The following lots 422 to 470 were removed from the cellars of Mähler-Besse and transported to Hong Kong specifically for the sale. Lot 455 is consigned directly from Château Palmer
All are offered in original wooden cases unless stated otherwise
A Brief History of Château Palmer
By Charles Curtis MW, Head of North American Wine Sales
Château Palmer occupies a special place in the affections of Bordeaux lovers. Few would deny that it is one of the leading estates of the Margaux appellation, and indeed of the entire region. The origins of Palmer predate the birth of the current château. Originally a portion of the vines of Château d'Issan, this land had produced wine for generations before the Médoc was drained by Dutch engineers. Some of the vines that now make up Palmer passed from the 18th century heirs of the Foix-Candale family in pre-revolutionary times to the Gascq family, proprietors of a number of vineyards in the area. They expanded this holding to include vines near Château Margaux, bolstering the quality and reputation of the cru. The final heir of the Gascq legacy sold the property in 1814 to the Englishman Charles Palmer, a general under Wellington who had fought Napoleon prior to falling in love with Bordeaux.
General Palmer expanded his holdings to eventually total 163 hectares (ha). Investing in his estate, he improved quality and used the political connections developed as an aide to the Prince of Wales to implant his wine at the tables of the English court. Excessive spending on his estate unfortuately hastened difficult times for his fortune, and he began to sell plots of land, followed in 1843 by the sale of his beloved château to Francoise-Marie Bergerac.
Managed for a decade by a bank, Palmer was sold in 1853 to the Péreire brothers, railroad tycoons who replanted their vineyard in an effort to combat oidium, the vineyard scourge of the era. The Péreire family ownership survived not only oidium, but also the phylloxera epidemic that followed it, as well as the First World War. Difficult times during the depression forced Palmers sale in 1938 to the group of investors that included members of the Mähler-Besse, Sichel, Ginestet and Mialhe families. Although the Ginestet and Mialhe families have sold their shares, members of the Mähler-Besse and Sichel families and their descendants are proprietors of Château Palmer to this day.
The Sichel interests are represented by Allan Sichel, who took over from his father Peter Allan Sichel in 1996. With the third, and soon the fourth generation of the Frédérik Mähler-Besse descendants, many families are now involved in property Château Palmer, some of which are still in charge of the company Mähler-Besse.
The Palmer estate itself was managed for decades by the son-in-law of Frédérick, Jean Bouteiller, followed by his son Bertrand until 2004. The estate is today managed by the gifted oenologist Thomas Duroux, whose team produces today a maximum of 8,000 - 10,000 cases of the Grand Vin and 7,000 - 8,000 cases of Alter Ego. This second bottling is aptly named: the English translation of the Latin name is "The Other I", and Alter Ego expresses the exuberance and joie de vivre of the estate, while the Grand Vin expresses its classical elegance and harmony.
Quality under the present owners has seldom faltered. Palmer produced legendary wines in all of the great postwar vintages: the 45, 59, and 61 are all legends and wines of stature that stand with the best of the Médoc. Vintages that might have been lesser at other châteaux have proved triumphs for Palmer. Their 66 and 70 are particularly well regarded today, and more recent years have seen vintage after vintage of top notch wines: 81-82-83; 85-86; 89-90. Newer vintages from the 90s and the glorious years of the 21st century confirm and expand this wonderful reputation.
Palmer Estate: Connoisseur's Corner
The vineyard has fluctuated over time, and today is 52 ha, close in size to the original plot carved out of d'Issan. The vines are planted on the deep gravel beds that typify the best Margaux terroirs, here up to four meters deep. The composition of the vineyard has also changed over time, and today represents a blend that is almost unique in the Médoc: equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot abetted by 6 Petit Verdot. The dominance of Merlot in this blend is always one of the salient characteristics of Palmer, something that in my mind gives it some of the exotic nature of the best of Pomerol. The blend is also enlivened by the peppery flavors of the Petit Verdot, particularly in ripe years, which give further complexity to this delicious blend.
Following careful work in the vineyards to ensure complete ripeness and balance, the fruit is picked by hand and gently brought to the winery, where winemaking is done in a classic style, with the initial fermentation and malo done in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks prior to cask aging, which can last from 17 months for Alter Ego to approximately 21 months for the Grand Vin. Quality is maintained by a further selection, and up to 10 of the total harvest is bottled as plain AC Margaux.
In addition to the Grand Vin and Alter Ego, Palmer produces a curiosity called Historical XIXth Century Wine. The reason for the fanciful name is that the wine includes fruit from the Palmer estate blended with up to 20 Syrah from an unnamed source in Hermitage, recalling the clarets of the pre-phylloxera era, often fortified with the more robust wines of the Rhône. Because of this very idiosyncratic blend, the wine is sold as a Vin de Table, and is produced in minute quantities of 250 - 300 cases in the vintages where it is produced at all, and Christies is proud to offer in our November sale some of this extremely rare wine. Rumour would have it that very rarely small quantities have also been produced of Château Palmer Blanc, although it has escaped the thirsty inquisitiveness of this taster.
Given my experience of these wines over the years of my career, I rest assured that Château Palmer will remain unique in its appellation. Denied just consideration in 1855, the estate continues decade after decade to produce some of the most thrilling wines in Bordeaux.
Château Palmer--Vintage 1945
1 bottle per lot
Details
Château Palmer--Vintage 1945
Cantenac (Margaux), 3me cru classé. Château-bottled
Slightly corroded capsule. Bin-soiled and slightly damaged label. Level mid-shoulder. Not in original wooden case
Tasting Note: Palmer's 1945 (never tasted stateside) is one of the few 1945s that can be called exceptionally opulent, super rich, and fat in its chewy, nearly over-ripe fruit. It is a rich, succulent, decadently fruity, alcoholic wine that remains in top condition. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #95 (Oct 1994)
1 bottle per lot
Cantenac (Margaux), 3me cru classé. Château-bottled
Slightly corroded capsule. Bin-soiled and slightly damaged label. Level mid-shoulder. Not in original wooden case
Tasting Note: Palmer's 1945 (never tasted stateside) is one of the few 1945s that can be called exceptionally opulent, super rich, and fat in its chewy, nearly over-ripe fruit. It is a rich, succulent, decadently fruity, alcoholic wine that remains in top condition. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #95 (Oct 1994)
1 bottle per lot