Chateau Palmer Historical 19th Century Blend (2020)

In the 19th century, it was a common practice of the time to "hermitage" the wines. Bordeaux châteaux would add to their wines a certain quantity of wine from the Rhône – notably from the region of Hermitage – whose Syrah would strengthen the structure and power of the claret. A few bottles can still be found dating back to this period, whose labels note the name of the cru and the word hermitagé, all from vintages preceding the AOC regulations which finally ended this practice. Then in the 21st century, Château Palmer came up with the idea of bringing this forgotten tradition back to life. Years ago, during a visit to a renowned collector in California, Thomas Duroux, the director of the property, had the rare opportunity to taste a 19th century Bordeaux hermitagé. The emotions experienced that day, in the presence of a wine more than a century old, have been fully expressed in the renaissance of Palmer’s own hermitagé, the Historical XIXth Century Wine.

A definitively historic wine, whose name honours the storied past of the great wines of Bordeaux. Yet today, the aim is no longer to simply boost a meagre claret so as to give it muscle, but rather to create a unique wine, combining wine from Palmer and a small measure of a great wine from the northern Côtes du Rhône.

Château Palmer is a leading wine estate in the Margaux appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. Though officially ranked a third growth in 1855, the quality of its wines has firmly established Palmer as a top Super Second.

Within its appellation, Palmer is the closest rival to their first growth neighbour, Château Margaux. At their best, such as with the legendary 1961 vintage, the wines of Château Palmer are among the greatest anywhere in Bordeaux. Since 2004, the estate has been led by the charismatic and ambitious Thomas Duroux. Bordeaux native Duroux became the estate’s Director aged just 34, following a stint making wine in Bolgheri at Ornellaia. The technical team began experimenting with biodynamic farming in 2009 and today Palmer is among the leading biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux. A growing number of classified growths have since started to follow the example of Palmer and its fellow early adopters Pontet-Canet and Climens.

Situated in the commune of Cantenac, the property lies just outside the village of Margaux proper. Its 66 hectares of vines sit upon a gravel terrace overlooking the Gironde estuary. The old Médocain adage that the best vineyards have a view of the river is lent some credence here. The vineyard is planted in equal parts to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (47% each), balanced with a little Petit Verdot (6%). The relatively high Merlot content is unusual for the Grands Crus of the Médoc, lending Palmer a unique style for the Left Bank.

The estate dates to the 17th century, though it was not until 1814 that Englishman Charles Palmer took ownership and gave it his name. A future major general of the British army, Palmer spent 30 years expanding the property and, shrewdly, developing the reputation of “Palmer’s Claret” in the thriving UK market. His successors, the Pereire brothers, were responsible for building the iconic turreted château that was completed in 1854. In 1938, the estate was bought by four Bordeaux négociant families. The descendants of two – the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families – own the property to this day. 

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