1983 Château Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Smoky, floral and fabulous. Violet-edged, this stands out over the 1982 for its complexity of aromatics and flavours. Brambled blackberry notes meld with soft leather and liquorice, all perfectly finessed—harvest 28 September until 13 October, around one week later than the 1982. A touch of Petit Verdot finishes up the blend. Peter Sichel, who made the wine then, was convinced straight after harvest that the 1982 was better than the 1983. ‘He was right,’ says Thomas Duroux today. Certainly, sugar levels were a touch higher than the previous year, and the fruit character was generous from the earliest years.
Drink 2018 - 2045
Jane Anson, Decanter.com (July 2018)
Tasted blind at Pichon-Comtesse de Lalande.
When the 1983 Palmer flies high, it touches the stars. This is another bottle proving that at 40 years old, it is better now than ever before. It is completely resplendent on the nose that blossoms in the glass with that heady concoction of red and black fruit, freshly rolled tobacco, violet petals and an underlying mineralité—stunning delineation and depth.
The palate is medium-bodied, never a powerhouse Palmer, which means that it’s cut from a different cloth to recent vintages. It is more harmonious than London’s Gospel Choir in full song, the finish perfectly pitched and delineated. It just carries itself with effortless ease. Magnificent.
Drink 2023 - 2050
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (August 2023)
Potentially, this wine remains the most extraordinary Palmer after 1961.
This wine goes from strength to strength and is certainly a candidate for “wine of the vintage.” It has surpassed even Chateau Margaux in recent tastings. The colour is an opaque plum/purple. The wine has a fabulously complex nose of smoked duck, white flowers, cedar, Asian spice, creme de cassis, melted liquorice, and espresso.
Super-concentrated, very powerful, full-bodied, and huge, this is undeniably one of the biggest, most concentrated, and most powerful Palmers made in the last 40 years. The wine has thrown off the rugged tannins that were so prominent during its first 10-15 years of life and has become increasingly seamless and compelling.
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (January 2003)
Strong ruby with a developed rim. Very subtle and delicate. This is fully mature wine! So gentle and gorgeous! Stunning sweet fruit and such concentration and length. Dense, with a hint of mint, but truly great. Strong.
Drink 1995 - 2025
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (December 2014)
This is one of the all-time greatest Palmers for its complexity and finesse. Intense aromas of smoked meats and dark fruits plus hints of tobacco meet a silky, almost buttery texture of great yet beautiful concentration that combines in superb balance with a plateful of fruit and still mouthwatering acidity. The tannins are round and fat, and the finish is long and mesmerising. This is crying out to be drunk now, yet the persistent acidity should provide for at least another 10 years of possible cellaring.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (June 2016)
The 1983 Palmer is also fully mature yet has plenty of fruit, length, and a seamless, elegant personality that’s truly magical. Black currants, forest floor, spice-box and tobacco notes emerge from this silky, refined beauty with terrific mid-palate density and awesome length. It won’t get any better, but it should easily keep for another 7-8 years.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (August 2018)
About this WINE
Château Palmer
Château Palmer is a leading wine estate in Margaux. Within its appellation, Palmer is certainly the closest rival to its first growth neighbor, Ch. Margaux. Although officially ranked a Third Growth, at their best, the wines of Ch. Palmer are among the greatest anywhere in Bordeaux.
The estate dates to the 17th century, though it was not until 1814 that Englishman Charles Palmer took ownership and gave it his name. In 1938, the estate was bought by four Bordeaux négociant families, two of whom – Sichel and Mähler-Besse – still own the property today. Since 2004, the estate has been led by the charismatic agronomist and oenologist Thomas Duroux, who had previously made wine at Ornellaia in Tuscany.
Thomas undertook major renovations, including completely modernizing the grape reception area, the vat rooms, and barrel cellar. In the vineyards, the technical team began experimenting with biodynamic farming, and today Palmer is among the leading biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux. In addition to the grand vin, the Ch. Palmer’s portfolio also includes a cuvée called Alter Ego.
Introduced in 1998, Alter Ego is produced from grapes grown on dedicated plots and blended differently from the grand vin. As such, the estate regards it not as a second wine but as a distinctive cuvée in its own right.
Palmer lies in the commune of Cantenac, just outside the village of Margaux. 66 hectares of vines are planted on a plateau of gravel, sand, and clay soils overlooking the Gironde estuary. Plantings include equal parts of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon at 47% each and 6% Petit Verdot. Although the average age of the vines is fairly typical of the region at about 40 years, some of the vines are over 70 years old. That, along with the relatively high Merlot content and the benefits of careful, well-established biodynamic practices, may account for the wines’ richness and complexity.
Fermentation occurs in conical, stainless-steel vats in varying sizes, allowing each variety and parcel to be fermented separately for subsequent selection and blending. The grand vin is aged for 20-22 months in barrels, of which less than 50% is new. Thanks to the health and consistency of the estate’s biodynamically produced fruit, Palmer has been able, over the past few years, to safely reduce the quantity of sulfites added throughout the process, aiming to produce wines with more freshness and purity of flavor. For Alter Ego, less new wood is used, and aging time is slightly reduced to produce a wine the estate describes as “distinguished by its freshness of fruit, crisp intensity, and richness from the moment out of the barrel”.
Between 2008 and 2013, Ch. Palmer made the transition to 100% biodynamic farming. In addition to its vineyards, the estate is home to a diversity of complementary plants and grazing animals.
Margaux
If Pauillac can be seen as the bastion of ‘traditional’ Red Bordeaux, then Margaux represents its other facet in producing wines that are among Bordeaux’s most sensual and alluring. It is the largest commune in the Médoc, encompassing the communes of Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac and Labaude, in addition to Margaux itself. Located in the centre of the Haut-Médoc, Margaux is the closest of the important communes to the city of Bordeaux.
The soils in Margaux are the lightest and most gravelly of the Médoc, with some also containing a high percentage of sand. Vineyards located in Cantenac and Margaux make up the core of the appelation with the best vineyard sites being located on well-drained slopes, whose lighter soils give Margaux its deft touch and silky perfumes. Further away from the water, there is a greater clay content and the wines are less dramatically perfumed.
Margaux is the most diffuse of all the Médoc appelations with a reputation for scaling the heights with irreproachable wines such as Ch. Margaux and Ch. Palmer, but also plumbing the depths, with too many other châteaux not fulfilling their potential. There has been an upward shift in recent years, but the appellation cannot yet boast the reliability of St Julien. However, the finest Margaux are exquisitely perfumed and models of refinement and subtlety which have few parallels in Bordeaux.
Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Margaux, Ch. Palmer, Ch. Brane-Cantenac, Ch. Rauzan-Ségla , Ch. Dufort-Vivens, Ch. Ferrière, Ch. du Tertre, Ch. Giscours, Ch. d'Angludet.
Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Tasted blind at Pichon-Comtesse de Lalande.
When the 1983 Palmer flies high, it touches the stars. This is another bottle proving that at 40 years old, it is better now than ever before. It is completely resplendent on the nose that blossoms in the glass with that heady concoction of red and black fruit, freshly rolled tobacco, violet petals and an underlying mineralité—stunning delineation and depth.
The palate is medium-bodied, never a powerhouse Palmer, which means that it’s cut from a different cloth to recent vintages. It is more harmonious than London’s Gospel Choir in full song, the finish perfectly pitched and delineated. It just carries itself with effortless ease. Magnificent.
Drink 2023 - 2050
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (August 2023)
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