Petrus Wines

wines

Talk about a thrill a second, as well as unprecedented decadence (at least for me), consider the rarity of a flight of six double magnums of Petrus! Because there were not many people at the tasting, there was the possibility of having several large glasses of these wines, making judging them all the more fun. And let's not forget the medical benefit of flushing the fat out of one's arteries with such remarkable juice! The 1970 Petrus has hit its peak of perfection. In the last 4-5 years, it has shed much of its tannin yet remains a young, full-bodied, blockbuster style of Petrus. Extremely concentrated and thick, with layers of mocha-tinged, berry, and black-cherry fruit presented in an enormously-endowed, viscously-textured, alcoholic, full-bodied format, this wine should remain at its plateau for another 20-25 years.The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series IV - Flight B of the 1995 tasting conducted in Munich by Helga and Hardy Rodenstock. Many years after the tasting from which this note derives allegations were made concerning the authenticity of old and rare bottles of wine sold by Hardy Rodenstock to collectors around the world. The matter has been the subject of numerous articles, litigation and at least one book. Mr. Parker believes that the wines served to him at this tasting were authentic so this note and the others from that specific tasting continue to be posted on eRobertParker.com.Robert M. Parker, Jr. | 100 RPI drank this last year with some wine collector friends ­you guessed it: in Hong Kong! It’s a very special bottle I’ve been lucky enough to have tried on a number of occasions, and it never disappoints. The nose shows olives, brown sugar and dark fruit. It’s full and joyous with round tannins and a flavorful finish. Truly sublime, and among the great vintages of this legendary estate such as 1947, 1990, or1998.James Suckling | 99 JS(Château Pétrus) The 1970 Pétrus is a great bottle of wine that is still clearly on its way up, and is years away from really hitting its apogee of perfection. The bouquet is bottomless, as it offers up a beautiful and refined mélange of mulberry, plum, black raspberry, mocha, a touch of game, lovely minerality, smoke and a touch of wood. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a rock solid core of fruit, superb elegance, great intensity of flavor, ripe tannins, and great focus and grip on the long, tangy and palate-staining finish. This wine is remarkably young and fresh for its age, and clearly will not peak for at least another decade. It is a great vintage of Pétrus. (Drink between 2006-2050)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 1970 Petrus here is far superior to the one poured in London a few months earlier. The bouquet is crystalline with a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of thyme, ferrous notes percolating through with time. So much poise and that is translated through to the palate framed by filigree tannins, a perfect line of acidity and black truffle notes towards the elegant finish. This is an outstanding example but be warned that there is bottle variation. Tasted at Epure restaurant in Hong Kong.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 1995 Petrus is one of the finest vintages of the decade, a silver medal behind the brilliant 1998. This bottle might well constitute the best that I have encountered. It has a beautiful, focused nose with hints of game and humidor infusing the black fruit. With aeration more red fruit becomes evident, allied with a touch of roasted chestnut. The palate is supremely well balanced, slightly gamey and with impressive grip. There is a bit of chutzpah about this Petrus, the way in which it fans out towards the finish. You could broach bottles now, although this example suggests that it is going to be very interesting to follow over the next 20 years. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at Hide restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is like a genie in the bottle. Fascinating yet subtle aromas of blackberry, minerals, fresh flowers and Spanish cedar. Full-bodied, with wonderful layers of ultrafine tannins. It coats your mouth and tantalizes your palate. A gorgeous thing all around.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010. 3,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSIt is interesting how this wine continues to evolve. Unquestionably one of the vintage’s superstars, the 1995 Petrus is taking on a personality similar to the extraordinarily backward, muscular 1975. This is not a Petrus that can be approached in its youth (i.e., the perfect duo of 1989 and 1990). The wine exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, followed by a knock-out nose of pain grille, jammy black fruits, and roasted coffee. On the palate, it possesses teeth-staining extract levels, massive body, and rich, sweet black fruits buttressed by powerful, noticeable tannin. A formidably endowed wine with layers of extract, this is a huge, tannic, monstrous-sized Petrus that will require a minimum of 10 years of cellaring. Forget all the nonsense about Merlot producing sweet, soft, ready to drink wines, because low yielding, old Merlot vines made in the way of Petrus and other top Pomerols frequently possess as much aging potential as any great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine in the world. Look for the 1995 Petrus to last for 50+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2050.Petrus, the undisputed King of Pomerol, was an inconsistent performer between 1976 and 1988, but since 1989 there have been few Bordeaux wines that match this property for its extraordinary combination of power, richness, complexity, and elegance. The 1995 and 1996 are both noteworthy efforts.Robert Parker | 96 RP

A prodigious Petrus, this wine has that extra level of intensity and complexity that is monumental. The magic is clearly Petrus, and the 2000 will always be an interesting vintage to compare to another legend in the making, the 1998, or more recently, of course, the 2005, 2008, and 2009. Extremely full-bodied, with great fruit purity, an unmistakable note of underbrush, black truffle, intense black cherries, licorice, and mulberry, the wine seems to show no evidence of oak whatsoever. It has a sumptuous, unctuous texture, plenty of tannin, but also vibrancy and brightness. This is a remarkable wine that seems slightly more structured and massive than the 1998, which comes across as slightly more seamless, as if it were haute couture. This wine needs at least another 5-10 years of cellaring and should age for 50+ years.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2000 Petrus was served blind as an extra in an already formidable line-up. Deep, inky in hue, it has an intense nose of black and red fruit laced with pencil shavings and black truffle, the latter more prominently featured vis-à-vis previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied, one of the most youthful examples that I have encountered, perhaps more masculine. Superb backbone here, grippy with that broody finish it exhibited a couple of years back. What you might call a "slow burner". Tasted at Epure restaurant in Hong Kong (again).Vinous Media | 98 VMThis has a pretty jam-packed core of blackberry, plum and boysenberry confiture notes inlaid with ample charcoal-edged tannins and carrying through a robustly tobacco-coated finish. But even with that density and power, there is a really beguiling backdrop of incense and black tea flavors waiting to emerge further. It’s all there, but this seems a touch more backward than the rest of the field, so hold on here.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2035. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSConcentrated plum colour, medium-full intensity and star bright. Powerfully complex aromatically with waves of dark berry fruits - blackberry, black cherry and bilberry. Still fairly young in expression, although it slowly unrolls to show campfire smoke and liquorice notes. With time in the glass, a more animal, liquorice bud note arrives, and the retro olfaction brings waves of violets. Exceptionally good quality and nuanced, finishing with black pepper and a hit of spice alongside black chocolate shavings. The tannic structure remains muscular and closed, suggesting this is just at the beginning of its drinking window and will age for many decades to come. From previous experience of this wine, this particular bottle seems entirely in keeping with a Petrus 2000 and is a beautiful example of this particular vintage and estate. Tasted as part of the Space Cargo Unlimited experiment, this bottle remained on earth while another sample was tasted that had returned from space. Drinking Window 2021 - 2050.Decanter | 98 DECWhile the first impression with Pétrus is the wood, it is the fruit which gradually shows itself. It is extraordinary, this dense fruit, which simultaneously manages to float with elegance. There is layer after layer of fruit, sometime black, sometimes smoky, sometimes spicy. The wine is not yet totally integrated, still intensely young, with decades to go. But what a development it will be Wine Enthusiast | 98 WENo written review provided. | 94 W&SA delicious nose of black olives, brown sugar, and sliced plums. Full bodied but shy, with a dense palate and soft and silky tannins. Flavors of milk chocolate, plums, and light vanilla bean come through. This is so good now, but wait three to four years to really see it shine. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JS

After the fabulous 2005, Pétrus again has produced a magnificent wine in 2006, even if it doesn’t hit quite the same heights. It has an immensely powerful structure and concentration, always the hallmark of this wine. But this structure is almost masked by the superbly ripe and fresh fruit. And with all this weight, there is still a sense of proportion, the rich berry fruits, smokiness and light spice beautifully integrated.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETerrific texture, weight and heft on both the nose and the attack. A flush of powerful tannic grip is balanced by stunning acidity and bright silken fruit. Overall the structure is compellingly insistent, still dancing around the palate, a flourishing, featherweight beauty that demands your attention. Magisterially good. Drinking Window 2016 - 2035Decanter | 96 DEC This displays green coffee bean and raspberry aromas, with a leafy undertone. Full-bodied, with refined tannins and a pretty finish. Very silky and classy. Lasts a long time on the finish. Best after 2014. 2,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSCurrently closed and backward, this wine seems to share a more similar character to Trotanoy than in any recent vintages I recall. Powerful, structured, masculine, but a long-term proposition, this dark ruby/purple-colored wine displays notes of caramelized, sweet black cherries and wild berry fruit with plenty of spice, earth, and a hint of herbaceousness. The wine has very high tannins, impressive concentration, but that mouth-searing level of tannin. This is one Petrus that should probably be forgotten for at least 8-10 years and drunk over the following two to three decades. I always find it ironic that Petrus, which is virtually 100% Merlot, is more backward than the first growths of Medoc, which are Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated.Robert Parker | 93+ RPBright medium ruby. Reticent but complex nose opened with air to display an almost roasted ripeness to the aromas of dark berries and licorice. Sweet, deep and lush, showing brooding dark berry and black cherry fruit sexed up by an exotic chocolate liqueur quality. A hugely rich but rather inscrutable wine. This was much deeper in pitch than the Trotanoy I tasted next to it, and missing that wine’s ineffable mineral high notes, inner-mouth perfume and impression of harmoniousness. Is this simply too young to assess today? Time will tell.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

It is hard to call Petrus a “sleeper of the vintage,” but the 2008 will merit more attention than most consumers would think. Low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare resulted in only 25,000 bottles of this beauty. A wine of great intensity (possibly the most concentrated wine of the vintage), this 100% Merlot boasts a dark purple color as well as a sweet perfume of mocha, caramel, black cherries, black currants, earth and forest floor. Deep, unctuously textured, full-bodied and pure, it will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for 25-30+ years.Robert Parker | 97 RPGorgeous, smooth wine, perhaps even more intense than in past vintages. The tannins are totally enveloped by the ripe plum and damson fruits. Complex, powerful, layered and opulent, this is a wine for the long term.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2008 Pétrus has a classic Pomerol nose, perhaps darker fruit than other vintages, blackberry and briary, a touch of truffle and minerals. I love the definition here, the cool restraint. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, a fine bead of acidity, chalky and tensile with moderate depth. There is a sense of composure, maybe even conservatism attached to this Pétrus that sports a mineral-driven and (at least for this Pomerol) almost austere finish compared to the 2009 or 2010. But it is a lovely wine that is only just beginning to open. Haunting. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting).Vinous Media | 96 VMTight and firm, yet with incredibly embracing tannins that are still in their early phase of evolution, even though it is 100% Merlot. It’s a trick that basically nobody else in Pomerol can pull off to quite this extent. Some liquorice kicks through, along with dark plum and blackberry fruits, touches of white pepper and coffee bean. Extremely enjoyable and still extremely young. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECThere’s so much floral and berry character on the nose and palate here. It’s full-bodied and very dense with lots of fine and delicate tannins. Winemaker Oliver Berrouet calls it a classic Bordeaux in style and I have to agree with him because of the fine tannins, fresh acidity, and beautiful reserve fruit. Lovely sweet berry and chocolate finish to the wine.Try in in five to six years.James Suckling | 94 JSThis has texture and range that’s a step up from the pack, with a gorgeous, silky feel to the ripe but restrained cherry, raspberry and damson plum notes that are layered with hints of black tea, incense and mineral. The long finish is more about poise than power. Lovely. Drink now through 2020.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is very fleshy and deep with so much texture and richness. It’s full-bodied yet fresh. The tobacco, white truffle, licorice and dark fruit are so impressive. It’s so exuberant and wild. It just goes on for ever. Spellbinding. Very muscular and powerful. Agile and energetic. Please give this time. Needs eight to ten years. Try from 2029.James Suckling | 100 JSOpaque purple-black colored, the 2016 Petrus slips effortlessly out of the glass with sanguine, seductive notes of kirsch, warm black plums, blueberry compote, red roses, Ceylon tea, violets, dark chocolate-covered cherries, licorice and cinnamon stick with wafts of iron ore, pencil lead, unsmoked cigars and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, profound and absolutely edifying on the palate, the densely packed, beautifully perfumed red and blue fruit layers possess a charge like defibrillators stimulating your heart to beat faster, each delivering achingly subtle floral and spice sparks, perfectly framed by very firm, very grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with incredible length and taking you to depths that extend to a provocative ferrous undercurrent. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPOne of the top wines in the vintage is unquestionably the 2016 Chateau Petrus, which is, as always, all Merlot aged in just over half new French oak. It's more reserved and subtle compared to the 2015, yet it’s unquestionably in the same ballpark, offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a classy bouquet of crème de cassis, black cherries, graphite, smoke tobacco, spring flowers, and subtle spicy oak. This is a wine that builds with time in the glass and delivers a full-bodied, multi-dimensional texture, present, ripe tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that won't quit. It’s haute couture at its finest, and as I wrote multiple times in my notes, simply pure class. Hide bottles for at least 7-8 years (10-15 would be even better) and it will keep for half a century.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Pétrus is magnificent. There is a sense of total completeness in the 2016 that is hard to capture with words. A regal wine of total presence, the 2016 simply has it all. Beautifully layered in the glass, with stunning aromatics and endless, layered fruit, the 2016 is utterly captivating. Once again I am struck by the wine's purity and total class. Technical Director Olivier Berrout and his team turned out a magnificent Pétrus in 2016. Total time in barrel was 19 months, with 50% new oak.Vinous Media | 99 VMThe nose jumps right out, then the palate starts tunneling down through an array of dark fruit and cut herb expressions, before slowly flattening out on the mid-palate then rising vertically on the finish. An architectural expression of the vintage, ripe and precise but with great freshness. Harvest here took place between 28th September and 11th October, and the challenges of the vintage meant they had to be precise and rigorous at every moment, never letting down their guard. No green harvesting. 40hl/ha yield, 55% new oak. Lots of anthocyanins. This is soft and caressing and majors in those deceptively soft tannins that slowly but surely build up to remind you that this wine has no intention of going away for many, many years.Decanter | 98 DECThis is a silky-smooth wine. However, that silkiness masks the generous, ripe tannins and juicy black fruits. It has great structure, full of serious firmness. Give it time and this wine will explode in a series of wonderful fruits, while keeping the classic Bordeaux structure. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThere are both lush and structured elements working here, with velvety cassis, raspberry puree and plum compote notes intertwined with tobacco, alder and cocoa accents. This pulls together steadily through the finish, showing superb focus and a tight-grained feel, while fresh acidity imparts rippling energy. The raspberry note hangs longest through the finish. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2018 Chateau Petrus is a brilliant wine that has perfection written all over it, and it’s unquestionably one of the most powerful, opulent wines in the vintage. As always, it’s 100% Merlot and offers a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke, earth, graphite, and beautiful liquid violets. Full-bodied, deep, and opulent on the palate, I must have written “huge wine!” three or four times in my notes, and despite all its power and richness, it’s seamless, light on its feet, and already hard to resist. Possessing terrific mid-palate depth, sweet tannins, and a finish that ranks with the greatest wines out there, Merlot or any wine for that matter, doesn’t get better. If you’re lucky enough to have a few bottles of this elixir, do your best to give bottles 7-8 years in the cellar, and I suspect it will keep for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDThe 2018 Petrus has retained its opaque purple-black color after bottling, foreshadowing the seemingly frozen-in-time glacial pace at which this wine is proceeding. It opens very reluctantly, requiring considerable air with vigorous swirling and doggedly demands a few hours before it offers glimpses at this slumbering giant of a wine. As it eventually unfurls, it slowly morphs into a powerful, fantastically pure nose of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and blueberry compote, followed by nuances of molten licorice, dark chocolate, black truffles, iron ore and, still later, floral notions of lilacs and rose oil come through. The full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and oh-so-tightly wound at this stage, revealing peeks at many, many layers of perfectly ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices and earthy notions for which words simply fail. The texture is at once rock solid and fantastically plush, with impeccably knit freshness, finishing so long you really can’t taste or think of anything else for the rest of the day. Here is a heart-stopping titan that puts paid to all those naysayers who contest that perfection in wine cannot exist. It will require a good 8-10 years to hit its stride, then it is very likely to outlive us all, but you will want to make certain you drink this one before you go.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2018 Petrus is every bit as grand as I thought it could be. A wine with no start and no end, the 2018 envelops all the senses from the very first taste. It is at times intellectual, while in other moments more hedonistic, but it is always a total turn-on. Silky and layered, with exquisite finesse and depth to burn, the 2018 Petrus is unquestionably the wine of the vintage on the Right Bank and one of the handful of truly unforgettable wines of the vintage. As I wrote when I tasted the 2018 from barrel, I have never tasted a young Petrus with this much sheer class. It’s an absolutely brilliant effort Petrus and Technical Director Olivier Berrouet.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGAn extremely exotic red wine with crushed berries and a bouquet of flowers. So aromatic and perfumed. Full bodied and layered with lots of pretty oak, enticing fruit and tannins. Velvety. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is a dark, serious wine, concentrated with richness and freshness at the same time. The ripe tannins are impeccably balanced by fine acidity and a ripe blackberry flavor. It shows the supreme quality of Pomerol’s Merlots in this vintage. Of course, it will age for nearly forever.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Clear flesh to the plump damson fruits, alongside grilled caramel, graphite, cassis bud and cocoa bean. The tannins are plentiful, but they are plush, ripe and flexible, and as such are full of Pomerol signature. As it opens through the palate, you realise just how much grip and persistency there is, and the more serious side asserts itself, with bitter cocoa shavings and fresh acidities. A more approachable Petrus at this early stage than in many years, but the kick is there and this is getting set for the long term. 50% new oak, 3.6 pH. A yield of 37hl/ha. Bottled in July after two months in vat following end of barrel ageing. (Drink between 2026-2048)Decanter | 97 DECPlush and inviting, with steeped red and black currant and fig flavors that meld nicely with fruitcake, Christmas pudding and anise notes through the finish. Subtle dark earth hint at the end keeps it grounded. The vintage’s slightly austere edge is here, but is minimized by the fruit, helping this stand apart from the pack. Best from 2023 through 2034.Wine Spectator | 96 WS