In the Margaux appellation, only one wine, Château Palmer, has ever challenged the preeminence of Château Margaux. Although ranked as a third growth, Palmer has in some vintages surpassed Château Margaux and, in every vintage, provided a fascinating comparison with its eminent rival.
I've been fortunate enough to visit both Chateaux and enjoy both of their wines very much. The fact is that, at least for now, Chateaux Margaux leads the appellation. Chateau Margaux sets the pricing and draws people to the region. Chateau Palmer has more of a cult following, that does nothing to take away the greatness of their wine, it is simply a point of fact.
Going forward it should be interesting to see how this changes. Chateau Palmer has a strong, and active, social media presence. Not only do they have their Facebook page and Twitter account, they also actively reach out to bloggers like myself.
As a new generation of wine critic and wine drinker comes of age will the gravitate the brand they have known through these social media sites? If so, will that improve the standing of Chateau Palmer as a leader? Not just in terms of producing great wine but also as a leader of the Margaux appellation?
1 comment:
An interesting question indeed. Chateau Palmer is active on some social networks to create and keep contact with his customers and the wine lovers. The historical on-future distribution system of the Place de Bordeaux had kept us far from our customers in the past. The Web 2 and social networks has been and is a fabulous opportunity to build a bridge between us: listening to them, talking to them, and bringing them the information they like to get. In my mind, it is a matter of respect, and in that sense, a matter of standing of the wine and the brand we are dedicated to.
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