A wine with a vertical palate for the vintage. Deep and rich with polished tannins, beautiful fruit. Layered and very long. Blueberries, hazelnut, cedar and a mineral, creamy character. Fabulous for the vintage.

James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, November 14th 2013

Château Palmer is one of the vintage’s superstars. Opaque purple, with a gorgeous nose of blueberry, blackberry fruit, licorice, incense and graphite, the wine has a multi-dimensional, skyscraper-like richness, stunningly well-integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, a finish of close to 45 seconds and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This is a great wine from Margaux in 2012 and one of the vintage’s most remarkable efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2040+. The final blend was 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot.

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 29 April 2015

The 2012 Palmer's inky/purple color is more saturated than most Margaux's, and it offers complex notes of blackberries, cassis, licorice, truffle and spring flowers. The wine is dense, rich and full-bodied with a muscular appeal, but the tannins, as high as they are, are sweet and well-integrated. None of the new oak used during the wine's upbringing is noticeable. Interestingly, this wine showed no evidence of dilution from the October 7-9 rainfall. I suspect it will require 3-4 years of cellaring, and should last for two decades. Thomas Duroux produced a brilliant 2012 Palmer that is unquestionably one of the stars of the vintage. High levels of tannin were up there with their best vintages, at least analytically. The final blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot results in a style of wine that is totally different than that of its nearby neighbors, Chateau Margaux, Rauzan-Segla and Malescot St.-Exupery.

Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #206

Tasted from a barrel sample at en primeur. The Palmer was picked between 1st and 15th October at just 28hl/ha because of the previous vintage since the vines had been pruned back to four buds per vine. A blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the Grand Vin is very opulent on the nose for the vintage, the merlot much more expressive than the Cabernet with nascent scents of crushed violet. The palate is medium-bodied with thick juicy tannins, a crisp citric line of acidity and a sense of weight and solidity on the tightly-coiled finish. This Palmer will probably need several years bottle age. Certainly a very good grip on the finish with a marine like aftertaste. Tasted April 2013.

Neal Martin - Wine Journal May 2013