Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. Two bottles of Chateau Palmer were opened. It has a very sophisticated, but slightly broody bouquet with blackberry cassis, graphite and a little more earthiness than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine delineation, tightly knit with superb focus and sense of harmony. Crisp, sinewy and multi-faceted, this is a great Palmer for the vintage and a serious contender for the best wine of the appellation. Bravo. Tasted January 2012.

Neal Martin - Wine Journal Mar 2012

A stunning success for the vintage, and possibly the Margaux of the year, this wine, which achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, is a blend of 51% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. Loads of barbecue smoke, licorice, incense, blackberry, new saddle leather and forest floor notes jump from the glass of this dense, purple-colored wine. Extraordinarily intense and full-bodied, with plenty of tannin, but not the formidable structure of the 2010, this is going to be one of the longest-lived wines of 2008. It is full, rich, layered, and should be reasonably approachable with 3-4 years of bottle age, and will also keep for 30+ years.

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 1 May 2011

Palmer knows what to do. Plenty of blackberry and licorice aromas and flavors follow through to full body, with chewy tannins and a vanilla, cedar and chocolate aftertaste. Needs time to mellow. Layered and beautiful. Best after 2012.

James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, December 20th 2010