Château Palmer 2008
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Fresh and complex, a great Margaux wine
The estate
Château Palmer is a star in the Margaux appellation, on the left bank of the Bordeaux region. After having built its legendary story on vintages that have become mythical, Château Palmer continues to write its history under the direction and guidance of the talented Thomas Duroux.
The vineyard
Benefiting from an exceptional terroir located in the immediate vicinity of the Gironde estuary, Château Palmer comprises an unusual grape composition in the Médoc, with a strong emphasis on the Merlot variety, which appears alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
The vintage
2008 was characterised by a late harvest, due to difficult weather conditions which had an impact on the entire vegetative cycle. Although the winter ended with mild and dry conditions, the cool weather from mid-March to the end of April delayed bud break. Part of the vineyard was hit by a hailstorm at the end of May, a month already marked by very heavy rainfall. The flowering in June under cool and rainy weather conditions caused significant coulure, particularly on the old Merlot vines. Moreover, there was a constant high mildew pressure throughout the growing season. Summer conditions were dry and sunny until August 10th when rainfall increased disease pressure. From mid-September onwards, the weather was dry and sunny until the harvest, accompanied by a northerly wind which dried out the botrytis outbreaks. The grapes harvested at optimum maturity were particularly healthy, deep and very fine.
The blend
Merlot (51%)
Cabernet Sauvignon (41%)
Petit Verdot (8%).
Château Palmer 2008: Characteristics and tasting tips
The tasting
Colour
A beautiful deep garnet colour with purple hues.
Nose
The nose reveals delicious fruity and floral fragrances. When swirled, the bouquet becomes more complex with rich expressions of red fruits. Palmer 2008 has preserved the freshness and aromatic delicacy of the vintage.
Palate
Fresh from the outset, the palate seduces with its fullness and intense fruity aromas. The fragrant character of the vintage blends with a superb tannic tenderness. The finish is persistent and delicious.
Cellaring
Enjoy today, this Château Palmer 2008 can wait in the cellar for several decades to reveal its full aromatic palette.
A stunning success for the vintage, and possibly the Margaux of the year, this wine, which achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, is a blend of 51% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. Loads of barbecue smoke, licorice, incense, blackberry, new saddle leather and forest floor notes jump from the glass of this dense, purple-colored wine. Extraordinarily intense and full-bodied, with plenty of tannin, but not the formidable structure of the 2010, this is going to be one of the longest-lived wines of 2008. It is full, rich, layered, and should be reasonably approachable with 3-4 years of bottle age, and will also keep for 30+ years.