- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
1998 Chateau Palmer, Margaux, France
A Merlot signed jewel.
A great classic! There is little or no cloud over this millennium, in its own or in its figurative form. Apart from a few rains in September, the grapes benefited from a warm and dry weather, ideal for achieving optimal ripeness.
1998 is a great millennium of merlot. The wine is very fresh and aromatic with a nice complexity. The first months of the year take place in conditions similar to those observed in 1997, i.e. warm and sunny. The month of March experiences high temperatures. The vine also starts to grow from the 22nd. On the other hand, April is one of the most rainy months since the beginning of the century. The vegetation is thus somewhat slowed down. The first flowers appear only at the end of May. The flowering is rather fast and homogeneous. In July it is moderately hot and relatively dry. The verification also proceeds smoothly. August is exceptional, one of the hottest and driest recorded. This gives the harvest remarkable potential. The incredible fact of ripening in 1998 is the early cessation of the growth of the vine. It is due to the low rainfall in July and the hot and dry conditions in August. Thus, the unceasing rains of September only dilute sugar slightly, without affecting phenolic compounds and the quality of the grapes. Vinification is facilitated by a very rapid extraction. The wines from the three grapes combine the fruit with a large tannic structure, while preserving the elegance of our wines. The sublime merlots of the 1998 millennium explain the veil and the exceptional complexity of this sunny, profound and iconic Palmer style millenium.
BLEND
Merlot 52%
Cabernet sauvignon 43%
Little verdot 5%
Merlot 44%
Cabernet sauvignon 56%
HARVEST DATES
From the 24/9/1998
to the 9/10/1998