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Chateau Palmer

What is it about Chateau Palmer that foments such fervent admiration amongst British (and other) drinkers of Bordeaux? Is it the estate's peculiarly British history, the chateau and vineyards having been in the possession until 1843 of General Charles Palmer, who had previously served under Wellington in the English army? Or is it those dramatic labels, that intricate golden design on its bold and black background, perhaps the most distinctive and virile in all Bordeaux?

No, it is of course something much more obvious than that. It is the quality, the vigour, dare I say it the breed of the wines made at Palmer. Chateau Palmer is one of a large collection - ten in all - of third growth properties located in Margaux, and in terms of sheer quality Palmer has for many years led this pack by a length, producing wine of such a high standard that it has frequently wiped the floor with the Margaux second growths. But that is not all, for this admirable track record does not only concern just one or two recent vintages. If we look back a few decades we also see the wines challenging those of the somnolent Chateau Margaux for the best in the appellation. Indeed, were it not for the renaissance of Chateau Margaux following its purchase by the Mentzelopoulos family in 1977 Palmer may well have been the top wine of the appellation today.

This is why Palmer has such a following. And my most recent of tastings have done nothing to dissuade me that Palmer's place near the very top of the Margaux tree is anything other than well-deserved.

A Military History

The origins of Chateau Palmer lie in the Gascq estate, which predates it by several centuries. The Gascq family were an influential Bordeaux dynasty that not only held sway over an impressive estate, but were also active in the local parliament. Their landholdings were spread over much of the Médoc, and in 1748 they were augmented by the acquisition of some land near Margaux, following the dissolution of the Issan estate. Within a very short period of time, the wine of Chateau de Gascq was well established on the marketplace. This was the situation when, in 1814, the vineyard was purchased by a General Charles Palmer (1777-1851), who served under Wellington in the British army, and who had arrived in Bordeaux on his way back from the Battle of Toulouse that year. Travelling by stagecoach he met by chance Marie Brunet de Ferrière, the young widow of Blaise Jean Charles Alexandre de Gascq, who was heading for Paris to attend to the details of the sale of her inherited estate. But she had found her buyer, it transpired, as Palmer purchased the Gascq estate from for the sum of just 100,000 francs.

General Palmer was renowned not only for his military success but also for his amorous conquests, no doubt due to his inimitable charm although his allure may have been somewhat enhanced by his position as aide de camp to the Prince of Wales. His taste for high society and his political ambitions led not to his newly acquired estate, however, but to London, and so Palmer entrusted the running of his property and vineyard to a local wine merchant Paul Estenave and a manager Jean Lagunegrand. There was no shortage of interest or support from Palmer though, as during the early part of his tenure he authorised an ambitious program of investment and expansion, acquiring new land and planting more vineyards. Within two decades the estate covered 163 hectares of land, of which 82 hectares were planted to vines, as well as buildings in Issan, Cantenac and Margaux.

Back in England Palmer set about marketing his wine in London where it was apparently well received. Socially adept, politically determined and well-connected, Palmer used all his charm and influence to place his wines in gentlemen's clubs where it was known as Palmer's Claret, and the wine even graced the table of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV. Palmer poured money into his estate, old vines were uprooted and replaced with new, and his team experimented wildly with the planting of different varieties. Sadly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, this had no effect other than the depletion of Palmer's finances, which rapidly went into freefall. His political career began to falter and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Atkins, left him. Eventually Palmer had no choice other than to sell off his assets, a process that culminated in the sale of what remained of the his Bordeaux estate to Françoise-Marie Bergerac in 1843. He remained in London until his death in 1851, his tenure of the estate a relatively short one at just 29 years, nevertheless he left his mark; the property, vineyards and wine remain Chateau Palmer to this day.

The Péreire Brothers

The estate soon changed hands again, coming into the ownership of the Caisse Hypothécaire de Paris, in 1844, before being purchased by the Péreire brothers in 1853. Émile and Isaac Péreire were bankers, their name one to rival Rothschild, and they paid a handsome 413,000 francs for the estate, more than for times what Palmer had handed over four decades earlier. Their wealth was rooted in France's regeneration, the two having built railways and assisted in the remodelling of Paris directed by Napoleon III, when the tired and dusty city was reworked into a modern metropolis of wide boulevards and fabulous squares. Close to Bordeaux, they had augmented their fortune with the development of Arcachon as a fashionable retreat for sufferers of tuberculosis. Today, this fashionable resort and nature reserve, complete with its sweeping sand dunes and expansive lagoon, is where all the Bordelais take their holidays, but in the mid-19th century it financed the acquisition and development of one of the region's best-known properties.

The brothers really missed out on the 1855 classification which of course came only two years after their purchase. Ranked as a troisième cru, who knows where the property and wine would have been placed if the new owners had been able to make their intended investments. Certainly, the wine's performance today viewed in the context of the other Margaux second and third growths suggests that this judgement failed to reflect the true potential of Chateau Palmer. Undeterred, however, Émile and Isaac made numerous significant improvements to the estate and in 1856 they commissioned Burguet to construct a chateau fitting for the estate. What resulted was a handsome turreted edifice (pictured above on a dreary winter's day in 2006, from the vineyards of Chateau Margaux), rather similar in style to Pichon-Baron, that stands today. As for the vineyards they built upon the expansions of Palmer, and by 1870 the estate covered 177 hectares, with 109 of these planted to vines.

Unfortunately for Émile and Isaac there was trouble ahead, during the latter years of the 19th century and the early years of the next there was another downturn; Palmer was not immune to the effects of the various vine diseases (mildew and phylloxera) that ravaged Bordeaux at this time, nor the war and economic depression that followed. As a consequence, the Péreire family were forced to sell, initially letting small portions of the estate go one at a time, in a piecemeal fashion. Finally in 1938 what remained of the estate was purchased by a syndicate of the Sichel, Ginestet, Miailhe and Mähler-Besse families, forming the Société Civile de Chateau Palmer in the process.

The Société Civile de Chateau Palmer

These four famous Bordeaux families set about restoring Palmer to greatness, and although along the way the Ginestet and Miailhe families have jumped ship, to this day the descendants of the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families run the estate. The property has indeed seen something of a new revitalisation in the latter half of the 20th century, without doubt due to the vigour and determination of the new owners, and this new vivacity is perhaps best embodied by their unparalleled success in the 1961 vintage, when it is widely acknowledged (no, I have not tasted it myself!) that Palmer produced one of the greatest wines ever made in Bordeaux.

The Mähler family originated from the Netherlands and were equally concerned in the businesses of wine and textiles. It was Frédérick Mähler (1868-1952) who cam to Bordeaux when he married Marguerite Besse, the daughter of a famous shipping family. With a keen interest in the wine trade, Mähler was on the hunt for an estate with vineyards, and he was eyeing up Gruaud-Larose when his peers Sichel, Ginestet and Miailhe encouraged him to join their consortium. Today his descendents continue at the helm; he was replaced by his son Henry, then grandson Franck, the latter running the business alongside the Sichel descendents from 1945, only yielding to his sister Stéphanie Faguer in 2007. As for the Sichel family, it was Allan Sichel (1900-1967) who joined the Société quartet representing Maison Sichel, the wine distribution business he created. He has since been succeeded by his own son Peter (1931-1998) and then grandchildren Allan, James, Charles and David.

From this formidable foursome of grand Bordeaux names it was Edouard Miailhe who managed the estate, a trying task during World War II and the German occupation. When normality had returned in was Frédérick Mähler's son-in-law, Jean Bouteiller (1913-1962) who took on this vital role assisted by the Chardon family (who remain heavily involved at the estate), and after him his own son, Bertrand, carried this mantle until 2004. At that time the Palmer shareholders elected to put a young oenologist in charge of managing the day-to-day affairs of the vineyards and winemaking. They choose a local, Thomas Duroux (shown here, during the 2009 primeurs tastings), who returned to the region full of experience from several stages abroad, including a stint in California and three years spent as winemaker at Ornellaia, in Tuscany. To this day, it is Duroux who directs operations especially winemaking, and it is often he who tastes with you when you visit, although occasionally it may be commercial director Bernard de Laage. Whoever it is, you can be sure that they have some very admirable wines to show you.

The Palmer Vineyards & Vinification

The 55 hectares of vineyards are located in Margaux and Cantenac, situated on crops of gravelly stone, guarded by the imposing chateau with its witches-hat turrets and fluttering flags, visible not only from the road but from all around, including the neighbouring vineyards of Chateau Margaux. These stones vary in type, including quartz and quartzite, chalcedony and lyddite, originating from the Quaternary era, much of it arriving in Bordeaux having been swept down from the Pyrenees by the Garonne. They form a fairly deep surface layer, up to four metres deep in places, over a hard bedrock. The planting density is high at 10000 vines per hectare, with an unusually high proportion (47%) of Merlot for the commune, with 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Merlot accounts for over 40% of the blend, and as much as 60% in some older vintages, and Petit Verdot is also a relatively significant component, always restricted to 35 hl/ha in order to maximise ripening, and it may account for up to 8% in some recent vintages. There are was also once some Cabernet Franc but this was grubbed up in 2004. The vines have an average age of 38 years and about 1 hectare of land is cleared and replanted each year. What happens in terms of viticulture is not biodynamic but much attention is paid to pest management using biological methods, although there is sometimes a need to spray to prevent disease.

The fruit is harvested by hand, the estate having a long-term contract with a group of Danish students who travel down each year to pick the grapes. Vinification is temperature-controlled in 42 cone-shaped stainless steel of varying capacity, in a vat-room refurbished as recently as 1995. The wine is pumped over the skins, which macerate for up to 20 days, and malolactic is encouraged before the wine goes into oak where it spends up 21 months, with regular topping up. It is racked four times in the first year cellar, and blending decisions are also made at this time. In the second year it receives an egg white fining before being bottled unfiltered. The grand vin is Chateau Palmer; this sees up to 21 months in oak of which 45% is new. There is a second wine now called Alter Ego de Palmer but before 1998 named Réserve de General; this sees up to 17 months in oak, of which between 25-40% is new. There are two more niche-interest wines, first up a white. Although it is possible to track down ancient vintages of Chateau Palmer Blanc, production appears to have fallen away and until recently it was accepted wisdom that Palmer's output was entirely red. This changed with the release of a new white wine with the 2007 vintage, produced in miniscule quantities amounting to about 75 cases. The wine, a vin de table comprising in the 2007 vintage 65% Muscadelle, 25% Sauvignon Gris, the remaining 10% a mix of Merlot Blanc and Lauzet, is destined for société shareholders though, so don't expect to find a bottle on the shelves of your local wine merchant. The second wine is also a vin de table, this one introduced with the 2004 vintage, and it is a blend which harks back to the 19th-century practise of blending Hermitage with the wines of Bordeaux. The wine wears a label just like the one above, although the image of the chateau is omitted, and the words Margaux - Chateau Palmer - Médoc replaced with Historical XIXth Century Wine. The source of the Hermitage is undisclosed, but the Syrah in question may account for up to 20% of the finished wine. The volume here is also tiny, the total output somewhere between 250 and 300 cases.

Palmer Opinion

Palmer has a keen following, and I have observed many flock to the wines at tastings. I agree that they are indeed very good, although as recently as the early years of the 21st century I was not so sure that the wines, in terms of intrinsic quality, were quite so distant from the rest of the Margaux pack. I thought this may reflected an overall improvement across the appellation, the result of new investment at many properties, such as Kirwan and Lascombes, to name just two.

More recent tastings, however, have driven home the fact that Palmer is, most certainly, the pretender to the crown of Margaux. This was most evident in the 2008 vintage, when I went straight from the UGC Margaux tasting at the primeurs - where I tasted the majority of the cru classé estates of the commune, including the likes of Rauzan-Ségla, Durfort-Vivens and Brane-Cantenac - to a tasting with Bernard de Laage at Palmer. The grand vin at Chateau Palmer wiped the floor with the other wines of the commune. In fact, no exaggeration, Alter Ego also did the same. In 2009, this time tasting with Thomas Duroux, the wines were again fabulous. Whereas many wines of the commune in that vintage went for the power approach, making full use of their turbo-charged harvest, at Palmer the wine was more restrained, more reminiscent of a super-second than a 'lowly' third. Still powerful of course, but that energy was hidden within a tight frame. Palmer does indeed make some magnificent wines, and I sense a new potency in the wines since the arrival of Duroux. The Palmer shareholders have made a very good decision here I think.

Looking back a little further there are some decent vintages from around the turn of the century, and the 1994 and 1996 were both very fine and both exhibited really excellent potential when I last tasted them. The 2001 was good, and certainly had potential. Mature vintages, however, have been wonderful, with the 1981, 1982 and 1989 all very fine examples. Only the 1975 disappointed, but taken with the context of my experience of that vintage - which is wholeheartedly disappointing - then that is not surprising. The same may be said for the 2007, which is a good enough wine that once again reflects the vintage. It would be a viable option for the cellar of course, if only the wines of this green and damp vintage has been released at sensible prices. As for the 2005? A magnificent libation, one to set the spine of any Palmer fan aquiver. Yes, there are some fine wines indeed here. (2/12/04, updated 27/4/07, 6/5/10)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Palmer, 33460 Margaux
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 88 72 72
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 88 37 16
Internet: www.chateau-palmer.com

Chateau Palmer - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 2009: Cabernet Sauvignon 41%, Merlot 52%, Petit Verdot 7%. A very dark hue, dense crimson-cherry rim. Rich and pure, dark fruit character, dark red cherry, very pure and direct but sweetly defined. Yield 34 hl/ha. Alcohol 13.9%, pH about 3.5, IPT "highest ever". Beautiful palate, very rich, but well defined, quite elegant indeed. Great depth of creamy fruit, sweet and poised, but backed up by a fine but very serious layer of tannin. Very sleek style, with great freshness from the acidity, backed up by all those tannins. A very reserved and understated result here, although one that takes advantage of the ripeness of the vintage. A very classically styled wine, direct and also beautiful. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 18-19+/20 (March 2010)

Alter Ego de Palmer (Margaux) 2009: The second wine of Palmer. Cabernet Sauvignon 49%, Merlot 51%, 13.7% alcohol and 45% of the harvest. A vibrant but dark hue, a glossy and crimson rim. Lovely nose, dark plums, cleanly presented, a little cream, but overall very attractive. Bright fruit on the start, lots of tannic grip quickly coming in. Ripe but pretty serious tannic backbone here, densely structured. Moderate acidity, there is freshness here, but dominated by that structure. I don't think the weight of the wine quite matches the tannin here. Not on the same level as the 2008 from what I recall. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (March 2010)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 2008: The harvest here began on October 1st and finished on the 17th, and the yield for the estate was 30 hl/ha. As with 2007 Merlot dominates at 51%, with 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. This is dark, but fresh and crunchy, bright and perfumed. The palate is dense, pure and vigorous, with a fine grippy substance and moderate weight. A lovely, elegant wine but with substance, balance and backbone. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17.5-18.5+/20 (April 2009)

Alter Ego de Palmer (Margaux) 2008: Harvest and yield information for this, the second wine of Palmer, is as for the grand vin. A blend of 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine took 50% of the crop. On the nose a bright and stony perfume, with crisp violets. Freshness follows on the palate, stony but with substance, a touch juicy, but underneath it is structured and firmly balanced. A very appealing wine which puts many classed growths of the appellation to shame. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 2007: Alcohol 12.5%, and 50% new oak. Just 40% of the harvest went into the grand vin this year, and Merlot is the lead variety at 49%, with 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot. This is expressive, showing spicy complex fruit presented in a fresh and appealing style. Fine, fresh and mineral style on the palate, not weighty but elegant, sappy and harmonious. A complete and well composed style, and a ripe tannin core. A very lovely expression. A lighter style of Palmer but it captures the vintage rather nicely, and has very good potential. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)

Alter Ego de Palmer (Margaux) 2007: Alcohol 12.5%, and 30% new oak, a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The second wine, accounting for 50% of the harvest in 2007. A fresh and floral nose, slightly meaty, with a sandy mineral character. On the palate, a fresh and immediate stony quality, not fleshy but structured, with obvious tannins coming through. Fresh, gently textured, harmonious and sappy, with a clean finish. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 14.5-15.5+/20 (April 2008)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 2005: Dark and withdrawn in style, aromatic but with deeply coloured fruits to the fore, wrapped up with a more domineering tobacco-leaf and tea leaf element. This is more cigarry than many good cigars! Beautifully cool and defined on entry, broadening slightly but staying well defined, slightly crunchy, elegant but with wonderful substance beneath. Pure, slightly creamy, stylish, the substance very nicely wrapped around a core of ripe, grainy and bright tannins. A brilliant effort from Palmer this year; the complexity that will come in this wine will surely be astounding. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18.5-19+/20 (November 2009)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 2004: The assemblage is Merlot 47%, Cabernet Sauvignon 46%, Petit Verdot 7%. Dense, stony and well-delineated fruit on the nose here, restrained but spicy, and overall appealing. This character continues onto the palate which is dry, reserved, with soft fruit showing through the midpalate. Stony, subdued, but with well-covered tannins with a gentle grip and a nice acid structure. Moderate length too. A good style of wine. From a 2004 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 16.5+/20 (November 2008)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 2001: This is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Ripe and plump on the nose, with some nutty oak, and some stylish, slightly exotic fruit notes. Similarly full, ripe and plump on the palate. Underneath there is a grippy structure with a tannic finish. But this can't distract from the ripe berry fruits and evident finesse, even at this youthful stage. I think this will develop a lovely integration, but needs 7-8 years at least. 16.5+/20 (November 2004)

Alter Ego de Palmer (Margaux) 2001: This is Merlot 67%, Cabernet Sauvignon 33%. A lovely nose. Cashew nuts (oak), elegance and peppery fruit. A stylish palate, with rounded, integrated fruit and a seamless feel at first, although the tannins soon burst through. This is good - and excellent for a second wine. Needs 5-7 years. 16+/20 (November 2004)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1996: The assemblage is Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 1%. Beautiful nose. The typical Margaux perfume is detectable here, with mineral-meaty notes alongside. Style evident again, but also full, with a firm tannic backbone. This is developing well but really needs at least another 4-5 years before broaching for pleasure. 17+/20 (November 2004)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1994: This is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. A moderately deep intensity. An elegant, toffee and perfume nose. Sweet, rounded and voluptuous palate. Lovely extract and an exotic character on the palate, with a precise balance showing through into the finish. This is a fabulous wine which has real potential. From a Bordeaux 1994 blind tasting. 17.5+/20 (July 2004)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1989: The assemblage is Cabernet Sauvignon 52%, Merlot 41%, Petit Verdot 6% and Cabernet Franc just 1%. We have clearly taken a step up in quality here. A lovely colour. A wonderful, complex and fragrant nose, with hints of fresh coffee grounds. The forepalate is rich, round and full, and although this sensation persists the midpalate is dominated by the tannins which give this wine such structure. Lots of fat, ripe fruit, yet quite elegant and perfumed with it. The tannins persist after the finish. A great wine. Needs five years at least. From a Bordeaux 1989 blind tasting. 18.5+/20 (May 2000)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1982: This is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. There is just a moderate tawny tinge to this wine. The nose shouts class, with a combination of floral elegance and power, together with lots of blackcurrant fruit with a gravel, mineral and cordite edge. Gorgeous texture on the palate, amazing structure, and beautifully balanced. Lots of tarry yet fine fruit. A harmonious wine, which undoubtedly has years ahead of it. I felt the combination of elegance with power should have made this wine easy to identify blind. From a 1982 vintage twenty years on blind tasting. 18.5/20 (April 2002)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1981: The assemblage is Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 37%, Petit Verdot 7% and Cabernet Franc 2%. This wine has a fairly similar hue, although perhaps just a touch more purple. Rich and smoky on the nose, a touch tarry, with dense fruit, exotic nuances and notes of currants and weeds. Before I even taste it I know this is wonderful stuff. On the palate this is a more weighty wine, perhaps even a little lush, although this is supported by strong acidity. Firm with good structure, the tannins are fully integrated leading to a smooth and harmonious finish. Again quite lengthy with some acid. From a Bordeaux 1981 blind tasting. 18/20 (September 2001)

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1975: This is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. This has a wonderful colour, and this is followed by a sweet, burnt, plum jam nose, although it has a lean citrus edge. The palate, however, is hard and drying out. There is still a little tannin present, but the fruit has largely faded. Good weight though, soft acidity, and a bit of yeast extract character. On the way downhill, and somewhat disappointing after an initially promising nose. From a Bordeaux 1975 blind tasting. 14/20 (August 2002)