Chateau Palmer - Philippe Delfaut 

Harvest Chronicles at Château Palmer - Margaux

Château Palmer, September 8th, 2003
One thing is for sure, the vintage is early - over 2 weeks earlier than last year at Chateau Palmer. This is the result of a warm, dry spring, then a scorching hot summer we will not forget easily! The end result is a very low yield and the berries are small and thick-skinned. The way the grapes have ripened differs according to exposure and the orientation of the rows of vines with respect to the sun. These differences are more marked for the Merlot than for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and even more so in the soils with deep gravel than in areas with clay subsoil. The berries at Chateau Palmer which were protected from the sun's rays have fine, fruity and concentrated aromas, and those which were more exposed have more jammy flavours. We are therefore having to sort the grapes especially meticulously, sometimes with 2 collections from the plots.

Given the exceptional duration of the heat and sun, at Chateau Palmer we have to admit that we don't know how to expect the character of the wines to develop. The vinification at Chateau Palmer will have to take the particular qualities of the grapes into account and adapt the temperature, the pumping-over and the length of maceration for each plot. A rigorous task requiring great care awaits us in order to ensure that this absolutely exceptional vintage will be the best possible expression of our terroir.

Château Palmer September 10, 2003 - The Harvest Is Under Way!
On Monday we started picking the Merlots with our local team of 35 harvesters, beginning with the young vines which were the earliest to ripen. These vines are also the ones which suffered the most in the unprecedented heat we had in August. Some plots, at Chateau Palmer require two separate collections in order to isolate the best grapes from those which were burned by the sun. We have at our disposal a team from Sauternes, who are used to this kind of harvesting and who are training the other harvesters in this unusual work for the Medoc.

At Chateau Palmer we think we will have finished harvesting the Merlots by the end of the week but we haven't yet made any decision about the Cabernets. Before any fermentation, the juice has a nice colour, a ripe fruit flavour and a high sugar content as in previous years. Only the acidity is lower, although it isn't yet possible to predict the character of the wines. Very soon, that heady smell of fermentation will fill the vatroom again. We can hardly wait to tap into the vats in a few days for our first taste of the new Chateau Palmer vintage!

Château Palmer September 13, 2003 - The fermentation is in full swing...
We are now picking the best Merlots under a magnificent sun. There's a really good atmosphere at Chateau Palmer and the earlier aches and stiffness are now but a memory.

That wonderful smell of fermentation is finally coming from the Chateau Palmer vat-room, giving our visitors a unique sensation they'll never forget once they've experienced it. The smell fills every nook and cranny, reminding us that the fermentation is in full swing. One only has to look at the colour of the must to realise that it is transforming into wine. We can hardly wait to satisfy our curiosity and taste this new vintage! 

Château Palmer September 17, 2003 - "What a difference this year between the merlot and cabernet..."
Since yesterday, at Chateau Palmer we've been picking the cabernets which are now ripe, and the Petit Verdot. The weather is on our side, with the sun being more and more generous every day after a cool night, helping the harvesting and the sorting of the grapes. We are therefore taking our time and only harvesting 7 hours a day. The harvesters are starting at 9 o'clock, after the morning dew has burned off. The cabernet and Petit Verdot juices are extremely rich, with more freshness than the Merlot. There's no need for two collections in these plots because the harder, thicker skins were a better defence against the summer heat.

What a difference this year between the Merlot and cabernet, whereas in 2002 it was hard to tell the two varietals apart when tasting from the vats! Once again, Mother Nature and the climate will determine the major characteristics of the Chateau Palmer 2003 vintage. May we be able to work with them in order to bring out its best aspects!

Château Palmer September 20, 2003 - "The harvest is already over"
It's over already. Today at Chateau Palmer we are picking the last of the cabernets in the latest patches. Unusually, these outlying plots reached an exceptional maturity this year despite being so early in the dry weather, which is comforting given the effort we put into them every year. The principal attributes of the juices are much freshness in the taste, a strong colour and tannins with no crudeness. They are reminiscent of our best plots this year.

This is a good thing for the Chateau Palmer  blending to come. Like last year, the harvest conditions were beneficial to the full maturation of the wines, especially for the cabernet.

This year is the second earliest year at Chateau Palmer in the past 50 years (the harvest started on Sept. 6th in 1989) and above all the hottest.

Time will tell if "early" means "successful".

Philippe Delfaut - Chateau Palmer

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