Chateau Palmer 2016
(Margaux, Bordeaux, France) - [JD 100] [JL 100] [VM 100] [WE 100] [JA 99] [WA 98+] [JS 98] [DM 98] [WP 98]

About the Winery:
Chateau Palmer earned the title of Troisième Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification but the Chateau began to make a name for itself in 1814, when Colonel Charles Palmer bought it from Marie de Gascq, investing considerable sums in it. Currently, the Domaine is jointly owned by the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families, who continue to enhance its reputation.

The vineyard covers 55 hectares, planted with 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. The vineyards have been managed entirely according to biodynamic principles since 2014. The wines age for 20 to 22 months in oak barrels, 50% of which are new.

Renowned for the finesse and elegance of its wines, since 1998 the estate has produced a second wine, Palmer's Alter Ego, , drawn from the same terroirs but vinified separately to yield an earlier-drinking wine.

About the Wine:
Despite a mild winter, a rainy spring, a moderately warm summer, and a late harvest, the quality of the grapes proved to be nothing less than extraordinary. Bringing out such ripe, powerful tannins is the cellar team’s raison d’être. In the end, an exquisite harmony was struck between structure and silk.

Winter proved very mild and the vines were a week ahead of schedule. However, their growth was restrained due to the mild, wet weather. These conditions are extremely favorable for the development of mildew, and we had 130 millimeters of rainfall in just one month! We had never experienced such pressure since the estate shifted to its biodynamic approach. However, thanks to the winegrowers’ hard work and unwavering commitment, we managed to rise to the challenge.

Luckily, flowering took place in optimum conditions during the week of June 6. Summer finally arrived with moderate temperatures and no rain. This led to a fear of potential setbacks on the most sensitive plots. Fortunately, some welcome rain arrived, much to the relief of the whole team. The harvest, which only began on October 3, was one of the latest in the estate's history. Although modest in quantity, the aromatic intensity of the grapes was extraordinary. The tannins were powerful and perfectly ripe, which led us to opt for a more intense extraction.

After the first months of aging, the equilibrium of our two wines differed significantly from that of our previous great vintages: an entirely customary degree of alcohol revealed an exceptionally tannic structure. It seems the velvety texture of Château Palmer wines is more than ever our hallmark.

Blend: 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot

Ratings & Reviews

100 Points - Vinous Media:
"Technical Director Thomas Duroux and his team made one of the most brilliant wines of the 2016 vintage. Palmer is simply exceptional. Rich and dramatically sweeping in the glass, the 2016 is breathtaking. All the elements simply fall into place in a wine of mesmerizing beauty. The counterpoint of dark, sumptuous fruit and floral notes makes for an utterly compelling Palmer that will take its place among the estate's finest vintages. Dark cherry, lavender, spice and mocha are some of the many notes that build into a deep, substantial finish that is truly unforgettable. In a word: magnificent! 2026-2066."

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate, surpassing the 2009 and 2010, the 2016 Château Palmer is a blend of 47% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 65% new French oak. This magical effort reveals a saturated purple color as well as a huge nose of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and spring flowers, and it develops beautifully with time in the glass. Full-bodied, deep, incredibly concentrated and powerful, it nevertheless just glides over the palate with flawless purity and balance, present, ripe tannins, and a finish that just won’t quit. This is Bordeaux at its most regal and classic. It will be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for half a century." (Feb 2019)

100 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider:
"Still showing the color of a barrel sample, the wine is full bodied, silky, polished, fresh, vibrant and pure. The wine tastes as if you ran into the vineyard and grabbed a handful of grapes off the vine, and you ate them just moments before they were crushed. The fruit has so much purity, energy and sensuality, it is impossible not to go back to the glass for another sniff, swirl and sip. Another interesting point is the addition of a gentle chalky minerality in the finish, adding a beautiful layer to the complexity. This is easily one of the great vintages of Chateau Palmer and will age for decades with no effort." (Sep 2019)

100 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Powerful tannins and hugely rich fruit balance together in this superb wine. The velvet texture belies the power behind the concentrated, ripe black-fruit flavor, with vibrant acidity giving ample lift. The wine's structure will ensure aging for many years. Drink from 2024." - Roger Voss (May 2024)

99 Points - Jane Anson's Inside Bordeaux:
"Last tried at the 10 years on tasting back in January of this year, and once again this confirms that the 2016 Palmer showcases the power and concentration of the vintage, remaining concentrated and muscular, in need of a few more years to fully realise its evident potential. With 30 minutes in the glass, a slow unroll reveals layers of cassis, bilberry, cigar box, graphite, peony flowers, liquorice root, cocoa bean, espresso and gunsmoke. Love how the nuanced florality of the Margaux appellation is hidden underneath the architecture. The estate was being fully farmed biodynamically at this point, but still two years away from certification. Thomas Duroux director, 60% new oak for ageing."

98+ Points - Wine Advocate:
"The 2016 Palmer is a blend of 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Opaque garnet-purple colored, it slowly glides out of the glass with compelling notes of blueberry compote, warm cassis and kirsch with emerging hints of violets, cigar box, black tea, sandalwood and Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, wonderfully rich, concentrated and packed with latent energy, the palate literally grows in the mouth, revealing layer upon layer of black, blue and red fruits and tons of floral sparks, framed by super ripe, incredibly fine-grained tannins and finishing with epic length. It’s a wine that makes you wanna drape yourself languidly over a chaise lounge, glass of Palmer in hand, sighing with deep satisfaction, 'This is so wonderfully Palmer.'" - LPB (Nov 2018)

98 Points - James Suckling:
"Such attractive fruit and alluring ripeness that it draws you in from the get-go. The discreet power here is delivered with a very astute touch. Assorted dark-berry aromas, as well as red plums, abound on the nose. The richness and depth in the mouth is stunning. The tannins are super polished and layered and they draw pristine dark fruit flavors deep into the finish in effortless mode. This is a star of the vintage. A blend of 47 per cent merlot, 47 per cent cabernet sauvignon and six per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024." (Jan 2019)

98 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The grand vin represents 65% of production in 2016, the highest ever. It has many similarities in style with the 2001 and 1986, being a classically styled wine full of soft slate, fern, liquorice and cassis, but from the modern era where you can achieve so much more precision. This is a wine that makes you smile from the first sip, and keeps on getting better, caressing you gently across the palate. There is never any let up through the mid-palate, and the biodynamics that have been practised here for the past few years are clearly paying off. Elegant, utterly silky and precise, the structure is just effortless with reasonably fresh alcohols that are the result of late ripening. A perfect example of the appellation, it has the florality, density and slow tannic pace that means it takes you right along with it as the flavours build. The blend is 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Intellectual without being overbearing, and built to age. This is impressive stuff." - Jane Anson (Apr 2017)

98 Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate:
"Deep garnet in color, with a touch of purple, the 2016 Palmer takes a minute or two to unleash a powerful nose of black cherry compote, prunes, crème de cassis, and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by hints of licorice, crushed rocks, candied violets, and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is dense, concentrated and totally seductive, featuring super-ripe, velvety tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long with loads of floral and earthy sparks. The blend is 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window: 2025-2060."