Winemaker Notes
Chateau Palmer has always transcended fashions and trends to listen to a single voice: that of its terroir. The finesse and elegance of its roots in Margaux, the satin of its tannins, the nobility of its leather and the caress of its velvet.
Blend: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot
This wine does not include the blanket 10% tariff imposed in April 2025. When the wines are shippable in fall of 2027, customers will have the option to pay any tariff in place at the time or to keep their wines stored in a temperature-controlled facility free of charge in France.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2024 Palmer is wonderfully vivid and expressive. Strong Cabernet Sauvignon inflections make a strong first impression. Blue/purplish fruit, gravel, lavender, incense, licorice and dried herbs all jump from the glass. I imagine the 2024 will drink well on release, which is uncharacteristic for young Palmer. Readers will find a gorgeous wine with tons of character and pedigree to burn. Palmer remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Bordeaux. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 94-97 -
James Suckling
Excellent depth and good purity of fruit, showing lots of blackcurrants, dark minerals and violet extract. Full-bodied, this has plenty of fine-grained tannins and a hallmark Palmer tannin structure and framework. Quite tight and juicy at the end with a lasting finish and lots of volume. 13.2% alcohol.
Barrel Sample: 95-96 -
Decanter
Dark fragrance on the nose, dark chocolate, violets, slate, smoke and licorice. Rich and round in the mouth, fleshy and vibrant - so much energy and life here. Bright, almost sweet but high toned too, sleek but so delicate. You get the flavor, the texture, lattice like, so delicately constructed but this isn't a light wine. Succulent, fresh, lifted and just so full of life. A touch of austerity on the finish - the tension coming through with the slate and graphite mintiness. There’s still a bite on the finish but that will be softened in time. I love this wine. 35% production. 3.7pH. 10% press. Ageing 50% new oak for the first year then foudre.
Barrel Sample: 95 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2024 Château Palmer is based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot, from tiny yields of just 22 hectoliters per hectare. It's aging in 50% new oak before being moved to foudre for the second year of élevage. This brings another level of density and texture, with ripe currants, cassis, violets, spicy wood, and tobacco all emerging from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it has beautiful mid-palate depth, velvety tannins, and remarkable length. It's a clear success and could end up among the top wines of the vintage when all is said and done.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Palmer is shaping up beautifully and stands out as one of the wines of the vintage in the Médoc. Wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, plums, cigar wrapper and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with good depth at the core, sweet structuring tannins and a long, precise finish. Uniting charm with seriousness, this blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot is the quintessential Palmer. Yields after sorting worked out at 22 hectoliters per hectare.
Barrel Sample: 93-95
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.