Chateau Palmer   Palmer

2002 Palmer

By Chateau Palmer

2002 Palmer from Château Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux, France

Amidst the broader narrative of Bordeaux's vintage vicissitudes, the 2002 Palmer from Château Palmer carries its own distinctive tale. It bespeaks a year marked by metronomic weather patterns, where spring frosts gave way to a harmonious growing season. Margaux terroirs, renowned for their finesse, cradled these vines through the caprices of clime; thus was born a vintage with its own whispered strength.

 

Elegance in the Eye of Adversity

The 2002 offering from this storied estate doesn't clamour for attention but rather invites contemplation. With precision and graceful aging potential, the wine exhibits an amalgamation of nuance—plum and cassis notes interlace with subtle tracery of tobacco and violets, guided by polished tannins and a focus that perhaps only Château Palmer’s alchemist could conjure amidst the year's climatic tensions. Intriguingly, it remains one of the vintages where agility and structure dance a quiet ballet in the glass.

 

Investment Worthy Sophistication

For enthusiasts and investors alike, there exists a gravitation towards wines that not only enchant the palate but do so with longevity. The 2002 Palmer represents an astute addition to any fine wine portfolio. It assures both pleasure and provident maturation—traits that savvy collectors discern through the foil of time’s passing.

The essence of the 2002 Margaux vintage is epitomised in this offering—one where understated elegance prevails over ostentation. As a subtle art piece from a gallery year in Bordeaux, it not only enhances one's cellar but also endows it with an illustrious residency from an era of restrained opulence.

In conclusion, the 2002 Palmer from Château Palmer stands as an erudite exemplar amongst its peers; its investment appeal lies inherently within its poised expression of what was rendered by Margaux’s gentle terrain in a year that asked for resilience and rewarded with refinement.

Current market price

$3,680.00

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

157.14

Scores and tasting notes

94

A successful wine for the vintage, this blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot boasts complex notes of menthol, black currants, plums, licorice, and a hint of cappuccino in its stunning aromatics. Dense, medium to full-bodied, with high levels of tannin in a big, full-bodied style (much in the spirit of such classic Bordeaux vintages as 1966, 1986, and 1996), this wine possesses superb purity and serious length, but should be purchased only by those with considerable patience and a good, cold cellar, since it will need plenty of time. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 28 April 2005

90

Tasted at Handford’s 21st Anniversary tasting in Holland Park. The 2002 Palmer is maturing nicely, the new oak better integrated with further bottle age with ripe blackberry, sandalwood, sous-bois and graphite. Very natural and refined. The palate is tannic and taut on the entry, still with that crisp thread of acidity but I am still finding just a touch of hardness on the finish that needs more persistency. Give this another couple of years. Tasted October 2010.

Neal Martin - Wine Journal Sep 2011

Vintage performance