While January initially heralded a cold winter, February promised kinder temperatures and nourishing rains. The return to dry weather fostered consistent budding across the vines. Having been efficiently contained by the teams, the spring frosts – black from April 6 to 8; white in mid-April and early May – slowed growth. Flowering eventually began on May 28, two weeks later than in 2020, in a warm, dry climate. The fruit set accelerated, and a handful of our most earliest ripening Merlots were affected by coulure.

Rainfall was followed by a sharp rise in temperatures in June, leading to explosive vegetative growth. Shortly after a torrential storm on June 19, the arrival of mildew required meticulous monitoring until the end of the ripening period. A half-hearted summer until August 15 exacerbated vine growth, sparking fears of low numbers of grapes. In late August and early September, four weeks of dry weather thankfully dispelled a lot of the water and the ripening process resumed as normal, just in time for the harvest.

Threatened by botrytis, the Merlot harvest started on September 24 while the Cabernets finished on October 15. Despite more modest yields than expected, the harvest was healthy with ripe grapes, and the tasting revealed a remarkably fine tannic texture. The assemblages were finalised in early December, reflecting an ever-clearer perspective of the Château Palmer plots. This 2021 batch offers exceptionally fulfilled wines, rooted in moderation and harmony, harking back to the vintages of the previous century.

Château Palmer extends an invitation to all great wine lovers for 2011’s market re-entry, this Thursday September 23rd. After ten years of silent evolution in the property’s cellars, Château Palmer 2011 is ready to arise from its reserve: a rare, singular and powerful vintage, most surely magnified over time.

A rare vintage

Half a century after the legendary 1961 vintage, Château Palmer 2011 distinguishes itself with its very low yields: twenty hectolitres per hectare, a historic low in its time. Blame goes to a hostile month of June, inflicting on the vineyard, both hail and heatwaves, one after another. The result? A concentration as beautiful as it is unexpected, full of great potential right from the start.

A unique vintage

Truly atypical for the left bank, Château Palmer 2011 breaks free from the vintage’s solar and precocious branding to entrench itself in its terroir, matching frank acidity with extremely precise tannins. Forty years after the misunderstood 1971, an unexpected miracle of grace and balance, it has joined the shortlist of unique wines that arise from the ordinary despite complicated conditions.

A powerful vintage

An aesthetic and powerful wine, perfect for keeping, Château Palmer 2011 is currently emerging from its reserve phase, ready to reveal its prime characteristics. Its distinctive velvetiness, draped in a fleshy and generous structure, deploys notes of fresh spices and precious wood that resonate with force. From the height of this first ten year peak, this promising 2011 has not finished its evolution ...

"An atypical great wine on the Bordeaux scale, Château Palmer 2011 breaks free from the vintage’s brand to entrench itself in its terroir. Undeniably, a prominent wine in the Palmer’s history... "

Thomas Duroux, Director of Château Palmer

Since 2010, Château Palmer has preciously kept a large part of its production in the property’s historic cellar. If the Primeurs week, which traditionally takes place in Bordeaux in the spring, remains the perfect opportunity to present young, delicate wines waiting to be kept, Palmer thus inaugurates in 2020 a new concept: the second and last market re-entry, after ten years of meticulous vigilance at the château, a vintage ready to be tasted.