Château Palmer 2023

Vintages come and go, and there's no resemblance between them. Under an unreadable sky, a fine and intimate interpretation of the place will have tipped 2023 to the table of the great Palmers. At the end of a relatively cool, arRosé winter, the Merlots broke bud in the last week of March. On the night of April 4, an episode of frost with no impact launched an unstable, warm and humid spring, which exacerbated the plant's vegetative dynamics. Vigilance and experience are key to containing the ensuing cryptogamic pressure. The vine is in flower from May 31 to June 5, in a sunny Sec context. If growth continues, the harvest potential is very promising.

June ushered in a paradoxical summer, hot and cloudy. Mid-veraison was reached on July 25 for our Merlots, and three days later for the Cabernets. A gloomy August sky raised fears about the quality potential of the future harvest. Then the game changed. An initial heatwave set in from August 17 to 24, bringing plant growth to a screeching halt and boosting fruit ripeness. This was followed ten days later by a second episode, Sec which was tough but beneficial for the concentration of the grapes.

The harvest began on September 11, with fragrant Merlot grapes boasting majestic tannins. In a stormy context, the harvest was suspended for seven days, allowing the Cabernets to be picked in an ideal late season. The fruit exudes harmony, the tannins ripe. In the cellar, the blends were finalized in December. Under unpredictable skies, this 2023 vintage, imbued with a beautiful aromatic freshness, promises wines of harmonious mastery, cultivating their singular velvet