Château Palmer
A revered Margaux Third Growth whose wines routinely rival the First Growths, built on an unusually high proportion of Merlot.
About Château
Château Palmer is one of Margaux's most celebrated estates, classified a Third Growth (Troisième Cru) in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification yet long regarded as performing at a far higher level. The property took its name from Major General Charles Palmer, an Englishman who acquired it in 1814 and expanded it considerably. After a turbulent 19th century — including ownership by the Péreire banking brothers — a syndicate of merchant families formed the Société Civile de Château Palmer in 1938, and the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families remain major shareholders today. Palmer is distinctive in the Médoc for its high Merlot content, which lends the wine a plush, perfumed character alongside classic Cabernet structure. The estate has farmed biodynamically in recent years. Its grand vin and the second wine, Alter Ego de Palmer, are both highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
Flagship wines
- Château Palmer
- Alter Ego de Palmer
Editorial notes
A textbook 'super Third Growth' that drinks above its classification; the Merlot-rich blend makes it more aromatic and approachable than many Pauillac peers. Cellar the grand vin a decade or more.