2023 Château Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
More reserved and understated than the Alter Ego on the first nose, with touch of gumoke reduction, but it doesn't take long to understand that this Palmer is full of coiled energy and lift. A ton of graphite, crushed rocks, crushed roses and peonies come in waves of aromatics through the palate, along with clearly defined and sculpted blue and red fruits. There is spice too, and a sense of momentum. 32hl/h yield, 55% new oak for ageing during the first year; with the wine then moving in moves into 3000l oak casks for the second year.
Drink 2032 - 2048
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (April 2024)
The 2023 Palmer represents two-thirds of the crop this year, raised in barrel (50% new) until July, then racked into 3,000-liter foudres for another 12 months. My sample was representative of the new oak ratio. The nose is very intense, as normal, loaded with blackberry, boysenberry, violet and veins of blood orange in the background. Powerful, though not in the same way as the barnstorming 2022, it manages to retain focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip on the entry. This is quite a deep Palmer with touches of licorice-tinged black fruit. It’s more opulent than almost all other Margaux wines this vintage, furnished with black pepper and allspice on the finish. It will require several years in bottle. The 2023 Palmer is one of the most long-term, serious wines on the Left Bank.
Drink 2030 - 2065
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)
A breathtaking wine, the 2023 Palmer is sensational. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2023 is a real head-turner. Readers will find an extroverted, dense Palmer that is immediately captivating. Here, too, the balance is mind-blowing. Ample and resonant, the 2023 is striking in its beauty. Waves of layered fruit rush out first, building through to the back end with stunning aromatic intensity. There is no other wine like Palmer in Bordeaux. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a great Pomerol, as heretical as that might sound! If I could pick only one wine to own from the 2023 vintage, Palmer might very well be it.
Drink 2033 - 2063
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (April 2024)
The 2023 Palmer is opaque purple-black in color. A little broody and subdued to start, notes of tar, damp soil, and crushed rocks soon give way to a core of fresh blackcurrants, wild blueberries, and Morello cherries with a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate delivers bright, shimmery black and red berry flavors with a satiny texture and racy backbone, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot.
Drink 2029 - 2050
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (May 2024)
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. 32 hl/ha. Cask sample.
Gourmand again, like the Alter Ego, but more complexity and depth on the nose. Unctuosity on the mid palate but length and persistence as well. Lovely texture of tannin but definitively structured to age.
Drink 2032 - 2050
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2024)
Director Thomas Duroux and his team elected to harvest late in pursuit of full maturity, beginning with the Merlot on September 11 and finishing the Cabernet Sauvignon on October 5 to produce a beautiful 2023 Palmer, redolent of cherries, wild berries, rose petals and violets. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it's medium to full-bodied, plush and enveloping, with a cool core of fruit, succulent acids, ultra-refined tannins and a seamless, complete profile.
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (April 2024)
The vivid density and structure to this is really captivating, with pure blackcurrant character. Full-bodied with very silky, refined and ultra-fine tannins and an exquisite finish. Caresses every inch of the palate. It's seems like it will be large and overpowering, but it's actually ethereal and cloud-like. The tannin quality is so refined and, in a way, weightless. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 46% merlot and 4% petit verdot.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (April 2024)
What a Palmer in 2023! Crazy aromatics, full and bright, packed with intense scents of pink and purple flowers, damson fruit - clearly ripe no doubt, but no overt heat with some graphite and liquorice on the nose too and the dried herb Cabernet notes. Rich, layered and voluptuous, one you could use the word opulent to describe, full of flavour and really fruit forward. Not as overtly juicy as some, more harmonious and balanced, the tannins are perfectly integrated with the fruit and acidity with the added plushness that the Merlot gives to the blend. Powered and structured, but less serious than some with great energy, generosity and charm on show in terms of texture but it’s focussed too with a long length. Something very captivating about this. Lots of cool classicism on the finish with a salty, mineral, oyster shell undercurrent. 55% new oak for the first year in barrel then one year in 30hl foudre. 3.75pH. 13% press. 32hl/ha yield.
Drink 2033 - 2050
Georgina Hindle, Decanter (April 2024)
As to the Grand Vin, the 2023 Château Palmer checks in as 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. It too is inky hued but is much more inward, with gorgeous blue fruits, graphite, charcoal, liquid violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. It's up with the creme de las crema of the vintage and is about as sexy and seamless as the vintage gets. I wouldn't be surprised to see this top out (or surpass) the barrel rating when all is said and done.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (May 2024)
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.
Merlot/Cabernet Franc
Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grape varieties commonly used in Bordeaux-style blends, particularly in the Bordeaux region of France. When these two grapes are blended, they can create a wine that combines the best characteristics of each variety.
Merlot is known for its smoothness, soft tannins, and ripe fruit flavours. It often contributes black cherry, plum, and chocolate flavours to the blend. The grapes are relatively easy to grow and ripen earlier than other Bordeaux varieties, making them versatile for blending.
Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, adds structure, depth, and complexity to the blend. It typically brings aromas of red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, along with herbal notes like bell pepper and tobacco. These grapes have thinner skins and can be more challenging to cultivate, requiring specific growing conditions to reach their full potential.
When Merlot and Cabernet Franc are combined, the result is a well-balanced wine with various flavours and aromas. The blend often exhibits a Bordeaux wine's medium to full body, along with a smooth texture and moderate tannins. The specific flavour profile can vary depending on the proportions of each grape in the blend and the terroir and winemaking techniques employed.
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Description
Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon; 46% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot.
Thomas Duroux identified the third week of August as the vintage’s defining moment – when hot weather kick-started final maturation. In the first week of September, ideal harvest conditions arrived. The team decided to pick later than some, with Merlots in mid-September, and Cabernets late September to early October.
This powerful, compelling wine has lustrously smooth tannins. It is full of exotic fruit and heady incense notes of flower and earth. Traditional barriques will be used for the first year (55% new) and larger 30hl casks for the second, meaning less oxygenation and tighter, fresher fruit.
Drink 2033 - 2065
Our score: 18.5/20
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