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Viinin Kuvailu
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 2001
The growth cycle got off to a good start in March after an especially mild (2-3°C warmer than average) and wet (it rained two days out of three from October to March.) winter. Fortunately, the fairly cool weather in April eliminated the risk of mildew.
Thanks to mild, very dry weather, flowering took place quickly and evenly in May and June, mid-flowering on June 2nd.
After a cool and particularly rainy month of July, the véraison occured without any problems before a major storm hit on August 15th (peak véraison took place on August 9th). The month of August was hot, but not excessively so. It was once again cool in September (2°C less than average). The grapes were ideally ripe and healthy on the eve of the harvest. Sugar levels were high – greater than 2000 and similar to 1999. Even though the summer of 2001 was not tremendously dry – which led to a lower concentration of phenolic compounds than the previous year – levels were very good, higher than in 1999.
The Merlot grapes were picked at 13° potential alcohol, producing fruity, rich, and generous wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes came in at 13°, and wine made from them has enormous finesse and very pure tannins.
This blending of the 3 varietals has created a rich and subtle vintage, an almost perfect expression of the Palmer style.
Harvest dates: from 09/29/2001 to 10/11/2001
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon: 51%
Merlot: 44%
Petit Verdot: 5%
Vuosikerta 2001
Bordeaux / The year 2001 is known as the year of the winegrowers. The whole of Bordeaux suffered from a lot of rain and the resulting noble rot. Sauternes has been producing its best wines for decades, and there is good reason to talk about the Sauternes revolution. The best wine of the year is clearly Yquem. Parker's hundred-point Yquem sold for 300 euros en primeur, and today the price is 600 euros per bottle.
For red wines, the year was difficult. Cabernet Sauvignon, thanks to its thicker skin, did better than Merlot. The cold, rainy and cloudy growing period caused the grapes to ripen too slowly. The areas had to work more intensively. The grapes were rather small and produced concentrated wines. Latour can be considered the best buy. Good buys also include Ausone, Pétrus and Le Pin.
Sauternes Vintage Report: Rapid appearance of botrytis on ripe grapes, rich in sugar. Ideal October: brief rainstorms, high temperatures, windy and sunny afternoons. Very sweet but balanced wines with pronounced noble rot and remarkable complexity. A memorable year and very uniform success for all liqueurs.
