Winzer über:
Chateau Palmer 3eme Cru
-- Winzer: While good weather is useful, it isn’t always necessary. This vintage demonstrates just that, having withstood a truly deadly spring frost and a difficult harvest. In the end, after long days of sorting in the cellar, it revealed itself as a wine of great charm… 1991 got off to a cold start, but this snap was short-lived. Spring arrived very early on February 17 and, as a result, vine growth started on March 20. The vines developed very rapidly during the hot month of April. Then, on April 20, it suddenly snowed in patches. The next morning, under clear skies, a vast front of cold air wiped out between 20% and 80% of the young shoots. Until May 20, spring was cold and often rainy.The first flowers appeared on June 1. The weather was very varied, making flowering complicated. The first transformed berries arrived on August 1. The rest of the month was very hot and the ripening made great progress. September was dry enough at the start. Unfortunately, torrential downpours hit the vineyard on September 25 and 26. These disturbances compromised the optimal ripening of the remaining grapes. These difficult conditions led to an extremely rigorous selection to produce well-structured wines.With the severe frost in April, most estates lost their harvest. The ones that fared better than others were those with vines along the Gironde estuary, which provides a thermal buffer. This was the case at Palmer, with this beautiful wine that made a wonderful recovery.
