The 2017 Château Palmer, a blend of 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot, is a precise and structured wine with aromas of blackcurrant, plums, cedar, and dark chocolate. The palate showcases vibrant black fruits with ripe tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a long, mineral-laced profile. It’s a powerful yet elegant wine, with a clear expression of its terroir, offering great aging potential. The vintage's precision, intensity, and balanced tannins make it a standout for the future.

James Suckling | JS 98
Published: Dec 20, 2020

Very perfumed and subtle with dried flowers and citrus, as well as blue fruit. Full-bodied with wonderfully diffused, integrated tannins that just run over the edges of the wine. it'sextremely polished and very, very long. Fresh and bright. Energetic finish. A thoughtful wine. A blend of 54% merlot, 42% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink after 2023. 

The Wine Advocate | RP 97+
Published: May 16, 2020
Drink: 2025-2065

A blend of 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored, 2017 Palmer gives a very serious nose of pronounced blackcurrant cordial, warm plums and blackberry preserves with hints of cedar chest, pencil shavings, violets, dark chocolate and star anise plus exotic wafts of sandalwood and cassia. Medium-bodied, the palate features fantastically vibrant, crunchy black fruits with a firm texture of ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. It will need a good 5-7 years to really blossom with all those tightly wound nuances, but it should be a stunner! 

Decanter | D 97
Published: Nov 21, 2019
Drink: 2024-2048

Beautifully powerful and precise with great depth and character to the fruit, despite the austerity that is more evident now than it was during En Primeur as the wine has begun bed down. These tannins are finely boned but they are plentiful, providing strength in numbers. Bottled end of August after 21 months of ageing. Clearly going to age well, this has concentration, intensity and seriousness where the Alter Ego is more gourmet. A precise and intellectual Palmer, a very fine example of the wine, with a sense of place and a purity to the fruit expression.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17.5
Published: Oct 5, 2021
Drink: 2024-2037

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Spicy and dark-fruited. There is enough smoky wood to add complexity without dominating the fruit. Dark cherry bursts through on a palate with real energy. Acidity forms the structure as much as tannin (which is fine and ripe), so the fruit feels very tangy and juicy. Brisk and intense, this is a wine of elegance and definition. A very refined example that shows the best elements of the vintage.

Chateau-palmer.com

Vine growth got off to an ideal start, until late frosts cast uncertainty over the vintage. Fortunately, the river protected us and excellent weather conditions followed. Among the vines, the character of each plot served as a guide. The result was keenly precise wines with bold, unashamed character.

With a significant lack of rainfall and a mild winter, the vines awoke early from their winter slumber. Starting in late March, the buds began opening amidst optimal growing conditions. Then, during the nights of April 27 and 28, the Bordeaux region was struck by a wave of frost. Thankfully, the river protected the majority of Château Palmer’s vineyards. Finally, late May brought fine weather which provided the perfect climate for flowering and the promise of an excellent harvest.

As summer began, it brought several rainy periods which prolonged the vegetative growth of the vines. The first phase of ripening took place on schedule in mid-August. The rains of September accelerated the maturation of the skins and harvest began early on September 20. By September 29, the harvest was complete. From the moment the vinification began, it became clear that the conditions of the vintage, coupled with our vineyard management methods that respected the terroir, would provide an exceptionally clear expression of each plot.

Today, the 2017 vintage at Château Palmer is precise, without excess. The wines exhibit the elegant balance of our most classic vintages. Their velvety tannins and aromatic depth are promises of splendid ageing potential.

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 13.2%
Closure: Natural Cork
Vintage: 2017
Oak: French oak barrels; approximately 60–65% new oak
Varietals: 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot
Vineyard: Château Palmer estate, Margaux; gravelly soils with clay subsoils
Harvest: 20–29 September 2017
Vinification: Parcel-by-parcel fermentation in separate vats, with gentle extraction and careful control of pump-overs
Ageing: Approximately 21 months in French oak barrels
Winemaker: Thomas Duroux
Region: Margaux, Bordeaux, France
Classification: 3ème Grand Cru Classé (Third Growth), 1855 Classification

Serving Temperature: 16–18°C
Decanting: Decant for approximately 1 hour before serving; allow additional aeration if the wine remains tight
Food Pairing: Roast beef, rack of lamb, venison, duck, beef tenderloin, game birds, mushroom dishes, truffle and mature hard cheeses