It's long been the trick of the trade of the Champagne world that beyond the vintages and millesimes, that what really has the ability to imbue a cuvee with depth and maturity, completing the fresh and vibrant flavours with that of deeper and more concentrated tones of complexity, is that secret sauce called the perpetual reserve.

The perpetual reserve (sometimes called "solera", to lend a term more commonly associated with Sherry-making) is a sort of master stock if you will - a portion is drawn from it for use in a cuvee, and then more is topped back up, always keeping some part of it rolled over to the next year. It's a chain of vintages that allow for harmonious blending between well-aged wines and fresher newly vinified ones. Yet, it has to be used quite sparingly because it's easily drained through, and takes years of continuous commitment and effort to replenish - and so even in the most recognisable houses, use of the perpetual reserve (or sometimes referred to as "reserve wines") is kept to a minimum. Vintages can come and go, with the fruit harvested in one year, going out the cellar in a set of cuvee bottlings wholly and completely as one parcel, but the perpetual reserve remains as a heirloom.

Champagne Palmer willingness to have its wines sit for longer in the cellars is perhaps the most underrated secret sauce.

And so what caught my attention with Champagne Palmer that really made me look forward to tasting their flagship range of cuvees was the fact that they regularly employ the use of anywhere between 30-40% of reserve wines as a component for their cuvees. For reference, most houses cap it off at about 10%. And so in these Champagne Palmer expressions isn't just wines from the latest vintage - it's not even wines from the previous vintage - it is in fact wines from a chain of vintages going back some 30 years! And this is on top of the house's practice of minimally ageing its Champagnes for 3-4 years on the lees, well beyond the standard 12 months.

For at least that one reason (along with its modest price tag), Champagne Palmer has quietly won over critics and have become something of an insider's Champagne, with its Solera Rose and Grands Terroirs cuvees taking home some of the best scores in the Champagne world. No pomp nor circumstance, just allowing the cuvee to do the talking, is how Champagne Palmer seems to want to do business. They've thus taken to dispensing with the flashy billboards and big budget marketing, and instead prefer to infiltrate Michelin star restaurants one glass at a time.

So who is Champagne Palmer?

Originally founded by a cooperative of 7 winegrowers as the Société des Grands Crus de la Champagne in the aftermath of WWII in 1947, the goal was for these families who all shared a common ground in owning Grand Cru parcels, to put up a united front that would lay the groundwork in establishing a globally known Champagne house of assured quality. With the hopes of being easily recognised and memorable, they chose the name "Champagne Palmer", which they believed was easy for anyone to pronounce - and some say was a matter of inspiration taken from a popular biscuit brand at the time called "Huntley & Palmer". And although there exists also a particularly iconic Palmer in Bordeaux, it is said that it was a case of Champagne Palmer that was sent to said Bordeaux chateaux, that was so thoroughly enjoyed, that both Palmer's happily co-exist today - one producing sparkling wines, and the other still.

Over the next decades, the cooperative as with all things in the world, would evolve, with the original Avize winery no longer sufficient to support Champagne Palmer's growth, ultimately leading to their move to Reims. Yet, it is predominantly in the Pinot Noir loving Montagne de Reims that the cooperative finds most of its vineyards, assembled across the members of its cooperative. And it is to that end that their cooperative too has grown. What was once just 7 winegrowing families is now over 300 members (in Champagne most growers sit on just 2 hectare parcels of land that they inherit, insufficient to produce enough wine to support their own brand, and thus working with cooperatives or negociants are the famed region's bread and butter). Now of course it's impossible for all 300 members to bring to the table Grand Cru parcels, and thus whilst the waiting list remains long (longer than ever in fact!) to join the cooperative, the standards remain high even as the threshold has widened to allow for Premier Cru sites (new members must be recommended by existing members to ensure accountability and ownership).

What started as a meeting of 7 winegrowing families has become one of the greatest cooperatives in Champagne, with uniquely a Chardonnay footprint in Pinot Noir loving Montagne de Reims.

Now before any protest is made, it should be pointed out that Champagne Palmer with its over 400 hectares of land, is one of the largest landowners of Montagne de Reims.  But more specifically, as Palmer has a huge emphasis on Chardonnay (about 50% of Palmer's vines), much of their Chardonnay vineyards actually sits between Verzy-Verzenay and Bouzy-Ambonnay, two prominent Pinot Noir areas, making their vine holdings a rarity in Pinot Noir dominant Montagne de Reims. And it is thus this Chardonnay that is the first flash of lightning that lends to Palmer what makes it so special. The Chardonnay of Montagne de Reims differs significantly from that of elsewhere in Champagne - it's deeply mineral yet said to be less chalky, with more body and structure to its fruit without weightiness; it is creamy yet less citrus and white floral forward. This is the making of the unique Palmer style, and is what has entrenched Palmer as one of the most important cooperatives in Champagne.

And thus combined with its vines in Cote de Sezanne, Cote des Bars and Vallee de la Marne, Palmer is able to source fruit from over 40 villages, and employs rigorous selection, with much of its fruit ultimately marked out to be sold to other producers if they do not meet the requirements of Palmer (where sugar levels must stay within 10-11% ABV). With a split of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, Palmer thus maintains three different perpetual reserve (or solera) systems - the first for 100% Chardonnay, the second for a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with the third for 100% Pinot Noir. Unlike other Champagne houses, beyond the extensive lees ageing, Palmer also takes on 100% malolactic fermentation, whereas partial conversion is much more common. Ageing takes place in both barrels (where lees ageing takes place over a significantly extended period of several years, thereby adding richness and complexity) and stainless steel tanks, with the perpetual reserves kept in the latter to preserve freshness - a feat considering that the program has run for more than 30 years! This is ultimately where Palmer pulls ahead in often delivering a Champagne that is far more mature than its label would indicate! It's worth noting that even the liqueur used for dosage is made with wines drawn from the solera!

Palmer keeps to time honoured tradition even as it moves forward. Pictured: Back vintage bottles stored sur pointe (neck pointed downwards) in Palmer's chalk cellars.

And so delving into Palmer's range, Non-Vintage (NV) cuvees are aged for 4 years on average, with Vintage cuvees aged for 6-8 years on average, and magnums are aged for 10 years or more.

Interestingly, Palmer is one of the few Champagne houses that continues to produce in the behemoth 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar format - and even more incredibly, applies secondary fermentation in the bottle itself (instead of initiating it in regular sized bottles and then transferring it to the large format), making it one of the last remaining Champagne houses to lay claim to having secondary fermentation done in the bottle the wine is sold in across every format! Given Palmer's penchant for time (which they call the most important ingredient), it is thus unsurprising that the house also carries some extensive back vintages, going all the way back to 1976 - all of which are stored sur pointe.

With all that said, let's go on ahead and try some Champagnes from across Palmer's range!

PS. Shout out to Convivial Champagne Bar in Singapore for hosting this masterclass on Champagne Palmer - it's probably the only Champagne focused bar in Asia to have a spot on the Star Wine List! And thank you to Armand Briffoteau for taking us through the range - Champagne Palmer will be available in Singapore via Teck Huat and Marcos Cellars!

Wine Review: Champagne Palmer La Reserve Brut NV

The flagship of Palmer, this is blend of 50-55% Chardonnay, 30-35% Pinot Noir and 20-25% Meunier, with 30-35% of the cuvee composed of reserve wines. In the standard format bottle, it's 3-4 years ageing on lees with 5-6 years for the magnum format. Dosage sits at 6-7g/l.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: It opens rich and fragrant with great aromatic intensity of white florals, an assortment of dried fruits of yellow raisins, dried apricots, gooseberries and some candied ginger. There's still a top layer of those fresh gooseberries that's weaved in with toasty brioche, with also some doughiness. Wafts of chalky minerality also comes through in what feels entirely rich and with a rustic purity.

Taste: Really luscious here, medium-bodied, rich, the body is silky and velvety, and also rather buttery. It's giving gooseberries backed up by a bramble character, all delivered with solid freshness and concentration. It's still alittle doughy, yet has developed a sort of maturity that comes through as a candied quality of almost streaks of maltose. It's supple and well-saturated, with a really firm richness.

Finish: The richness carries through, here joined by some savouriness as well as more of that bramble quality of a mix of red and black berries. It maintains its freshness with a lift that keeps it rich yet without heaviness. That doughiness and flour persists, leading to a clean, crisp and firm finish.

My Thoughts

This was incredibly impressive! It delivers something that's rather unusual, this well developed maturity that comes through as a sort of candied maltose that lines the body, along with a depth that comes via the dried fruits. This all backs up the top layer of fresh fruits of gooseberries and bramble, all of which is wrapped up in a firm body and bouquet of rustic purity. It feels raw and uncut with an understated power at its core, yet feels intentional and structured, and in so doing gets to an impressive complexity - it's a remarkably complete Champagne that is not just satisfying to drink, but has much to be appreciated. Utterly impressive! 

Wine Review: Champagne Palmer Rose Solera Brut NV

This is 45-50% Chardonnay, 35-40% Pinot Noir and 15-20% Meunier, composed of 30-35% reserve wines, of which 7-8% comes from the red wine solera. Ageing on the lees is 2-3 years for the standard format, and 3-4 years for the magnum. Dosage sits at 6-7g/l. What's particularly interesting about Palmer's Rose Solera is also its dominant use of Chardonnay, as opposed to the traditional recipe of focusing more so on Pinot Noir - ultimately it speaks to Palmer's forte, making this quite the distinguished expression once again unique and more so, unique to Palmer!

Tasting Notes

Colour: Salmon

Aroma: Really fresh, with a mix of juicy orchard strawberries and lightly green and tart wild strawberries. It delivers again that rustic purity, with a core of concentrated bramble. It's buttery and fresh, with also that doughiness bolstering its richness.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's fresh with a lifted quality, yet really firm. It's giving lots of bramble, of strawberries and raspberries, these red fruits are expressive and forward, coming through right to the fore. The body is luscious and velvety, keeping that freshness and saturation.

Finish: The red fruits and light flour-y doughiness carries through the finish, developing to a seamless and rich, clean finish. The bramble remains concentrated and persistent, as is the buttery richness.

My Thoughts

This was incredibly fruit forward. I just checked Palmer's site and it simply descibres the expression as "Exceptionally Fruity" - indeed! The fruity tones are really well executed - polished, fresh and balanced between juiciness and tartness, saturating the body perfectly. It's like a perfectly fitted top, it's precise and with great definition, yet still very much fun with a little bit of a wild side to it. Again anchoring it at the core is that well-developed and matured reserve wine that clearly shows. It's firm and concentrated, almost like a red fruit preserve that sits at the center, emanating outward with all that signature rustic purity and freshness. The body is nevertheless where I find myself most impressed - it's firm and luscious, fruit forward yet balanced without being thin, high toned or going over the top. It's deliberate and shows greap composure. Beautifully lifted without heaviness, whilst rich and fruit-forward, it definitely is a big step up to your standard Rose, with that much more maturity and depth to its core. 

Wine Review: Champagne Palmer Blanc de Blancs Brut

As a Chardonnay expert, of course Palmer has a Blanc de Blancs! This is 100% Chardonnay, and as a vintage cuvee (2018) this is aged for 5 years on the lees for the standard format and a whopping 8 years on the lees for the magnum. Dosage is 6-7 g/l. And so what Palmer seems to shy away from is making it abundantly obvious just how well aged this is by the time it's released just recently in 2025! 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Gold

Aroma: Quite rustic, it opens with straw, yellow raisins and gooseberries, with drizzles of honey. There's some doughiness as well, with now some exotic cardamom spices beginning to show up. It keeps its freshness and firmness, with again that well developed maturity and depth, contrasted along with the buttery richness and rustic purity.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's richer to the point of being almost syrupy, and yet no heaviness comes with that roundedness. It's delicately lifted, yet wholly rich and rounded with a creamy suppleness. It's buttery still, filled in with green orchard fruits of pears and apples, eventually taking a more savoury direction, with that of apple cores. It's orchard fruit forward with that savouriness, yet at the same time clean, supple and lifted.

Finish: That savouriness carries through, and with it the acidity - although it remains firm and rounded without being overly pronounced. Apple cores lead the way to a seamless and savoury, clean finish.

My Thoughts

This was quite instructive (and very delicious!), showcasing in full force the character of Palmer's Chardonnay. Almost like a Riesling, except more lifted, yet with equal concentration, this was dominated by orchard fruits and delivered much savouriness, well integrated and firm, giving it this almost slight crunchiness to it, here softened by the pronounced creaminess. On the nose, it again showcased that maturity with dried fruit and even more beautifully what exotic cardamom spice that only begins to show with age and concentration. A beautiful expression that's subtly really complex, balanced between fresh and oxidative characters, and incredibly satisfying with its alluring multi-dimensional character and lovely added heft and richness which brought with it no added weightiness. It has such a great presence and presents such a complete expression that's of great stature.

Wine Review: Champagne Palmer Grand Terroirs Brut

And finally we have the 2015 vintage of the famed Palmer Grand Terroirs Brut. This is 50% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir and 12% Meunier, drawing upon the Mailly and Verzenay Grand Cru and the Trepail, Villers-Marmery, Ludes, Chigny-les-Roses and Rilly-la-Montagne Premier Cru plots. This carries at 7g/l dosage and was bottled 16th June 2016, and disgorged in late 2021.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Gold

Aroma: Deep and concentrated aromas of yellow raisins and apple cores, wrapped around by a chewy and flour-y doughiness. There's a cellar mustiness that extends its depth, and yet it remains fresh and evocative with more on honey, maltose candy and exotic clove spices. 

Taste: Wow! It's candied and luscious, and yet maintains that lifted quality of its medium body. It's clean and bright, no heaviness, and filled in with baskets of fresh apples and more savoury apple cores, glossed over with honey and delivered in a creamy and rich body. It is totally velvety and candied which serves as a contrast to the apple core savouriness. More on maltose candy that fills in the body - firm yet concentrated. Precise, vibrant and wispy.

Finish: That apple core savouriness and powdery and rustic doughiness carries through the finish, rich and pure, leading into a seamless finish, with apple cores continuing to linger as aromatics.

My Thoughts

This was completely bewildering! It leans more towards these oxidative notes of apple core savouriness, and surfaces with it those exotic clove spices and the dried fruit character, and yet maintains its freshness perfectly. It's complex and concentrated, yet rustic and muscular. Yet what really took me away was the body which was delivered with the utmost candied quality, where it was as if apple cores were dipped in maltose such as is the popular Chinese tanghulu snack (crystallised fruits in rock candy), and given just alittle bit of clove spices sprinkled over. It's at once bright and fresh yet with depth and maturity, all in this crystalline body that exudes such structure and elegance. And yet, no heaviness whatsoever, it's lifted and well composed. The precision and definition here is unparalleled!