2012 Chateau Palmer Margaux 750 ml

We firmly stand behind Robert Parker’s statement that Château Palmer “should be upgraded to a Médoc first-growth.” Here’s why. Château Palmer racked up 96 points from Parker in 2012 who called it “one of the vintage’s most remarkable efforts” and a “superstar.” Palmer positively crushed Château Lafite-Rothschild (91/$563), while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its rival Château Margaux (96/$400). James Suckling one-upped Parker, rating it a 97 and calling it “mind-blowing.” Those scores put the “multi-dimensional,” “polished and velvety” Palmer right alongside (and above) the 2012 First Growths, which command hundreds more. 

In the latest edition of his book Bordeaux, Robert Parker sung Château Palmer’s praises: “While not officially a first growth in name, Palmer often can produce a wine of first-growth quality," stating unequivocally that it “should be upgraded” to a First Growth. That opinion — that Château Palmer is one of Bordeaux’s best — is certainly borne out by Parker’s 2012 evaluations.

Palmer stands out in the Cabernet-dominated Médoc with the high proportion of Merlot planted in its gravelly soils. The final encépage — 48% Merlot in 2012 — makes Palmer so generous, rich, and unique that Robert Parker believes it to be, in its best vintages, identifiable by aroma alone.

Those top vintages are legendary. 1983 and 1989 stand as Bordeaux benchmarks, and the 1961 Palmer — still showing well today — is simply regarded as one of the greatest Bordeaux ever produced, bar none.

Forget the classifications and listen to the experts: Year in and year out, Château Palmer has proven that it belongs at the top, and the 2012 Palmer is the “superstar” of the 2012 Bordeaux vintage. Bar none.