Thomas Duroux of Ch Palmer in Margaux was in London earlier this week, and was a little more realistic than the official Right bank report published yesterday, describing his third vintage at Ch Palmer as extremely difficult. The alternating heat and rain in September made rot an all-too-real threat, although the grape skins were relatively thick and rot-resistant thanks to the dry growing season. “Harvest timing was critical,” he said. “We had to pick the minute the grapes were ripe to avoid the risk of further rot. The winemaking itself wasn’t especially challenging but the sorting was.
“We fermented...