Château Palmer

Château Palmer, situated in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux traces its origins to the early 19th century. In 1814 British Major General Charles Palmer acquired the estate, then known as Château de Gascq. Over the next two decades Palmer expanded the property to 163 hectares, enhancing its reputation in both French and British markets. However, financial difficulties led to the sale of the estate in 1843. A decade later, in 1853, prominent French financiers the Pereire brothers purchased Château Palmer. They invested in modernising the estate, commissioning architect Charles Burguet to construct the château's distinctive building between 1857 and 1860. Despite challenges such as the phylloxera epidemic and economic downturns, the estate maintained its status, earning a Third Growth classification in the 1855 Bordeaux Wine Official Classification.

In 1938 a consortium of Bordeaux wine merchant families—Ginestet, Miailhe, Mähler-Besse, and Sichel—acquired Château Palmer. Over time, the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families became the primary shareholders. Under their stewardship, the estate focused on quality and innovation. In 1998 Château Palmer introduced a second label, Alter Ego de Palmer, crafted from the same terroirs but employing different winemaking techniques to produce a wine intended for earlier consumption. This approach allowed for greater flexibility in expressing the estate's diverse vineyard plots.

Since 2004, Thomas Duroux has managed Château Palmer, bringing experience from his tenure at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia in Tuscany. Under his leadership the estate has embraced biodynamic viticulture, achieving certification in 2018. Significant investments have been made to modernise the winery, including the installation of temperature-controlled, conical-shaped stainless steel vats for parcel-by-parcel vinification. These advancements have reinforced Château Palmer's reputation for producing wines that reflect the unique characteristics of its terroir, solidifying its position as a leading producer in the Margaux appellation.