Chateau Palmer 2006

2006 was a generally hot and dry year, marked by brutal fluctuations in the weather. Budbreak was in late March. Flowering took place as usual at the end of May and the first ten days of June with nice, cool weather: a homogeneous flowering with no noticeable signs of coulure. Heat wave temperatures (35°C / 95°F) were common during the second half of June and the month of July. This hot and dry weather was luckily peppered with short thunderstorms. In these conditions, veraison was early, and was practically finished by the end of the month of July. August was marked by a sudden reversal of the situation. The cool and rainy weather considerably slowed the ripening process, presenting an important risk of mildew that required constant vigilance. The end of August and the first ten days of September saw a return of the heat wave, with temperatures reaching 35°C / 95°F, thus accelerating the previously sluggish ripening process, while making the grape skins more fragile. The rainy period that followed, luckily accompanied by cool temperatures, demanded our utmost attention in order to harvest each parcel at the right moment. Despite the inconsistencies, the weather conditions were actually favorable for the quality of grapes grown on great terroir. June and July allowed the grapes to stock a potential for quality that was revealed as they ripened in September. The rich and powerful tannins don’t overshadow the elegance of our wines, nor their delicate aspect and depth.

Critical Acclaim

94 Wine Advocate

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Palmer was wonderful out of barrel ten years ago and now in bottle, it fulfills its promise with a stunning, precise bouquet of maraschino, iodine, cassis and tobacco scents that seem a few years younger than its Margaux peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin that cloak its sweet core of cassis and blackcurrant fruit. However, what is so striking is the fineness of the tannin and just how well that oak is subsumed into the fabric of the wine. This is a long-term proposition: a great Margaux from Thomas Duroux. 

94 Wine Enthusiast

A big, brooding wine, the fruit ripe and dense. Richness surrounds structure, giving a sumptuous layer to the dusty tannins. Flavors of currants, spice and juicy berries flow through the wine, giving power and suavity. The freshness of 2006 shows on the finish of this important wine. 

93 Wine Spectator

Coffee, plum and spices on the nose follow through to a full body, with lovely fruit and a soft, silky-textured finish. Very balanced and beautiful, with lots of violet, new wood and richness. Long. Needs time.

92 Jeb Dunnuck

The 2006 Palmer is outstanding, with terrific complexity in its black cherry, cedar wood, spice, forest floor and truffle aromas and flavors. Made from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, it has medium to full-bodied richness, an elegant, seamless texture, and still present tannins that emerge on the finish, all boding well for another 15+ years of prime drinking.

92 Vinous

Deep red-ruby. Aromas of blackberry, licorice, minerals, flowers and peat, with some chocolatey oak emerging with air. Juicy and silky on the palate, with lovely clarity and inner-mouth perfume to its flavors of black fruits, minerals and iris. Finishes long and firmly structured, with intriguing soil tones and lovely floral lift. Classic medium-bodied claret.