---

FOUR SEASONS IN THE VINEYARD

Great wine starts out in the vineyard. Whatever a given year's weather conditions, understanding the vines and their interaction with the weather determines the quality of the fruit we harvest, and consequently the quality of the wine.

SPRING

Château Palmer's vines are relatively early-ripening. The first buds appear in the second half of March: bud break marks the arrival of Spring and the start of the vine's growth cycle. This is not really the start of the new vintage since we already prepared each individual vine during pruning in winter, choosing which canes and buds to retain.

Our female vineyard workers break up the small mound of soil earthed-up around the trunk of the vine in Autumn after ploughing.

The young grapes start to form in April and become visible to the naked eye. They remain fragile until mid-May. This is a crucial time in the vineyard, requiring all our attention. We have practised integrated farming for more than 10 years. This means we use chemical sprays sparingly and only when necessary. This method, which we improve year after year, fights effectively against vine diseases and pests, while respecting the environment and conserving the extraordinary potential of our soil.

Manual suckering also takes place during this period. This entails removing the young shoots that bear little or no fruit because they compete with those selected by the vineyard workers during winter pruning.

At the end of May, we begin to keep a close eye on the linden blossoms at Château Palmer. Their appearance regularly precedes the first flowering of Merlot vines in the Croix de Fer plot. You can be sure we keep a close eye on the weather at this critical time! Vine flowers are very sensitive to weather conditions. We speak of coulure if the flowers are aborted, or millerandage if they are not pollinated due to poor weather. Both obviously have a negative effect on the potential volume of the future crop.

After flowering, our vineyard workers tie up the vines, attaching them by hand to iron wires to keep the canes straight and distribute the leaves and grape bunches evenly. Soon thereafter, the vines are trimmed on the top and sides. Only the necessary leaf canopy for perfect ripening is left.

SUMMER

The grapes become fully-grown In July, forming bunches in which the berries touch one other. Depending on the year, we may need to implement green harvesting, removing selected bunches in order to balance the yield from each vine. In theory, we are not in favour of this, and believe it can be avoided if pruning is done well. In fact, we normally practise green harvesting very little or not at all, except for Petit Verdot, which needs regular thinning to attain perfect ripeness. However, we do remove bunches in years when the vines are set to produce a great deal of fruit - 2004 is a prime example, which we will long remember!

Véraison (colour change) in August is another key period for the quality of the future vintage. The grapes turn red by acquiring pigments. This is the start of the ripening stage during which the berries build up phenolic compounds, tannins, and anthocyanins right up until the harvest. The Médoc peninsula benefits from an oceanic climate with alternating hot days and cool nights. This creates completely unique conditions for the slow ripening of outstanding wine grapes. The downside is that the vines sometimes suffer from storms that blow in off the Atlantic. However, our deep gravel soil provides good drainage, and rainfall does not disrupt the slow concentration of phenolic compounds. In addition, the fact that the soil is ploughed all year round means that the roots close to the surface are cut, protecting the vine from the possible accumulation of surface water.

In a normal year, optimum maturity is attained from late September for the earliest-maturing varieties and plots. A good degree of ripeness, of course, determines when the harvest will begin.

We carry out ripeness tests, plot by plot, every week from early September, and then more often as the grapes approach optimum maturity. We analyse sugar and acidity, as well as the amount and quality of phenolic compounds in the skins. We also feel it is important to taste the grapes. This gives us valuable indications as to the quality and character of the fruit, and the nature of the tannins in the skins and seeds. This information is very useful in helping to make decisions regarding fermentation. We believe that winemakers should express the personality of the grapes, and reflect both the terroir and the vintage. They should not attempt to denature the work that has been done in the vineyard. We make sure to observe the grapes very closely throughout the month of September.

AUTUMN

The start of Autumn often coincides with the maturity of Merlot grapes in our earliest-ripening plots. Harvesting can now begin - an eagerly-awaited time at the Château! The vintage is the culmination of a whole year's meticulous work in the vineyard. The purpose of this care and attention is to harvest ripe, healthy grapes to make Château Palmer's grand vin.

The château welcomes a team of about 120 pickers, who are provided with food and accommodation for 2-3 weeks. After explaining to them what we expect, the team is divided into small groups supervised by the château staff.

The harvest begins with Merlot, which generally ripens 8-10 days before Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are entirely hand-picked. Only the ripest, healthiest fruit is retained. The order in which vineyard plots are picked is updated daily depending on ripeness that is carefully monitored by the château staff. The grapes are tasted at least once a day before deciding when to pick.

Careful sorting, starting with picking, is essential for quality. The grapes are put into small, 8 Kg crates to avoid bruising. They arrive in perfect condition in the vat room, where they are once again sorted on a special table before being put into vat. It is then the responsibility of the winemaking team to make sure that the grapes express the same character as when they were harvested.

After the vintage, the vines gradually change colour, going from gold to a flamboyant red colour before losing their leaves and entering the dormant stage. Autumn ends with earthing up. This consists of ploughing between the vine rows to create a mound of earth around the vine trunks, protecting them from winter cold.

WINTER

Pruning takes place in Winter, when the vines are in their dormant stage. This operation helps regenerate the vine by limiting growth, while selecting buds that will bear next year's crop. This work is primarily done by men, and lasts all Winter. The women vineyard workers burn the small vine cuttings, tie up the rest, and make sure the vines are well-attached to their stakes with wicker, called "vime" in the Médoc.