With Historical, Château Palmer takes on an air of mystery
Do you enjoy tasting rare and surprising wines? Château Palmer will take you on a journey back in time with Historical XIXe Century Wine. Produced in small quantities and only when the year permits, this wine is distributed by a limited number of wine merchants.
Historical, inspired by the 19th century
With Historical, the mystery begins with the bottle. No château, no appellation, a vintage with no other indication but an enigmatic name: Historical XIXe Century Wine. At this point, the taster has little to go by. On the palate, the bewildering sensation is heightened. Although Historical is mainly the product of the legendary terroir of Château Palmer, a finishing touch is brought by Syrah from the northern Côtes-Du-Rhône,offering a unique blend rooted in the history of Médoc wines.
“It was very common in the 19th and early 20th centuries to finish great Médoc wines with a few drops of Syrah from Hermitage. This practice allowed winemakers to develop the expression of the wines a little further while preserving their identity”.
Thomas Duroux, Managing Director, Château Palmer
It was while tasting an 1869 Château Palmer that Thomas Duroux had the crazy idea. What if this tradition of “Hermitageised” wines was revived? It was thus that Historical was born, with a sensitive and experimental approach.
“For Château Palmer, we try to reinterpret the terroir each year according to the characteristics of the year and in the context of a line of vintages that are related but not alike. For Historical, when we make it, it is more defined by the moods of the team. We look for a collective source of inspiration to interpret a given moment”.
Thomas Duroux.
Historical, a tailor-made distribution circuit
To distribute this particularly unique wine all over the world, Château Palmer chose to work with a select number of trading houses, each known for their sensitivity to the products. Twins is one of the partner houses.
“As the production is small and not guaranteed every year, we have built a very fragmented and selective distribution network, which allows us to adapt. We look for collectors, the best distributors and, of course, sophisticated and curious clients with high purchasing power. The aim is to sell the project, style and Palmer signature. At Twins, we also like having a laugh. Without doubt a mysterious bottle will appear at a dinner or blind tasting to introduce a few more people to this wine”.
Helen Boulac, Export Manager, Twins
Historical is a wine made for enthusiasts who are looking for something that is not easy to find. A wine for those who like to stimulate their palate as much as their imagination. When is the best time to enjoy a bottle ofHistorical? “When you’re least expecting it!” says Thomas Duroux with a laugh.
Watch a video of Thomas Duroux and Hélène Boulac in conversation.
