Chateau Palmer
Château Palmer is located in the village of Cantenac in the Margaux appellation. The winery is named after Charles Palmer, who took over the estate in 1814. Unfortunately, he had to sell his property very soon due to financial problems. The Pereire family then took over the estate and they had the current château built. They chose to keep the name Palmer. After almost 100 years, the family sold the castle and its vineyards to four families who bought château Palmer together. Today, only two families remain: Mahler-Besse and Sichel.
The plantation covers 66 hectares and is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a small amount of Petit Verdot. The vines have an average age of 35 years. In 2008, the winery started experimenting with biodynamic viticulture on a small scale. This turned out to be such a great success that all plots are now being cultivated according to these regulations.
In 1995, the entire vinification area was overhauled and renovated. There are a total of 42 stainless steel tanks, so that each plot can be fermented separately. When the fermentation is complete, the wines are aged in oak barrels with 30% new wood. In the month of February after the harvest, the wines are tasted, and a decision is made about which wine to use for the grand vin. After 18 months, the maturation period ends.
Château Palmer and Alter Ego are the winery's two cuvées. Alter Ego's first vintage is 1998. The grapes for this wine don’t come from the same plots as the Palmer cuvée. Moreover, Alter Ego consists of a different blend. That is why the winery does not see this as their second wine, but as a cuvée in its own right. Another very unique wine is Historical XIX Century. This wine made its debut in 2004. The Historical cuvée is made of an 85% Bordeaux blend with 15% Syrah from the Rhône.
The most legendary vintage of Château Palmer is 1961. This is the vintage that was rewarded 100 Parker Points! Other good vintages are 1983, 2009, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
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