Petrus | FINE+RARE

About the producer

Ask any wine-lover to name the world’s greatest fine wines, and the answer will invariably include Pétrus. Incredibly revered and with a price tag to match, this illustrious producer is regarded by many to represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved with the Merlot varietal, or with any varietal for that matter. Fine wine critic Neal Martin described Pétrus as “the vinous holy grail”. Given its prestige and quality, it might come as a surprise to many that Pétrus was largely unheard of outside of France just 30 years ago. Its rise to fame is largely attributed to a change of management in 1962, leading to an explosion in quality and success.

Pétrus is Latin for Peter, who guards the entrance to heaven, which seems strangely fitting for such a wine that is often cited as being otherworldly. Its history can be dated back to the 1750s, making it probably one of Pomerol’s earliest vineyards. Originally thought to have been part of Château Gazin, its worldwide fame didn’t explode until it came under the ownership of Jean-Pierre Moueix. He was a négociant who managed and distributed wines from a series of famous properties, including Trotanoy. He started doing the same for Pétrus and eventually ended up taking control of the property during the mid-1960s. Jean-Pierre Moueix shrewdly brought in Jean-Claude Berrouet, although a relatively unknown entity in the winemaking world at the time, his first vintage in 1964 has been described as “immortal” by Neal Martin and “spectacular” by Robert Parker. When Jean-Claude Berrouet retired he passed the mantle to his son Olivier Berrouet, formerly of Cheval Blanc.

Jean-Pierre Moueix similarly passed the running of Pétrus to his sons Jean-François (who, in one of Pomerol’s greatest investments, bought five exceptional hectares from Gazin) and Christian. Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix now owns La Fleur Pétrus, Hosanna, Trotanoy, Lagrange, La Grave, Magdelaine and Bélair-Monange to name just a few.

Château Pétrus, of course, deserves its fame. But few would argue against the instrumental influence of one couple and one man in pushing it alongside and then past the First Growths. Jackie and John F Kennedy - a style icon and her president - announced that that they were partial to Pétrus, which piqued a global interest in the brand. Momentum was continued in the 1980s by the frequent acclaim and high scores of a rising star critic in one Robert Parker. Pétrus’ celebrity helped to drive up the quality of Pomerol as an appellation, and arguably Bordeaux as a whole.

In the vineyard

Pétrus’ 11.5 hectares of old vines, averaging around 40 years of age but some significantly older, are now entirely made up of Merlot. As there is no second wine at Pétrus, where the declassified juice ends up is one of the wine world’s great mysteries.

But what makes it so special? One major factor is its unique terroir; it sits on a small 'button' of blueish clay in the Pomerol plateau. The rare smectite clay subsoil is 40 million years old, while the more gravelly soils that surround it are only around one million years old. Combined with low yields (Pétrus have been crop thinning since 1973) and perfectionist picking/sorting (grapes are harvested in one afternoon to avoid dew diluting the juice and berries are reputedly picked one at a time), the old vines on this terroir produce a richness that most Merlots cannot touch.

In the winery

Once picked the grapes are optically sorted as well as hand sorted and intra-plot fermented in 12 different sized concrete vats that fit the 12 different identified plots within the vineyard. On average Pétrus use 50% new oak barrels in their maturation, the rest matured in older barrels.

In top vintages the wine doesn’t really kick into its top gear until around 30 to 40 years of age and should be first approached with at least 15 years of age. The pristine condition, the freshness, the energy and plush textural richness of wines in their 30th, 40th and 50th years is truly mind-blowing. The 1971, the 1961 and the 1959 are truly exceptional. The volume and depth on the mid-palate of these wines are phenomenal with the combination of exotic aged fragrances and spice that remain beautifully preserved while at the same time exuding an impossible freshness is difficult to fathom. The architecture of the wines are built in a mille-feuille-like structure that both teems with power and yet retains a paradoxical finesse. These are Pétrus in full regalia, spreading their wings and strutting their stuff. 

About the producer

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2019 Petrus