Site and Terroir
Château Palmer is located in the Margaux appellation in the Bordeaux region, in the area of Margaux-Cantenac in France. The most important terroir of the estate is the Plateau des Brauzes, a terraced gravel deposit overlooking the Gironde. The Quaternary gravel soils contain, among other things, lydit, quartzite and chalcedony. Their layers ensure drainage and release stored heat to the vines.
Vineyard Management
In 2009, Château Palmer introduced biodynamic viticulture on a trial basis and converted the entire estate to biodynamic farming with the 2014 vintage. The mixed farming system includes sheep in the vineyards as well as compost made from manure produced on the estate, vine wood and vine shoots. Some parcels are managed as part of trials to improve vine resilience with a higher planting density, stronger pruning and elevated wire trellis frames.
Grape Varieties and Wines
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon make up the main proportions of the vineyard plantings in approximately equal measure; they are complemented by Petit Verdot. The range also includes old Merlot vines dating from the 1930s. The Grand Vin is a structured red wine cuvée with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at its centre, a small proportion of Petit Verdot, and it shows floral, fruity and spicy aromas. Alter Ego de Palmer comes from the same estate and terroir, is often Merlot-dominant and is focused on fruit, suppleness and earlier approachability.
Cellar and History
The grapes are fermented by parcel, or according to subdivisions of the parcels, in 54 temperature-controlled tanks. Vinification is tailored to the intended wine and the potential of the particular parcel; the wines are then assembled following an evaluation of the parcel lots. The ageing process begins in 225-litre barrels, fewer than half of which are new, and is then carried out in 30-hectolitre tanks over a total period of around 20 to 22 months.
Charles Palmer acquired the Médoc estate in 1814 and gave it his name. Between 1814 and 1831, he expanded the holding and modernised the infrastructure for winegrowing and winemaking. Émile and Isaac Pereire took over Château Palmer in 1853 and developed the estate around a neo-Renaissance-style château. Château Palmer is listed as a Troisième Cru Classé in the 1855 classification.
