Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Vieux Château Palon – 2021
Montagne-Saint-Émilion AOC – Right Bank, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinctive Right Bank Bordeaux, this cuvée flips the classic Merlot-dominant Saint-Émilion script. Instead, it is crafted from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc, making it unusually bold, structured, and aromatically lifted for the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, and cassis dominate, with graphite, cedar, and tobacco leaf from the Cabernets. Subtle violet and peppery notes emerge from the Franc.

Mouthfeel
Firm tannins, medium-plus body, and a long, savory finish. More muscular and linear than many Montagne-Saint-Émilions, leaning toward Left Bank style but with Right Bank elegance.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops with rosemary, cassoulet, duck confit, aged Comté or Tomme de Savoie cheeses.

Verdict
An atypical but fascinating Montagne-Saint-Émilion that highlights Cabernet structure over Merlot plushness. For those who love Pauillac or Saint-Julien, this bottle is a bridge into the Right Bank world. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Montagne-Saint-Émilion is one of the four “satellite” appellations of Saint-Émilion, known for offering excellent value Bordeaux reds. Few estates here lean so heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes Palon stand out stylistically. — 10 days ago

Phil Blum

9.3

Great minerality. Exactly what it should be. — 22 days ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

Very juicy and flashy. Almost too bright. Needs to settle down. Cherry, hint blueberry quite rich at this point. Hint black tea, touch bitter. Needs at least 5 years to loose its baby fat. Enjoy now or wait. Very well made & DIAM30 cork. Unfortunately 100$. — 2 months ago

Todd Anderson

9.3

A lovely wine that is drinking very lovely right now. I personally like 14.5% wines vs the big jammy versions for their balance so this fits my tastes perfectly. Very glad I bought a futures case back in the day. Enjoy sooner rather than later. Cheers! — 6 days ago

Charlie Tapp

9.2

Strawberry, red candy, plum and eucalyptus. Feminine and polished.

Drink now. — 20 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

Vintage 2022 | — a month ago

JKT

9.1

Wow aged nicely. Minerals floral notes followed by firm biting texture laced with mature fruit notes and long finish. — 2 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

Rated highly (wherever 93 points). I found this wine OK but not oh boy that is the white CdP i need to store. It was easy drinking now. Almond blossoms and Jasmine…. — a month ago

Chris MacLean

9.2

Another excellent example from this producer — 19 days ago

with Sarah

Doug Powers

9.2

A little orange bricking on the edge, this lovely aromatic 25-year-old Chateauneuf seems mature and ready to drink, still shows lively acidity which nicely lifts the red fruited flavors, good weight, lingering finish, should pair beautifully with the bison ribeye I will soon be grilling!! — 2 months ago

with Jim