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.
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Inc. GSTSG$783.98
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Inc. GSTSG$892.60
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Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93)
: Full, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I've tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015.Inc. GSTSG$990.34 -
Decanter (98)
One of the great years of Bordeaux now at 10 years old and showing why this is such an unusual vintage in terms of the depth of structure and muscular concentration that was achieved. In fact, I am upping the drinking window from the last time I tasted this, as there is such a pulse of life and grip that shows no signs of going anywhere. The initial layers are starting to be peeled back, but this retains primary black and blue fruits that are still full of flesh alongside baked earth, tons of liquorice and black chocolate with a grippy tannic structure, fresh acidities and a serious attitude. Brilliant stuff, that is clearly going to power on for decades. Harvest September 22 to October 20.Inc. GSTSG$558.70 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Just hover your nose over the glass to get excited about this wine. Inky purple in colour, cigar box, tobacco bud, pencil lead, tight cassis and bilberry fruit. Where the 2015 is generous, the 2016 is tighter, less expressive at the five year mark, but with layers and potential to fire up an entire room. Has the structure and the chiselled fruit that signposts great Bordeaux in an exceptional vintage, with the nuanced whisper of violet and peony that takes you to the Margaux appellation. Powerful and muscular, still austere but the morieish juice on the finish tells you how much this has to give over the next few decades. Harvest October 3 to 18. Gets better every time you go back to it. 60% new oak.Inc. GSTSG$580.87
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In BondSG$711.00
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In BondSG$809.00
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Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93)
: Full, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I've tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015.In BondSG$899.00 -
Decanter (98)
One of the great years of Bordeaux now at 10 years old and showing why this is such an unusual vintage in terms of the depth of structure and muscular concentration that was achieved. In fact, I am upping the drinking window from the last time I tasted this, as there is such a pulse of life and grip that shows no signs of going anywhere. The initial layers are starting to be peeled back, but this retains primary black and blue fruits that are still full of flesh alongside baked earth, tons of liquorice and black chocolate with a grippy tannic structure, fresh acidities and a serious attitude. Brilliant stuff, that is clearly going to power on for decades. Harvest September 22 to October 20.In BondSG$503.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Just hover your nose over the glass to get excited about this wine. Inky purple in colour, cigar box, tobacco bud, pencil lead, tight cassis and bilberry fruit. Where the 2015 is generous, the 2016 is tighter, less expressive at the five year mark, but with layers and potential to fire up an entire room. Has the structure and the chiselled fruit that signposts great Bordeaux in an exceptional vintage, with the nuanced whisper of violet and peony that takes you to the Margaux appellation. Powerful and muscular, still austere but the morieish juice on the finish tells you how much this has to give over the next few decades. Harvest October 3 to 18. Gets better every time you go back to it. 60% new oak.In BondSG$524.00