Chateau Palmer

Chateau Palmer


Margaux, Bordeaux, France

Visited 23-12-2010

“Wine tasting is an encounter between two living beings, the human and the wine, surrendering to each other.”

Poetry in expression, poetry motion, poetry in the glass. Chateau Palmer is all three of these wrapped into one. Each person has their own set of beliefs and sayings, and I, like anyone, have certain beliefs when it comes to wine. I hate the pretentious atmosphere that encircles the world of fine wine, and always will I lead a crusade to bring fine wines to the forefront and expel their label as a luxury item and as cast the light of modern enjoyment onto them. For me, wine is a vessel, first and foremost in the form of transporting a story and a history to the consumer, but also I truly believe in the second form as that of a vessel of enjoyment at its core. It brings friends together and excites wonderful conversations, memories that only enhance the wonderful bouquet present. A bottle of Chateau Palmer, any vintage will do, will do just this, and so do not think of your next encounter with Chateau Palmer as the reason for the celebration, but rather a vessel in the celebration of life. I would sincerely like to thank two people for helping me continue to realize this fact. First my good friend Margaux who was present with me during the Christmas holiday 2010 for my tour of Bordeaux and made it so special. And secondly, a huge thanks to Celine Carrion our Wine Ambassador from Chateau Palmer who put the knowledge and history of the vineyards into our hearts, minds, and glasses so that I could pass them on to you.

I begin with the history of the property and the Gascq Family Estate from the 1700’s. With this establishment of the property we come quickly to the birth of the current name and the beginnings of its fame as a winemaking site. The story is not confirmed to be purely true and thus its appeal is even more mythical. It is the spring of 1814 and the newly widowed Madame Marie Brunet de Ferriere boards a stagecoach to take her to Paris to sell her estate. On this stagecoach happens to be an Englishman, Major General Charles Palmer (at the time he was only a Colonel) who is interested in a property in Bordeaux. Through charm, allure, and a bit of storytelling by the end of the coach ride a deal had been struck for the sale of the property, 100,000 Francs and 500 Liters of wine annually to the Madame. Major General Palmer paid off his debts by 1835 and thus the birth of Chateau Palmer was intact. In his time he expanded the holdings to 163 Hectares, the largest in all of Cantenac, and built 15 large vats as well as lodgings for workers. Even in the early stages Palmer was willing to overlook expenses, coining the motto, ‘Excellence over Cost!’

The second leg of the famed history of Chateau Palmer begins in 1853 with the brothers Pereire, Emile and Isaac. Partners in business and banking, they gained much prosperity with real estate and the railway development through free trade enterprising. The two brothers worked under the Rothschild’s in banking, and could very well have been a driving force for their interest in acquiring the estate. Whatever the reason, the case evidence proves that they were diligent in their efforts to improve the property. They hired a Mr. Lefort to operate the estate, who was considered one of the best in the wine business at the time. Also in 1856 they hired Charles Burguet to architect and construct the actual chateau. He had recently also finished construction of the chateau at Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac. The property was classified a 3rd Growth Grand Cru Classe in the 1855 Medoc Classification for the Paris Exhibition, but the medium level ranking was mainly due to the poor management of the previous short term ownership between Palmer and the Pereire brothers and their limited time to improve the lost status. As we know today, Chateau Palmer is still classified a 3rd Growth, but it far outperforms its moderate ranking.

1938 marks the modern period for the chateau. It was this year that a group of families including Fernand Ginestet, the Miaihle brothers, the Malher-Besses’, and the Sichels’ got together and formed a shareholders group to own and operate the chateau. This forming of the collective meant many good things for the property, including a rigorous check and balance system to ensure the highest quality standards throughout. Their first action was to title Pierre Chardon the Estate Manager, a man who intimately knew the chateau and its vineyards. With 1962 came the young Bertrand Bouteiller, son of then Director Jean, who was the son-in-law of majority owner Frederick Miaihle. With the sudden death of Jean, it was Bertrand who took over his fathers’ responsibilities on the estate and would carry out his efforts for the following 42 vintages. It is easy to overlook and difficult to put into words the importance of this man in the modern view of Chateau Palmer. With 2004 brought the end of an era and the birth of a new regime. Thomas Duroux took over for Bertrand, and to assist him as Technical Director he hired Sabrina Pernet. Rest assured their experience and knowledge are vast and the company is currently in good hands.

To talk of Chateau Palmer the place we must first understand the land. The commune of Margaux as a whole sits on the banks of the lower Gironde River in its estuary where the Dordogne and the Garonne converge. The soil is the traditional varying sizes of gravels, but also is composed of black sands intermixed with a bit of clay as one digs down, it is a mixture of alluviums. Today the property is 55 Hectares, equally divided with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (47% each), and the final 6% is Petite Verdot. The average age of the vines is 37 years. Depending on the vintage of course, manual harvesting usually begins with the Merlot in the end of September. The wines are all fermented in stainless steel these days, beginning with 1994 and the revamping of the vat room. Skin contact lasts about 20 days with pumping over occurring more frequently in the first half of that time. The wines are then put into barrels in the 1st year chai, also remodeled in the 1990’s, where maleolactic fermentation begins. All the wines are kept separate until February when the final decisions are made and the assemblage is carried out. Racking happens a few times through the aging process before the wines are fined by the traditional egg white method and bottled. And now onto the wines….



Alter Ego by Chateau Palmer 2007 Margaux

60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon

33% New French Oak, Duration 18 Months

In 1983 Bouteiller decided to begin making a second wine for the estate, ‘La Reserve du General’ which lasted for 15 vintages. In 1998, the focus was changed to make not a second wine seen as inferior to the Grand Vin, but rather a different style from the same terroir, and thus Alter Ego was born. The wine is meant to be more approachable at a younger stage with some more emphasis on fresh fruit through use of the younger vines and less new oak flavors being imparted. View it as a compliment to the Chateau Palmer label.

The wine is Starbright with a dark garnet coloring which is clear with a Medium plus concentration. There is no sign of gas or sediment and the rim variation is quite youthful. The wine shows a moderate, but not heavy viscosity with noticeable staining to the tears.

The nose is clean with a firm but not overwhelming intensity. The fruits are dark red berries, a bit fleshy in fact, with notes of smoke and coffee grounds. The minerality is light here, but already there are notes of dark earth present.

The palate of this wine is very pleasant indeed. Plump cherries and red plums emerge across a dry palate that is of medium body. The tannins are firm but forgiving due to the great balance and acidity present. The earth tones are confirmed and bit of sandy/rocky definition begins to emerge with some tobacco notes on a long juicy finish.

Chateau Palmer 1996 Grand Cru Classe Margaux

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot

55% New French Oak, Duration 20 Months

Often it is not disclosed what will be presented and an unwritten rule in the wine business I feel is that you appreciate what is presented. I find that when tasting in California there is a much different approach to the presentation, a money machine at work if I may. Almost all the producers in Napa Valley, for example, will present current release wines from their label. This is done to limit on site inventory and produce a profit. Much a shame because often the wine is far too young to truly appreciate it in full. I am thankful the practice appears much different in Bordeaux.

The wine still has brightness to the deep garnet color. The clarity is beginning to fade a bit with the age but also due to the high concentration of the color, almost non transparent in fact. I do believe it is fair to say some sediment is very possible in a bottle of this maturity. I found the rim variation to be pronounced, but still with some youthful qualities intact. There is a moderate viscosity and definite staining to the tears.

A wine with a definite character, a true expression of Margaux. The aromas were still powerful, but had all the softness of bottle bouquet expected. The fruits took on a dried/preserved quality, currants and cherries, and the secondary flavors were alive with tobacco/cigar box notes and a wonderful subtle dark floral note on the back that lingered.

The wine was greatly structured, still having the feel of such youth and longevity evident. The palate was dry with tart berry fruits and mellow silky tannins, with all the great earthy aromas and flavors lingering on a long persistent finish. A true delight.

A great tour and a wonderful tasting to finish off the day. Again a special thanks to Celine for all of her hospitality and I look forward to carrying on the Palmer experience with those that I encounter. Salute!

http://www.chateau-palmer.com/