Tour and Tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Visit: Château Palmer, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

The visit consisted of a tour of Château Palmer, including the vineyards, and a tasting of 2 wines. Melodie Petit was our host. We also had a chance to look at the Picasso exhibition in the tasting room.

Château Palmer is named after a British officer, General General Palmer. It is the top estate of the Margaux appellation after Château Margaux. It is located in the center of the Margaux appellation, and its vineyards lie on a sparse gravel plateau. Château Palmer's relatively high Merlot content makes Palmer the closest in style of any leading Médoc properties to the great wines of Pomerol and St-Emilion.

Pictures: Arriving at Château Palmer

Wine has been produced at this estate since 1748. The château changed hands multiple times until it was acquired in 1938 by a syndicate of four very prominent Bordeux families - the Sichel, Ginestet, Miailhe and Mähler-Besse families - forming the Société Civile du Château Palmer in the process. Since then, the Ginestet and Miailhe families have pulled out. The heirs of the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families remain shareholders of the Société Civile du Château Palmer.

Château Palmer

Château Palmer is a Troisième Cru en 1855, situated in the communes Margaux and Cantenac. Once a part of Château d'Issan, 50 hectares of vineyards came to the Gascq family - an influential Bordeaux dynasty - in the late 1700s. These vineyards became Château de Gascq, which quickly established itself.

Pictures: In the Vineyard

In 1814, the widow of the final Gascq heir sold the property to General Charles Palmer, who had fought with Wellington against Napoleon. General Palmer gave it his own name and invested in the property over the following years, acquiring additional land and facilities. By 1831, Château Palmer had 82 hectares under vine, and had a reputation on a par with Château Margaux and Château Beychevelle. His political career and fortunes, however, began to falter and eventually Charles Palmer had no choice other than to sell off his assets, including Château Palmer. Charles Palmer died in London in 1851. Although his tenure of the estate was a relatively short one of just 29 years, he nevertheless left his mark; the property, vineyards and wine remain Château Palmer to this day.

From 1844 to 1853, Château Palmer was owned by the Caisse Hypothécaire de Paris. From 1853 to 1938, it was owned by the Péreire brothers Isaac and Emile Péreire, bankers and rivals of the Rothschilds. In 1938, a syndicate of the Sichel, Ginestet, Mialhe and Mähler-Besse families took control. Over the years, the Ginestet and Miailhe families have pulled out.

Pictures: New Barrels

Today, the vines of Château Palmer cover a surface of 52 hectares, mostly located in the Cantenac sector of Margaux, made up of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. The high share of Merlot makes Château Palmer Palmer unique in the Medoc.

Pictures: In the Cellar

The grapes are fermented in 52 temperature controlled, cone-shaped stainless steel vats that vary in terms of size. The Grand Vin is Château Palmer; it sees up to 21 months in oak of which 45% is new. Château Palmer also produces Alter Ego. Because the latter comes from different and has a different blend than the Grand Vin, Château Palmer does not consider Alter Ego as its second wine, but as a different, indeendet wine. The Alter Ego de Palmer sees up to 17 months in oak, of which between 25-40% is new.

The production of the Grand Vin Château Palmer is 11,000 cases and of Alter Ego de Palmer 8,000 cases.

Pictures: Tasting

Tasting

2011 Alter Ego de Château Palmer

“Wahoo!” Tempted just to leave it at that really. Since 2005 particularly, tasting at Palmer has been one of the highlights of the week for myself and the BB&R team. It’s not only the Grand Vin that has been honed into a magnificent Adonis, but this too is a beauty to behold in its own right. Some second wines are a pale image of their big brother. However, Alter Ego is no Fredo to Michael Corleone. It’s lush, approachable, joyful even playful in comparison but by no means insignificant. It’s something fun to play with until the Grand Vin is ready to reveal itself. A definite buy for my cellar this year. Simon Staples, Berrys’ Fine Wine Director

Wine-searcher average price: US$75

2007 Château Palmer

Great delicacy and great intricacy (...) The World of Fine Wine, Michel Bettane

This wine has fresh herbal and mint aromatics with a slight vegetal note in the finish. However, like the 2002, I think it will develop into an early drinking, medium bodied elegant style with wonderful floral, spicy aromatics given time. Good wine for early drinking compared to Palmer's other vintages. Tasted in: Bordeaux, France. Maturity: Drink. Jeannie Cho Lee.
Tasted: 01-Apr-2012

Wine-searcher average price: US$210

Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France (Posted and Forthcoming):

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux – A Short Introduction

How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Tour and Tasting from Barrel at Domaine de Chevalier, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Adrien Bernard - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Dinner with a View: At Restaurant L’Estacade in Bordeaux City - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City - An Update

Schiller’s Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France - An Update

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

Tour and Tasting at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Château Beauséjour, Appellation Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, with Owner/ Winemaker Gérard Dupuis - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Beauregard, Appellation Pomerol – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Tour with Dany Rolland: Château Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Wine-pairing Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Tasting were it all Started: At the "Garage" of Jean-Luc Thunevin, Owner and Winermaker of Château Valandraud, Premier Grand Cru Classé since 2012 - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Charcuterie and Fromage at Chez Pascal in Saint Emilion - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Wine-pairing Lunch at the 1-star Michelin Restaurant Claude Darroze, with Marie-Hélène Lévêque, Owner of Châteaux Chantegrive - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Visit: Château de Chantegrive, Appellation Grave, with Owner Marie-Hélène Lévêque - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Visit and Tasting: Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Lunch at the Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Restaurant La Grand’ Vigne (Chef: Nicolas Masse, 2 Stars Michelin) - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Visit of La Cité du Vin - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Lunch at Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France

What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France

Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Michel Tesseron

At the Invitation of Owner Michel Tesseron: Private Dinner at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château Sociando Mallet, Appellation Haut-Médoc

How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil

Lunch were the Locals eat: At Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe in Saint Estephe

Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Anne Cuvelier

Tour and Tasting at Château Margaux, Appellation Margaux, 1ière Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Nathalie Schyler

Picnic Lunch at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Nathalie Schyler

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Daina Paulin 

Franken Wines, Virginia Oysters and French-Mediterranian Food: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl from Winzerhof Stahl, Germany, and Chef Driss Zahidi at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia

Picture: Marlene RedDoor, Christian L. Stahl, Annette Schiller and Chef Driss Zahidi at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia

Owner and winemaker Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, was in the Washington DC area. Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, organized a winemaker dinner with him at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia. 50 people showed up for the dinner (US$110) and had a great time with the outstanding wines of Christian L. Stahl and outstanding food of Chef Driss.

Picture: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl at Evo Bistro in McLean, VA

Before the dinner, Annette and Christian Schiller, had invited to a reception with Christian L. Stahl had their private home. We had Rappahanock oysters from Virginia and Stahl wine. They paired very well.

Christian L. Stahl in the USA

With 3/5 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016, Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, belongs to the elite of winemakers in Germany. Winzerhof Stahl is in Franken. Like so many other colleagues from this region, Christian L. Stahl’s Franken wines are virtually unknown outside of Germany.

Within Germany, however, Christian has shown a very strong performance. When Christian Stahl took over the winery of his parents about 10 years ago, the vineyard area totaled 2 hectares. Within a decade, he has gone to 20 hectares. When Christian Stahl took over, the winery was not even mentioned in Germany’s wine guides, like the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland. Within a decade, he has gone from 0/5 to 3/5 grapes. Christian got the second grape in 2012 and the third grape in 2014.

See here:
New Generation – The 111 Best Young German Winemakers (A Listing by Stuart Pigott)
Best German Wines and Winemakers – Stuart Pigott’s Favorites (December 2014)
Best German Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2012

Christian decided to start exporting to the US last year. He focuses on the Washington DC, Chicago and New York markets. This was, I believe, his third visit to the area. See: Welcome to the USA: Christian L. Stahl from Winzerhof Stahl in Franken, Germany

Pictures: Christian L. and Simone Stahl at Cleveland Park Fine Wines and Liquor Store in Washington DC, with Importer Chris Bartha, General Manager Anthony Quinn and Christian Schiller.

When Christian came for the second time, he was the guest of honor at our annual Riesling Party: Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund

Pictures: Christian Stahl at Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia

I had met Christian some time ago in Germany at the top Restaurant SchauMahl in Frankfurt/Germany, were he came for a winemaker dinner.

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Annette Schiller with Christian Stahl in Frankfurt. See: The Bistronomics Cuisine of Chef Christoph Kubenz and the Wines of Winemaker Christian Stahl at Restaurant schauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany

Dry, Fresh, Crisp White Wines

All of the wines of Winzerhof Stahl are bone-dry. He does not produce any sweet-style (fruity-sweet or noble-sweet) wines. Many wine drinkers, in particular outside of Europe, when they see a German wine in the shelves, have the association of a sweet-style wine. This is however misguided. German wines as a rule are dry wines.

Steffen Christmann, the President of the VDP, the German elite wine maker association, estimates that 95% of German wine beyond a price point of Euro 15 is dry. Christian Witte, Domain Administrator of Schloss Johannisberg, says that 85% of the wines he exports to the US are sweet-style. This was 95% 10 years ago. Thus, with his bone-dry wines, Christian L. Stahl is in a niche in the American market, but in a rapidly expanding niche as the world discovers German dry wine.

Wine Classification

Christian Stahl belongs to the group of German winemakers, who go their own way in terms of classifying and naming their wines. Also, he does not sell his wines in the traditional Bocksbeutel bottle, as most of his colleagues do in Franken, but in regular bottles, as in the rest of Germany. Right from the beginning when he took over, he has been using screw caps only.

With regard to classifying his wines, Christian disregards the German (standard) classification of 1971 and markets all his wines as Qualitätswein b.A. But he is not in the group of winemakers, who have instead adopted the VDP approach to classify their wines. He has developed his own, innovative classification system, playing with his name Stahl (= steel).

Christian Stahl groups his wines into 3 categories:

Top: Edel STAHL (= precious steel)
Middle: DAMASZENER STAHL
Entry: feder STAHL

Winzerhof Stahl

Winzerhof Stahl is located in Auernhofen in the Franken wine area. Winemaking is only a recent activity in the Stahl family. Until the mid-1980s, Winzerhof Stahl did not exist. The Stahl family was doing farming and did not make any wine. Christian’s father then decided to acquire vineyards and to shift to winemaking. Today, the vineyard area totals 20 hectares. Winzerhof Stahl also includes a wine restaurant with 200 seats; the food there is at the highest level, as are the Winzerhof Stahl wines.

Christian L. Stahl

Born in 1978, Christian has been in charge of Winzerhof Stahl since 2005. He started his education at Weingut Stein in Würzburg (apprenticeship) in 1999, then spent some time with the biodynamic winemaker Jakob-Peter Kühn in the Rheingau and finished his studies with a Diploma at the Geisenheim University.

Picture: The Stahl Family (facebook)

Pre-dinner Reception

About half of the dinner guests were able to follow our invitation for an oyster tasting before the dinner at out home. I had ordered 100 oysters from Virginia and Christian brought 2 of his wines. Christian‘s fresh, crisp wines went very well with the oysters.

Pictures: Reception at Annette and Christian Schiller's Private Home with Christian L. Stahl, his Wines and Virginia Oysters

The Chesapeake Bay and Rappahannock River Oysters

The Chesapeake Bay – the largest estuary of the USA - used to be an area, where oysters would flourish. Virginia and Maryland combined to harvest 30 - in some years even 40 - million pounds oysters every year. But since the 1960s, oyster production in the Chesapeake Bay has collapsed to less than 1 percent of what it used to be. Efforts are underway to reverse this dire development.

Rappahannock River Oysters – run and owned by Travis Croxton, who I met recently at the Chesapeake Bay and cousin Ryon Croxton - is among those innovative growers, who use aquaculture to produce quality oysters. Currently, their output reaches 4 million oysters per year.

Pictures: Oysters and Stahl Wine

We tasted 3 kinds of oysters.

Rappahannock: Our Rappahannocks offer up a sweet, buttery, full-bodied taste with a refreshingly clean, crisp finish. It's the very same oyster we started growing in 1899.

Stingray: The quintessential Chesapeake Bay oyster: sweet and mildly briny with a clean, crisp finish. Named after the Bay oyster's chief predator, these Stingrays bite back!

Olde Salt: The truest taste of the ocean, our Olde Salt oyster brings together a bold sea-side brininess with a smooth, clean follow-through. Grown off the coast of Chincoteague (think Misty), our Olde Salt oyster is more than a classic, it’s a legend.

Dinner at Evo Bistro

EVO Bistro is both my down-the-road Wine Bar in McLean, Virginia, and my favorite Restaurant and Bistro in the Washington DC area. It combines an unpretentious French-Mediterranean atmosphere with top wines from around the world, both the old and the new world, and delicious French, Moroccan and Spanish tapas, prepared by Chef Driss Zahidi, who I know from the days of the tiny Corner Bistro on Old Dominion.

Picture: Evo Bistro in McLean, VA

Picture: Chef Driss Zahidi and Christian Schiller at Evo Bistro. See: Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia

Pictures: Sophie Schÿler of Château Kirwan, Annette Schiller of ombiasy PR and WineTours and Chef/ Owner Driss Zahidi of Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia, at Evo Bistro.

See also:
Riesling and Couscous at Chef Driss Zahidi’s Le Mediterranean Bistro in Fairfax, Virginia USA Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia A German Riesling Pairing Event at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia - A Royal Wine Visit from Princess Sabine Wagner, US Sophie Schÿler, Owner of Château Kirwan, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, for a Wine Pairing Luncheon at Evo Bistro in McLean, with the Wines of RdV and Clemens Busch, USA/ France/ Germany  

The Menu

Pictures: Marlene RedDoor, Christian L. Stahl, Annette Schiller and Chef Driss Zahidi at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia

Reception

Hors D'Oeuvres
Winzerhof Stahl feder Spark 2014

First Course

Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche Cheesecake and watercress
Winzerhof Stahl feder Drink Pink 2015 (Rose' Cuvee)

Second Course

Artichokes flan with crabmeat and peas coulis
Winzerhof Stahl DAMASZENER Silvaner 2015

Third Course

Moroccan spiced shrimp with confit leeks and cumin-beurre blanc
Winzerhof Stahl DAMASZENER Scheurebe 2015

Fourth Course

Loup de Mer served with risotto
Winzerhof Stahl DAMASZENER Hasennest Müller Thurgau 2015

Fifth Course

Baby calf veal chops, charred brussel sprouts - polenta, pepper sauce
Winzerhof Stahl Edel Best of Silvaner 2015

The Dinner Wines

Winzerhof Stahl feder Spark 2014

Not well known in the world, but Germany is the largest market for sparkling wine in the world. 1 out of 4 bottles of sparkling wine produced around the globe is consumed in Germany. The Germans love bubblies.

50% Scheurebe and 50% Riesling. Brut. A lightly sparkling wine, i.e. the carbon dioxide pressure is much less than in a regular sparkling wine. It is almost a still wine which is a bit fizzy. Delicious.

Winzerhof Stahl feder Drink Pink 2015

The 2015 'Drink Pink' is a lovely floral, bright, silky rose that is great for sipping! ..

Winzerhof Stahl DAMASZENER Silvaner 2015

Silvaner (primarily grown in Alsace and Germany) is the signature grape of Franken. In Alsace, it is one of the four grape varieties that can be used to produce Alsace Grand Cru wine, although only in one vineyard, Zotzenberg. Subtle in aroma and mild in acidity. Well done Christian.

Winzerhof Stahl DAMASZENER Scheurebe 2015

Scheurebe is an indigenous German grape variety, bred in 1916 by Professor Georg Scheu. Its intense bouquet is reminiscent of black currant, peach or ripe pear. Scheurebe wines go very well with aromatic, spicy foods from appetizer to dessert.

Soft, lovely fragrance, freshness, brightnes, great to sip, off-dry, nice.

Winzerhof Stahl DAMASZENER Hasennest Müller Thurgau 2015

Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety that was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling and Madeleine Royale. This Müller-Thurgau comes from the Hasennest (rabbit nest), one of Christian's best vineyards.

Winzerhof Stahl Edel Best of Silvaner 2015

Another Silvaner, but at higher qualitiy level (Edel). This is Christian's best Silvaner and he can be proud of it.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Heads up for the 2017 Tours - to Germany and France - by ombiasy WineTours

Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History

Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Riesling and Couscous at Chef Driss Zahidi’s Le Mediterranean Bistro in Fairfax, Virginia USA

Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia

A German Riesling Pairing Event at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia - A Royal Wine Visit from Princess Sabine Wagner, US

Sophie Schÿler, Owner of Château Kirwan, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, for a Wine Pairing Luncheon at Evo Bistro in McLean, with the Wines of RdV and Clemens Busch, USA/ France/ Germany

New Generation – The 111 Best Young German Winemakers (A Listing by Stuart Pigott)

Best German Wines and Winemakers – Stuart Pigott’s Favorites (December 2014)

Best German Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2012

Welcome to the USA: Christian L. Stahl from Winzerhof Stahl in Franken, Germany

Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund

The Bistronomics Cuisine of Chef Christoph Kubenz and the Wines of Winemaker Christian Stahl at Restaurant schauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany