Château Palmer 2004 - Margaux

Château Palmer 2004 - Margaux

Presentation of the domain:

Château Palmer is located in the Margaux appellation in the Médoc. Classified "only" as a third growth in 1855, it has been consistently considered one of the best wines in the region for decades.

Unusually for the Médoc, Palmer's wines often contain as much Merlot as Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (with a small amount of Petit Verdot), which helps give the wine a fleshy, generous structure. It can be drunk young, but will also reward long aging.

Vineyards and winemaking

The Palmer vineyard covers 55 hectares in the former commune of Cantenac. Its terroir is mainly composed of fine gravel. The vines are planted densely, as is customary in this region, to ensure competition between the vines, reduce vigor and promote a deeper root system.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and different plots are vinified separately to give the winemakers greater control over the blend. The grand vin is aged for around 21 months in barrels, with up to 60% new barrels.

The 2004 vintage at Palmer:

Unlike the two previous vintages, 2004 benefited from a favorable climate without excess. Nothing came to disrupt the vine cycle. Summer began after a month of June with very little rain. After a homogeneous flowering without coulure, the mild temperatures of summer helped to slow down and lengthen the maturation phase. This was slow and regular, helped by a dry and sunny month of September, allowing us to wait for the optimum of each plot with serenity. The grapes were vinified gently for 21 days on average. In some cases, extraction at the beginning of vatting was preferred to best express the fruit and flesh of the grape, in others it took place throughout the maceration to give more power to the wine. The 2004 wines seem very classic compared to 2003, but they magnificently combine the race and finesse of our terroir with the flesh and power of a very great year.

WUAT's note: Have you ever noticed that the label is blue or black depending on the light? This is quite normal to avoid illegal reproductions.