Nose
A gorgeous nose of blueberry, blackberry fruit, licorice, incense and graphite.
Palate
The Merlot, rich and exuberant, remind us of the best vintages of the first decade of the 2000s. The Cabernet Sauvignon are linear and precise and in line with a 2008. This unusual marriage harmoniously highlights the smoothness, elegance and refinement of Château Palmer wines.
The wine has a multi-dimensional, skyscraper-like richness, stunningly well-integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, a finish of close to 45 seconds and a full-bodied mouthfeel.
Growing Conditions
Three periods: a rainy spring, a sunny summer, a wet autumn. Two characteristics: exuberant Merlots, and precise, linear Cabernet Sauvignons. One result: a happy marriage for a wine rich in harmony.
The principal characteristic of the 2012 vintage is that of a remarkable contrast between spring, summer and early autumn. In the spring, the abundant rainfall from April to June is well above average. This cool and damp weather brought about a late yet heterogeneous bud break. Flowering also presents the same characteristics. It begins much later and lasts longer compared to the previous vintage. Taking place in unfavorable conditions it results in a high percentage of coulure in our oldest Merlot. The risk of developing diseases is high and requires our continuous attention. The summer weather changes completely. At the end of June, the sun begins to shine and temperatures finally rise. It hardly rains in August or during the first three weeks of September. These particularly favorable conditions, due to the lack of water and nitrogen, allow the vine to focus its energy on developing phenolic compounds and thus produce good quality grapes. The weather takes a change for the worse again during the last week of September.
Harvest
The harvest is intense; it takes place at Château Palmer between 1st and 15th October without interruption and in wet conditions.
Appearance
Opaque purple.
