Professional reviews
Winespectator (95)
BOW (8.50)
Decanter (97)
Quite vivid aromatics on the nose, deep and heady, blue fruit, peppercorns, liquorice and cocoa powder. Fruity and really quite dense in terms of chewiness and flavour. Stands out in the line up for being forward, lifted, intense and powerful, grippy and alive. Excellent presentation and character. Feels youthful and fresh, but it's the texture and sense of weight and the long finish that really makes this wine stand out. A great showing for Palmer with a long life ahead.
Wine Enthusiast (96)
95–97. Barrel Sample. This is a beautiful, structured wine, with great fruit. Blackberries and currants lie on a bed of structured tannins and firm wood. It is rich, while still presenting ample freshness and acidity. This will age very well.
James Suckling (95)
This really develops wonderfully in the glass starting out earthy with mushrooms and spices and then turns to dark fruit such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, very intense and minerally. Firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes.
Vinous (95)
The 2014 Palmer is endowed with serious depth and intensity. Black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, spice, leather, tobacco and menthol infuse the 2014 with striking midpalate depth, unctuousness and texture. Silky, plush and polished, the 2014 will likely offer a very long window of pure drinking pleasure. It is one of the sexiest, raciest 2014s readers will come across. The blend is 49 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 45 % Merlot and 6 % Petit Verdot aged in 60-65 % new French oak. 95+
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2014 Palmer is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and should merit an even higher score in 5-7 years. A blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot brought up in 65% new French oak, its deep ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a rich, opulent bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, chocolate, and tobacco, with hints of graphite and background oak. With more texture and mid-palate depth than most in the vintage, this terrific 2014 is medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, layered and as hedonistic and sexy as it gets in the vintage. Give bottle 4-5 years and it should drink nicely for two decades.
