Alter Ego 2020

Product info about Alter Ego 2020

Alter Ego 2020 comes from Margaux and carries the signature of Château Palmer, but from a deliberately different angle. Introduced from the 1998 vintage, Alter Ego is presented by the estate as another interpretation of the same Palmer terroir, with an emphasis on suppleness, ripe aromatic expression and fruit that can be approached earlier than the grand vin.

The 2020 blend is 50% cabernet sauvignon, 46% merlot and 4% petit verdot. That balance says a great deal about the wine: merlot brings ripeness and flesh, cabernet sauvignon provides structure and depth, while petit verdot adds a spicy accent. The grapes come from Château Palmer's estate vineyards in Margaux, on gravel terraces near the Gironde, where the soils are well drained, poor in organic matter and able to retain warmth. The estate works biodynamically, and Alter Ego 2020 belongs to this biodynamic context.

The vintage was early and varied, beginning with a damp spring before warmer, drier conditions took over. Heat and water stress in August were eased by storms, after which dry weather helped build tannin concentration. The wine spent 18 months in barrel, with a measured proportion of new oak so that fruit and aromatic intensity remain central.

At Drankenshop Broekmans, this is the kind of Bordeaux we like to place in front of someone looking for Margaux with pedigree, but with a more immediately expressive Palmer interpretation. With only the last bottles remaining, the 2020 vintage is also worth noting for cellaring; drinking windows mentioned for this wine begin around 2026 and extend, depending on the source, to at least 2033 and more broadly to 2045.

Alter Ego 2020 shows a deep, dark colour in the glass. Aromatically, it moves through dark fruit, blackcurrant, black cherry and blackberry, with floral notes of violet and rose petal. Finer details of menthol, pencil graphite, cardamom and occasional cocoa or baking chocolate add extra depth.

On the palate it is medium to full in body, round and fleshy, with a clear core of ripe fruit. The tannins are described as powdery to well integrated, giving structure while keeping the texture silky. The finish is long, bringing together ripe merlot, refined yet powerful cabernet sauvignon and the spicy lift of petit verdot.