Today (26 September) sees the ten year re-release of Château Palmer’s 2014 vintage on La Place de Bordeaux, after a decade ageing in the property’s cellars. db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay gives his verdict. The 2014 vintage is, in a way, the start of a new epoch at Palmer, being the first to have been farmed entirely biodynamically after a trial period in certain parts of the vineyard. Impressively given that, 55% of the total production was selected for the grand vin, the highest proportion since 2010. The vintage also marked the 200th anniversary of the acquisition of the property by the eponymous General Charles Palmer. The growing season was not without its complications, with a relatively overcast early summer finally giving way to Indian summer conditions in September and October. The harvest finished on 14 October. The season had started well with a relatively damp winter replenishing water reserves, and flowering went well in the spring. But in early July the weather became less stable and the vines focused on foliage to the detriment of their grapes. August saw little improvement and ripening was painfully slow as the grapes began to swell. Luckily, the sun finally returned at the end of the month and September’s extraordinary weather conditions transformed the profile of the vintage. As the berries finally started to concentrate, levels of sugars, anthocyanins and tannins increased. On 22 September the first Merlot plots were harvested and the particularly good weather allowed the chateau to pick “perfectly ripe”
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
