Excerpts from the article written by Rodolphe WARTEL, published in Sud Ouest, on October 28, 2010.
 
Ensure the Legacy. Improve and continue to rise through the ranks. Since 2004, Thomas Duroux has been the CEO of Château Palmer, in Margaux. He has successfully completed the first of his missions, which was not the easiest. For the favorite wine of Claude Debussy, as for all the grands crus, each note counts in the subtile balance between vine and wine.  "Over the past six years, we've worked on what needed to be questioned", without ostentation, in the cold silence of the cellars, analyses Thomas Duroux. The team notably conducted an in-depth study "to enter into the intimacy of the terroir". 55 hectares make up Palmer... its soil has been scrutenized.  30, 60, 120 centimeters deep, infrared pictures of the vines... a very scientific approach, this ENITA engineering alum, with a passion for biology, wanted to uncover the secrets of this terroir.
 
Reception quality
The shareholders of Palmer (the heirs of the wine merchants Malher-Besse and the Maison Sichel) have now given him new tools: as of this autumn, 8 million Euros will be invested over the next two years to "adapt the equipement, streamline it, and improve the identity of Palmer's village". Again, no cellar/cathedral but an investment entirely devoted to improving quality. The harvest reception area,which is still set up, as on many Estates, under a tent, will be installed in a 350 square meter hall within two years.  The pumping system will give way to one that uses  gravity. A mini cellar will house experimental winemaking projects. The construction of a new barrel cellar will allow a vintage to age without it being moved.  Lastly, the accesibility of Palmer will be reviewed, with the aim of highlighting the "village", with re-landscaping and a modification to the entryway (access will be through the vineyard).
 
Determination to develop wine tourism? Not in the least! Palmer simply wants to focus on the hospitality of its guests. "We want to remain open to everyone, but each person must be received individually. That requires preparation."  As a result, two visits per day, by appointment only, are now possible.