Nose

A rich, opulent bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, chocolate, and tobacco, with hints of graphite and background oak.

Palate

The 2014 Palmer is endowed with serious depth and intensity. Black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, spice, leather, tobacco and menthol infuse the 2014 with striking midpalate depth, unctuousness and texture. Silky, plush and polished.

Growing Conditions

A historic wine. Marking the bicentenary of the estate taking Major General Palmer’s name, this vintage is proof of Palmer’s relentless innovation. No sulfur was added to the harvested grapes, allowing the terroir to express all its complexity.

In 1814, General Charles Palmer purchased Madame de Gascq’s wine estate, and subsequently gave it his name. Two hundred years later, Château Palmer continues to write its own history from one vintage to the next. Early in the summer, the sun had played and endless game of hide-and-seek. But when the 2014 harvest ended on 14th October, it was under the same glorious sun that we had enjoyed all throughout September. Everything had started quite well: a rainy winter had allowed the estate to renew its water reserves. In the spring, flowering went well. But early July, the weather became unstable and the vines focused on their fine foliage, to the detriment of their grapes. August wasn’t much better, véraison was slow and the berries began to swell... Luckily the sun finally returned at the end of the month. September’s extraordinary weather conditions modified the profile of the vintage.

Harvest

On 22nd September, we harvested the first plot. The particularly good weather allowed us to harvest perfectly ripe grapes.

Winemaking

In the cellar, the
spotlight was on innovation. After two years of experiments in reducing the level of sulfur in our wines, we decided not to add any sulfur to the harvested grapes to let them immediately express their complexity. At this stage the wines of the 2014 vintage are an excellent reflection of the diversity of the estate’s plots. Each personality is expressed in these two blends as if a veil had been lifted. It is without a doubt one of the first results of our biodynamic approach.

Appearance

A deep ruby/purple-tinged color.