Château Palmer
About Château Palmer
Château Palmer is a Third Growth estate located in Margaux in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Although for many decades it has been viewed as one of the best wines in the region, standing toe-to-toe to Château Margaux. Château Palmer is named after a British Major-General from the Napoleonic Wars, who bought the land in 1814. He developed it considerably and gained a strong following for the wine in England. Since 1938, the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families have been major shareholders. Since the mid-1990s they have rediscovered their former class. The appointment of Thomas Duroux in 2004 has brought them into a new golden era.
Viniculture
Once part of the d'Issan estate, the Palmer vineyards cover 55 hectares in the Cantenac commune. Mostly found on a plateau of thin gravel on the edge of the estuary, the vines are densely planted, such that to ensure competition between vines and promote deep root systems. This Margaux tends to be high in Merlot, giving a ripe perfume and plum fruit flavours.
The estate makes a second wine called Alter Ego de Palmer. Annual production is around 12,000 cases of Chateau Palmer and 7500 cases of Alter Ego.
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Wine Spectator (92)
This is super for a second wine. Fantastic aromas of chocolate, berry and coffee. Yet very classy and subtle. Full-bodied, with a reserved rich and caressing texture. Loads of ripe and wonderful fruit in this. Second wine of Château Palmer. Best after 2006. -JSHK$16,100.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2009 Alter Ego de Palmer offers fleshy red cherry and wild strawberry scents on the nose, rose petal mixed with subtle mulch-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, fresh and poised with an open and expressive, slightly ferrous finish. This has a lot of personality and it should continue to age well. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.HK$14,325.00 -
James Suckling (94)
This is amazing for the second wine with incredible white truffle, stone and currant character. Purity of fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and refined. Fantastic length. Better in 2018 but almost impossible to resist now. Incredible.HK$6,490.00 -
James Suckling (94-95)
Very solid and powerful with dried mushroom and wet earth aromas and flavors. Complex. Full and chewy yet so polished and long. Spicy, meat and gorgeous. Most serious Alter Ego ever. More inner Ego now!. 52% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot 6%.HK$9,675.00 -
James Suckling (94-95)
Very solid and powerful with dried mushroom and wet earth aromas and flavors. Complex. Full and chewy yet so polished and long. Spicy, meat and gorgeous. Most serious Alter Ego ever. More inner Ego now!. 52% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot 6%.HK$6,180.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
This is very concentrated yet soft and fresh in texture. Full-bodied and round and mouth-filling. So impressive how it fills your mouth yet remains fresh. It’s so framed.HK$4,320.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
This is very concentrated yet soft and fresh in texture. Full-bodied and round and mouth-filling. So impressive how it fills your mouth yet remains fresh. It’s so framed.HK$5,200.00 -
James Suckling (94)
This is a delicious and savory wine with beautiful, ripe and creamy tannins, as well as chocolate and plum character. Full body. The flavors turn to wet earth and mushrooms with some leather. A blend of 53% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 6% petit verdot. Lovely finish. Try after 2021.HK$4,490.00 -
Decanter (95)
Gorgeous rich dark purple in the glass. Quite jammy and concentrated on the nose, heady and perfumed with a lovely delicate florality to it too. Great freshness on the palate, juicy but a dark blackcurrant and cherry fruit juice. Beautifully balanced with integrated tannins and oak. Well defined fruit, generous and quite abundant against softly grippy, velvety tannins that just give support to the overall frame. It's serious but with a lightness of touch and playfulness - energetic and lively but still with depth. A great Alter Ego and confident winemaking on show.HK$3,850.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17+)
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Very much in the Alter Ego mould – lively, fruit-driven with that vineyard-fresh feel but with a little more structure than previous years. Pure and appetising but will age. (JL) 13.7%HK$4,520.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17+)
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Very much in the Alter Ego mould – lively, fruit-driven with that vineyard-fresh feel but with a little more structure than previous years. Pure and appetising but will age. (JL) 13.7%HK$3,405.00 -
James Suckling (94-95)
Savory black and salted-olive character with oyster shells and black licorice. Fine, almost powdery yet firm tannins. Medium body. Excellent density and structure for the vintage. Second wine of Palmer. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 8% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes.HK$4,320.00 -
James Suckling (94-95)
Savory black and salted-olive character with oyster shells and black licorice. Fine, almost powdery yet firm tannins. Medium body. Excellent density and structure for the vintage. Second wine of Palmer. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 8% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes.HK$6,680.00 -
James Suckling (94-95)
Savory black and salted-olive character with oyster shells and black licorice. Fine, almost powdery yet firm tannins. Medium body. Excellent density and structure for the vintage. Second wine of Palmer. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 8% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes.HK$4,490.00 -
James Suckling (94-95)
Savory black and salted-olive character with oyster shells and black licorice. Fine, almost powdery yet firm tannins. Medium body. Excellent density and structure for the vintage. Second wine of Palmer. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 8% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes.HK$3,315.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
This is dense and velvety with a creamy texture. Blackberry, blueberry and stone aromas and flavors. Layered. Very primary and focused. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot and 4% petit verdot.HK$3,570.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
This is dense and velvety with a creamy texture. Blackberry, blueberry and stone aromas and flavors. Layered. Very primary and focused. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot and 4% petit verdot.HK$3,520.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, two bottles of 1961 Château Palmer were opened and compared. The first was a great bottle of wine, beautifully balanced and complex, and yet not quite living up to its status as one of the legendary bottles of the 20th century. That said, I still scored it around the 96 or 97 point mark. The second lived up to the billing. Coming from the late great John Avery's cellar, that is to say, purchased on release and never moved, the first difference is the slightly deeper color compared to the first bottle. The bouquet is difficult to capture in words. Heavenly, ethereal, moving and profound - they are all applicable here. It is still a wine in its prime, with dark berry fruit, hints of graphite and mineral, a touch of wilted violet petals. Its ineffable purity knocks you sideways. The palate is defined by its filigree framework of tannin - precise and lace-like, lending it the texture of a mature Richebourg. Yet it is unmistakably Margaux because there is stunning structure on the finish, astounding precision and a never-ending aftertaste that is borderline supernatural. This bottle reminds me of the first time I tasted the 1961 Palmer several years ago when I gave a perfect score without hesitation. This is exactly the same: a perfect wine and a bona fide legend. Tasted May 2015.HK$57,685.00 -
HK$4,140.00
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HK$4,710.00
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Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93)
: Full, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I've tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015.HK$5,235.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, this was the finest 1983 Château Palmer that I have encountered. The nose is ethereal with wonderful definition: mint-tinged red berry fruit, cedar, dried rose petals and very subtle acrid tang of a November bonfire. It is the definition and purity that is beguiling and yes, it is reminiscent of the 1961. The palate is beautifully balanced and lithe in the mouth. Like previous bottles, there is a Burgundy-like sensibility about this Palmer, sensual in the mouth with a crystalline finish that will have you reaching for the glass for another sip. Robert Parker stated that the 1983 was the best vintage following the epochal 1961 and I completely concur. This 1983 Palmer is probably at its peak now, although I have no doubt that it will continue to cruise at high altitude for many years. Tasted May 2015.HK$72,660.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 1989 Château Palmer has always been my favourite vintage from that decade after the 1983. The first bottle was unfortunately corked. The second was as it should be: the nose tensile with red berries, sous-bois, potpourri and strawberry pastille - lively and energetic. The palate is medium-bodied and vibrant right from the start, silky in texture with plenty of citrus fruit, gently building to a harmonious and detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a magnificent Château Palmer that continues to effortlessly dish out so much vinous pleasure. Tasted May 2015.HK$64,735.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
Magnum. Deep ruby. Completely rich, sweet and gorgeous with a hint of graphite on the nose. Beautiful lift and elegance but on the finish it was a real throat warmer. Just my sort of wine. But after 45 minutes or so, it lost a bit of fruit in the glass and the acidity became much more obvious, suggesting it may not have that much more to give, even from a magnum.HK$36,950.00 -
Wine Spectator (89)
Exuberant aromas of new wood, chocolate and tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, yet wonderfully refined with cedar, tobacco, cherry and berry flavors. Really a joy to taste. Drink or hold. 14,000 cases made. -JSHK$12,595.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
A successful wine for the vintage, this blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot boasts complex notes of menthol, black currants, plums, licorice, and a hint of cappuccino in its stunning aromatics. Dense, medium to full-bodied, with high levels of tannin in a big, full-bodied style (much in the spirit of such classic Bordeaux vintages as 1966, 1986, and 1996), this wine possesses superb purity and serious length, but should be purchased only by those with considerable patience and a good, cold cellar, since it will need plenty of time. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.HK$31,195.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
A successful wine for the vintage, this blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot boasts complex notes of menthol, black currants, plums, licorice, and a hint of cappuccino in its stunning aromatics. Dense, medium to full-bodied, with high levels of tannin in a big, full-bodied style (much in the spirit of such classic Bordeaux vintages as 1966, 1986, and 1996), this wine possesses superb purity and serious length, but should be purchased only by those with considerable patience and a good, cold cellar, since it will need plenty of time. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.HK$12,795.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
This stunning wine is one of the vintage’s great successes. Administrator Thomas Duroux has fashioned a modern day version of Palmer’s brilliant 1966. Displaying a rare combination of power and elegance, this dense purple-colored offering exhibits notes of blackberries, truffles, flowers, incense, and camphor. Long, classic, and medium to full-bodied with stunning texture and richness, this superb effort is a candidate for the finest Margaux of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2025+. Also tasted: 2004 Alter Ego de Palmer (88)HK$25,820.00 -
Wine Spectator (100)
Opulent and flamboyant are the two words that come to mind with this wine. Aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate and toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with big, chewy tannins (yet they are refined and silky) and a long, long finish. This is a full-throttle Palmer. Superripe and delicious. Score range: 95-100HK$20,420.00 -
Wine Spectator (100)
Opulent and flamboyant are the two words that come to mind with this wine. Aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate and toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with big, chewy tannins (yet they are refined and silky) and a long, long finish. This is a full-throttle Palmer. Superripe and delicious. Score range: 95-100HK$18,100.00