of all these varietals, and takes the astringency of one type whilst rounding it out and mellowing it with the light tannins and fleshiness of another. The results are rarely short of spectacular, and are perfect for oak aging, where the flavorful magic of Bordeaux wine making can really take place, and the complex aromas and characteristics can truly come forward.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

There are few wine regions in the world with a reputation as glowing and well established as that of the Bordeaux, in France. Situated mainly around the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, Bordeaux makes the most of its humid climate and rich, clay and gravel based soils to grow some of the finest examples of red and white grape varietals on earth. Wineries in this region have been in operation for hundreds of years, and have carefully developed the expertise required for the production of carefully balanced and utterly delicious blended red and white wines, alongside some exceptional single variety bottles. Many of the chateaux found in Bordeaux have become household names, due to their prestige and the excellence of their products, grown with love and dedication by heritage wineries in this beautiful and special region.
fields

Country: France

France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Margaux

The Margaux appellation of France's legendary Bordeaux wine region is one of the world's most famous and highly respected viticultural areas. For centuries, Margaux has been deeply associated with extremely fine wines of the highest quality, made using traditional and time-honored techniques in order to extract the very best, most refined and elegant flavors and aromas from the Bordeaux varietal grapes which grow there. Margaux wines are almost always blended, using two or three key Bordeaux grapes, commonly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (amongst others). The blending techniques and quantities have been passed down through the generations in the ancestral chateaus which make up the region, and quality and prestige has never been allowed to falter, making Margaux one of the undisputed jewels in France's already glittering crown.
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More Details
barrel

Vintage: 2012

2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in. The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

The Bordeaux method of blending quality grape varietals is something which has long been imitated and envied around the world. Whilst there are six Bordeaux grape varietals allowed for the production of red wine in this region of France – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Carménere – the most common and widely used combination involves a careful blend of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, usually with a small percentage of Petit Verdot to boost the overall flavor and balance things out. This process accentuates the finer points of all these varietals, and takes the astringency of one type whilst rounding it out and mellowing it with the light tannins and fleshiness of another. The results are rarely short of spectacular, and are perfect for oak aging, where the flavorful magic of Bordeaux wine making can really take place, and the complex aromas and characteristics can truly come forward.
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Region: Bordeaux

There are few wine regions in the world with a reputation as glowing and well established as that of the Bordeaux, in France. Situated mainly around the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, Bordeaux makes the most of its humid climate and rich, clay and gravel based soils to grow some of the finest examples of red and white grape varietals on earth. Wineries in this region have been in operation for hundreds of years, and have carefully developed the expertise required for the production of carefully balanced and utterly delicious blended red and white wines, alongside some exceptional single variety bottles. Many of the chateaux found in Bordeaux have become household names, due to their prestige and the excellence of their products, grown with love and dedication by heritage wineries in this beautiful and special region.
fields

Country: France

France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Margaux

The Margaux appellation of France's legendary Bordeaux wine region is one of the world's most famous and highly respected viticultural areas. For centuries, Margaux has been deeply associated with extremely fine wines of the highest quality, made using traditional and time-honored techniques in order to extract the very best, most refined and elegant flavors and aromas from the Bordeaux varietal grapes which grow there. Margaux wines are almost always blended, using two or three key Bordeaux grapes, commonly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (amongst others). The blending techniques and quantities have been passed down through the generations in the ancestral chateaus which make up the region, and quality and prestige has never been allowed to falter, making Margaux one of the undisputed jewels in France's already glittering crown.