Beginning in 1947 as an association of seven established winegrowers who owned Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in the areas of the Montagne de Reims, Champagne Palmer & Co is among the highest acclaimed vineyards and wines from France.
The now more than 200 hectare vineyard is made of 319 crus in total – 17 Grand Crus, and 43 Premier Crus – with 45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 15% Pinot Meunier grape varieties. Their portfolio includes award-winning champagnes like Brut Reserve (which has a wide aromatic palate of white fruits, subtle notes of honey, hazelnuts, dried currants and brioche, with a long, structured and harmonious finish) and Rosé Reserve (described as delicate and fruity, with intense aromas of wild strawberries, blackcurrants and red currants, and enjoyable tiny and fine bubbles) from the Reserve Collection (the heart of the Palmer style), and the Blanc du Blanc (made with Chardonnay sourced from Viller-Marmery and Trépail – two Premier Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims area – which has fine floral aromas of honeysuckle, delicate citrus fruit, white peach, and brioche, with a long and silky finish) from the Specialty Collection, which are regularly endorsed by Champagne experts.
It goes without saying there is a sincere respect for the grapes and wines at all stages of the winemaking process. Champagne Palmer & Co employs one cellar master and four oenologists (i.e. wine specialists) to oversee their three pressing centres and maze-like chalk cellars, where the wines and champagnes see a long maturation (four years for the Palmer Brut Reserve, six to eight years for the vintage cuvees, and up to 10 years or more for magnums and larger format bottles). Fun fact: they are one of the few Champagne Houses that still produces wine in enormous 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar bottles.