Château Palmer
About Château Palmer
Château Palmer is a Third Growth estate located in Margaux in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Although for many decades it has been viewed as one of the best wines in the region, standing toe-to-toe to Château Margaux. Château Palmer is named after a British Major-General from the Napoleonic Wars, who bought the land in 1814. He developed it considerably and gained a strong following for the wine in England. Since 1938, the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families have been major shareholders. Since the mid-1990s they have rediscovered their former class. The appointment of Thomas Duroux in 2004 has brought them into a new golden era.
Viniculture
Once part of the d'Issan estate, the Palmer vineyards cover 55 hectares in the Cantenac commune. Mostly found on a plateau of thin gravel on the edge of the estuary, the vines are densely planted, such that to ensure competition between vines and promote deep root systems. This Margaux tends to be high in Merlot, giving a ripe perfume and plum fruit flavours.
The estate makes a second wine called Alter Ego de Palmer. Annual production is around 12,000 cases of Chateau Palmer and 7500 cases of Alter Ego.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€12,381.73 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (100)Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, two bottles of 1961 Château Palmer were opened and compared. The first was a great bottle of wine, beautifully balanced and complex, and yet not quite living up to its status as one of the legendary bottles of the 20th century. That said, I still scored it around the 96 or 97 point mark. The second lived up to the billing. Coming from the late great John Avery's cellar, that is to say, purchased on release and never moved, the first difference is the slightly deeper color compared to the first bottle. The bouquet is difficult to capture in words. Heavenly, ethereal, moving and profound - they are all applicable here. It is still a wine in its prime, with dark berry fruit, hints of graphite and mineral, a touch of wilted violet petals. Its ineffable purity knocks you sideways. The palate is defined by its filigree framework of tannin - precise and lace-like, lending it the texture of a mature Richebourg. Yet it is unmistakably Margaux because there is stunning structure on the finish, astounding precision and a never-ending aftertaste that is borderline supernatural. This bottle reminds me of the first time I tasted the 1961 Palmer several years ago when I gave a perfect score without hesitation. This is exactly the same: a perfect wine and a bona fide legend. Tasted May 2015. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
€10,315.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (100)Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, two bottles of 1961 Château Palmer were opened and compared. The first was a great bottle of wine, beautifully balanced and complex, and yet not quite living up to its status as one of the legendary bottles of the 20th century. That said, I still scored it around the 96 or 97 point mark. The second lived up to the billing. Coming from the late great John Avery's cellar, that is to say, purchased on release and never moved, the first difference is the slightly deeper color compared to the first bottle. The bouquet is difficult to capture in words. Heavenly, ethereal, moving and profound - they are all applicable here. It is still a wine in its prime, with dark berry fruit, hints of graphite and mineral, a touch of wilted violet petals. Its ineffable purity knocks you sideways. The palate is defined by its filigree framework of tannin - precise and lace-like, lending it the texture of a mature Richebourg. Yet it is unmistakably Margaux because there is stunning structure on the finish, astounding precision and a never-ending aftertaste that is borderline supernatural. This bottle reminds me of the first time I tasted the 1961 Palmer several years ago when I gave a perfect score without hesitation. This is exactly the same: a perfect wine and a bona fide legend. Tasted May 2015. |