2023 Chateau Palmer Margaux (750ml)

2023 Château Palmer — Margaux 3ème Grand Cru Classé

Classified as a Third Growth in 1855, Château Palmer has consistently proven itself a standout Bordeaux producer, crafting wines that rival the famed First Growths of the region. The estate's legacy began in 1816 when Englishman General Charles Palmer first acquired the château. Today it is jointly owned by the Mähler-Besse and Sichel families, who have entrusted management to Thomas Duroux since 2004. Under his direction, the 60-hectare vineyards have been converted to 100% biodynamic viticulture — certified since 2017 — with sheep grazing among the vines and a herd of cows providing natural fertilizer. 

What sets Palmer apart from its Médoc neighbors is its exceptionally Merlot-rich blend. Château Palmer is unique for a Left Bank estate because its vineyards have a heavy preponderance of Merlot planted in gravelly rather than purely clay soils — a deliberate choice that lends the wines a sensuous, almost Pomerol-like plushness. The 2023 blends 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, harvested September 11 through October 5, with director Thomas Duroux and his team waiting those extra days in September to achieve full maturity. 

Crazy aromatics, full and bright, the 2023 is packed with intense scents of pink and purple flowers, damson fruit — ripe but with no overt heat — with graphite and liquorice on the nose and dried-herb Cabernet notes. Rich, layered, and voluptuous on the palate, the tannins are perfectly integrated with the fruit and acidity, with the added plushness that Merlot brings to the blend. Powered and structured, but with great energy, generosity, and charm, and focused length. 

Critics were electrified. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) called it "a breathtaking wine — sensational, inky, rich and explosive, a real head-turner," adding that "there is no other wine like Palmer in Bordeaux" and that it "reminds me of a great Pomerol