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Ch Palmer is rightly proud of its aged Merlot vines planted on some of its finest gravel terraces. Thomas Duroux has included 56% as the dominant variety in his blend this year, so pleased was he in its quality having escaped the rigors of the spring frost thanks to the warming influences of the estuary alongside. A superb expression of this estate’s terroir, cherry, liquorice and fruit compote. The wines creamy texture coats and fills the mouth in advance of the lifting directness of the Cabernet Sauvignon (41%) which give the wine a sense of purpose and drive. Perfectly crafted and beautiful persistence.
Ch Palmer is rightly proud of its aged Merlot vines planted on some of its finest gravel terraces. Thomas Duroux has included 56% as the dominant variety in his blend this year, so pleased was he in its quality having escaped the rigors of the spring frost thanks to the warming influences of the estuary alongside. A superb expression of this estate’s terroir, cherry, liquorice and fruit compote. The wines creamy texture coats and fills the mouth in advance of the lifting directness of the Cabernet Sauvignon (41%) which give the wine a sense of purpose and drive. Perfectly crafted and beautiful persistence.
The 2021 Palmer has a discrete bouquet that demands patience. This does not race out of the blocks, rather it unfurls with subtle graphite scents, blackberry, hints of cassis, plus some of the briny aromas that I noticed on the Alter Ego. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that frame the cedar and graphite infused black fruit. Quite strict for a Palmer, yet fresh with a cerebral, saline finish that is almost Pauillac-like in style despite the majority from old Merlot vines that are situated on some of its finest gravel terroirs. Very long, very suave on the finish. Superb. Drink 2030 - 2065
The 2021 Palmer is one of the truly epic wines of the year. It's not the 2018, but it is in that vein, albeit at 13% in alcohol. There's tremendous richness and sheer extract here. Blackberry jam, chocolate, smoke, licorice, lavender and mocha notes possess remarkable primary intensity, more like a young must than a wine with a few months of age. Readers will find a Palmer that offers a compelling mix of opulence and energy. Drink 2031-2061
The late-ripening, low-yielding vintage has delivered a beautifully balanced wine of striking intensity in the 2021 Palmer. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of blackberries, exotic spices, licorice, violets and burning embers, it's full-bodied, layered and enveloping, with a deep, concentrated core of fruit, ripe tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, expansive finish. If recent vintages of Palmer have set new records in their power and richness, the 2021 marks a return to the classical proportions of the 1990s—with all the additional concentration and precision that Thomas Douroux's pioneering viticulture and thoughtful winemaking have brought to the equation at this address in the interim. The grand vin is a blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, picked between September 24 and October 15. Tasted twice.
Palmer builds its wines on a base of “super-old” Merlot vines that sit atop their finest terroir – gravel shot with clay - which makes this Château’s wines unique. The terroir, these vines and winemaker Thomas Duroux’s sensitive winemaking have imbued in this vintage a discreetly luxurious character with silky tannins, deft precision and a crystal-clear identity. This is another elite 2021 that could not come from anywhere else. While the complexity and refinement here are not in question, the tension and energy underpinning the lissom fruit make this such a complete wine. Very Palmer, very Margaux and very 2021 – this is a classically-shaped Palmer with a modernist twist of purity and clarity of expression.
Deep ruby, garnet in color, the wine shows off its flowers, cocoa, black plum and dark cherry, with a Cuban cigar note coming in at the end of the nose with ease. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, sweet, poised and vibrant. The wine offers a lush, dark chocolate, plum, currant and coffee bean tinted mid-palate in the vibrant, lifted finish. The wine is blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. 13.4% ABV, pH 3.72. Yields were low at a paltry 22 hectoliters per hectare. 55% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Picking took place September 24 - October 14. Drink from 2028-2055.
Palmer has a little more Merlot in the 1st wine blend than usual, something that is not the case for everyone this year, but reflects how unusual Palmer's Merlot on gravel really is. This is one that makes you sit up and take notice; with savoury fruits that have sinew and character, juicy raspberry, blueberry and black cherry, good persistency, helped by fresh acidities and slate texture. Clear ageing potential, acidity more present than in the past few years at Palmer, but the sense of energy and momentum is entirely in the spirit of the estate. 22hl/h yields (but 8ha were lost to frost, so the 'real' yield was 27hl/h). Harvest September 24 to October 16, with the majority in by October 11.
Plump, silky and seductive are the words often used to describe wines from Margaux. Because of their style, they tend to be user friendly and more approachable when young. This is in part due to its terroir which is comprised of the thinnest soil as well as the highest proportion of chunky gravel in all of the Médoc. It drains well but also is it more susceptible to vintage variation. Margaux wines tend to have the highest proportions of Merlot within the core of the Médoc further adding to their ample roundness and openness. Margaux is home to the largest number of classified growths including its namesake first growth, Château Margaux, as well as third growths, Palmer and d'Issan.
