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The secret codes of the barrel room
Château Palmer, 15/12/2014
In the dim and cool chai... the barrels rest quietly in a monastic atmosphere. The soul of the wine slumbers here. Lined up in the shadows and the cool constant temperature of 16°C, these barrels will hold the newborn vintage for quite some time, anywhere from 18 to 21 months.
As you approach, you'll see inscriptions written in chalk, on the rounded surface of the barrel or on its seal. These secret codes, which are barely visible, allow our craftsmen to closely follow the evolution of each lot.
Here are a few clues to decipher these secret codes. First the most obvious: "PA" stands for Palmer, whereas "AE" are the initials of the name of our other wine - Alter Ego.More complicated codes then follow:"E" for Entonnage or Funneling, it is the moment where our wines are funneled into the barrels to begin aging."S" reveals Soutirage or Racking. Through this 'ritualistic ceremony', the wine is revitalized, discarding any undesirable deposits; it is the wine's natural clarification process.
"C" for Collage or Fining which always follows Racking. It is not an artistically creative technique*, it is the introduction of a fining agent to clarify and stabilize the wine. This large "C" can be found about fifty days a year, with "SC" - Sortie de Colle or End of fining- following quickly thereafter.
These different "letter" codes are written on the interior of a cross and completed with the exact procedure date - day, month, and year.
Numerous other codes are used in the chai, allowing our team to follow the advancement of various experiments, for example.A circled number or an inconspicuous sign, it is something that only our experts can read.
But of course, some codes should be kept secret...
Wine Description
The Story
Vintage after vintage, the wines of Château Palmer express our vision of an exceptional wine. We believe that it is born of the mysterious trilogy – terroir, history, memory – and all of our efforts are concentrated on bringing it into the world. Distinction, high standards and commitment are the values that guide every choice we make from the vineyard to the table where the wine is served.
Knowing
Knowing your terroir, your grapes, and your wines – this is a threefold enterprise of patient observation. What seems to be a given is in fact a matter of exacting standards at every moment. To know the terroir you have to become intimately familiar with it. We strive to know the grape variety, subsoil, and exposure of each and every plot but also of each and every row within the plot, as we regard every vine as a unique individual. To know our grapes well, we closely monitor their development until maturity. To know our wines, we taste the batches, the vats, the barrels, and the bottles again and again.
Understanding
Progress in œnology has provided us with insight into the development of wines. Progress in agronomy has given us a better understanding of the life of our vineyards. This makes for more precision in our interventions as much in the winery as in the vineyards. Applying the best technical innovations in a spirit of reconciliation between science and craftsmanship, we use all relevant means to reveal the unique character of the Palmer terroir with each new vintage.
Creating
With the grapes that nature offers us, our job is to create the best possible wine. Is this craftsmanship or artistry? No doubt both. Like skilled craftspeople that love their trade, we select and blend the batches with meticulous care. And like artists, we let ourselves be swept away by the work that is born, as it imposes itself upon our will, surprises, amazes and transcends us.
Kindling desire
Ultimately our goal is to make Château Palmer wines as desirable as can be. To achieve this, everything we do, whether we work in the vineyard, the winery, or in the offices, is informed by high standards and a sense of detail Nothing is left to chance, not the choice of paper for a label, or that of an etching for the wood crates, or of a theme for a reception.
Wine Information
Characteristics of the vintage
Winter 2013 will remain in the memories of our vineyard craftsmen as one of the dampest of the last few years, significantly complicating their work conditions.
Average temperatures between April 1 and May 31 were the lowest of the decade. Early in the season, our observations showed a delay of about ten days when compared to the 2012 vintage, which was already considered late.
In the month of May, the rainy conditions caused an important amount of coulure in our older Merlots, also affecting the Cabernet Sauvignons. The risk of mildew was, as it had been in 2012, particularly fierce.
Summer weather was then more favorable to us. The month of July was the hottest of the past fourteen years, without being marked by a heat wave. The development of the vines remained stalled on a late growth-cycle and we expected to begin harvesting in early October.
But the month of September held an unpleasant surprise for us: rain, humidity and warm temperatures were our daily due. Dealing with the pressure of botrytis became the determining factor for planning harvest.
We began harvesting on Friday, September 27, with a few of the young Merlots. The next day we increased our pace and, on Sunday, September 29, we harvested
10 hectares in one single day. The Merlots, so important to the identity of our wines, were picked in time and showed a level of phenolic and aromatic maturity that surpassed our expectations.
We continued harvesting at a lively pace with the Petit Verdots and the Cabernet Sauvignons. The concentration of sugar was somewhat inferior to that of the Merlots, but the aromatic palettes were clean and precise, showing no vegetative odors. This confirmed the admirable reaction of the estate’s terroir in such difficult weather conditions, reflecting also the positive influence of the lovely month of July.
During winemaking, the must was handled with care to avoid the extraction of any potentially rustic tannins. We were able to carefully preserve the silky and velvety identity of the estate’s wines.
To find the right expression of this difficult vintage, we held many different tasting sessions, each leading to numerous debates. Finally, only a third of the total production was retained for the final blend of Château Palmer.
Harvest dates: from 09/27/2013 to 10/11/2013
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon: 51%
Merlot
Vintage 2013
BORDEAUX 2013 VINTAGE REPORT
The 2013 vintage in Bordeaux was one of the most difficult since 1965 and 1968. Thomas Duroux of Château Palmer describes it as “the most complicated vintage in 20 years”. It rained almost continuously in the spring. Flowering was uneven, leading to poor set, millerandage and coulure. The threat of mold was alleviated by the arrival of warm, dry weather during the summer. For a while, winemakers hoped that abundant sunshine and mild weather would allow the vines to catch up. Severe storms, winds and intermittent heavy rains in July and August hampered vine growth and created fruiting difficulties. High humidity and cool temperatures before harvest led to slow ripening and the ideal environment for botrytis (gray rot) infection. Merlot did not perform well on the left bank. Château Margaux was certainly vulnerable to these conditions, but others, in their efforts to talk about the vintage, displayed superb Gallic denial. You would be forgiven for thinking this could be an exceptional vintage; Such is the genius of the world's best professional liars.
In years past, weather conditions, uneven ripening and disease pressure would have resulted in disastrous wines. Château Margaux avoided the worst rains by bringing in a picking team of 300 people to harvest the crop at lightning speed. Chateau Lafite also raced against the elements and won. Most castles don't have this type of luxury. The sorting tables were “drilled” during the harvest, allowing the best berries to be selected. I don't remember seeing red wine with visible botrytis characters. The fruit, however, has generally not ripened to optimal levels. Many producers have found it necessary to chaptalize their vinification to allow the wine to reach a more attractive alcohol level. Some châteaux, including Cos d’Estournel at 12.7% alc, produced their wines apparently without adding sugar. Most areas, however, have struggled to reach phenolic maturity. Tannins are the fabric of all red wines. They don't need to be perfectly ripe; An “al-dente” texture can provide convincing freshness and an attractive structure. But it was easy to extract too much in 2013. The best wines were those that were “unpushed” and intuitive to the conditions of the vintage. The use of saignée (juice runoff), reverse osmosis, and other methods to concentrate wine, is never discussed by winemakers, but there were some wines with soupy textures and a silky feel. unnatural mouth.
Many 2013 primeur wines have only been in barrel for a few weeks. This creates challenges because oak characters can detract from the inherent quality of young wines. Many châteaux will undoubtedly adjust their oak maturation philosophies to match the character of the vintage. Others will use oak as a cosmetic or construction bog to make up for structural inadequacies in their wine. Acidity is also strongly present in the wines this year. This element is essential for the freshness, tension and lifespan of any vintage. In more mature years, acidity tends to play second fiddle, but in 2013, it's first fiddle. Fruit character, perhaps the most important characteristic of any wine, inevitably varies by subregion and vineyard. The best wines of this vintage have the aromatic quality, persistence and depth of good vintages. Ultimately, the most triumphant red wines are proportional to the commitment and financial resources of the wine producer.
Although Merlot struggled in the Médoc, it performed well on the Right Bank. The Pomerol was relatively resplendent with generous fruit and tannin backbones that were riper than elsewhere. St Emilion was also capable of making good wine, but as usual the results were mixed. The reds from Pessac Léognan were muscular and rustic, while the whites were mineral and fresh with strong acidities. Many think that dry whites are excellent. For most Australians, these wines don't really offer value. There were some good Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant red wines made in the Médoc. However, no subregion prevailed. If anything I preferred Pauillac, especially Château Grand Puy Lacoste and Château Batailley.
The humidity which hampered the 2013 harvest in the Médoc and elsewhere worked in favor of the producers of Sauternes and Barsac. There was a “widespread proliferation” of botrytis cinerea (noble rot) during Bordeaux’s wet autumn. The wines range from magnificent to standard in quality. The best ones have beautiful honey, barley water complexity, understated richness and viscosity, and fresh acidity. Château d’Yquem is remarkably good. The biodynamic Château Climens is a beautiful, expressive wine. Every year, I taste it in barrels and in pieces. I can imagine the final blend and it will not disappoint.
The 20% drop in Australian dollar to euro exchange rates over the past year will make the 2013 more expensive than the best vintages 2012 and 2011. Unfortunately, this will have a significant impact on market opportunities in Australia . It is unlikely that the castle owners will lower their prices enough to make this campaign worthwhile. Falling demand from China and a full pipeline to other markets will lead to sluggish sales across the world. Although this year's primeur campaign will test the resilience of the traditional Bordeaux wine trade, there is still an impressive level of optimism. I think everyone is looking forward to moving on after the 2013 vintage. On the other hand, it's the type of vintage, with a hint of bottle age, that could re-emerge in a more favorable light in a few years.
by ANDREW CAILLARD MW