Layered cassis and blackberry fruit on the nose, a pretty serious Alter Ego as it was En Primeur, with a ton of crayon, grilled coffee beans and slate. Violet notes highlighted as it unfurls, and this has concentration and great ageing potential. 31hl/ha yield, 3.73ph, 35% new oak, with large sized oak casks for the second year, so a two-step ageing process (as has been true since 2017, with low SO2 additions). Harvest September 15 to 29. 93 points

The 2020 Alter Ego de Palmer has a tightly-wound bouquet that demands a little more coaxing than other Margaux`s that I tasted. Quite refined with black cherries, blackcurrant, iris flower and light iodine scents. Lovely definition. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fresh on the entry and quite saline, not as flamboyant as you might expect with a pleasant strictness towards the tannic finish (this is the most tannic Alter Ego ever produced.) Very fine, but serious. 93 points

The 2020 Alter Ego is phenomenal. Bright acids and lifted floral top notes give the Alter Ego terrific brilliance. The combination of the growing season and a move towards foudres for the second year of elevage yields an Alter Ego that is decidedly linear in construction. The 2020 is going to need a number of years to come around. It`s a gorgeous wine, but readers will have to get used to a style that is quite different from the more exuberant wines of the past. It`s a very classic Alter Ego and very classic Margaux. 94 points

Tasted blind. Black core with purplish rim. Fragrant with gorgeously pure black fruit and definite but not overdone oak. Firm, dry, elegant tannins allowing the fruit and fragrance to shine. Subtle in its power, persistent. 17.5 points