1996 Petrus
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Tasting notes
The 1996 Petrus has never been an endearing wine and this, the third or fourth bottle that I have tasted, does nothing to change my indifference. It has a slightly herbaceous bouquet that feels enervated when compared to the flamboyant 1998. It just misses the fruit concentration and vivacity you expect from a Petrus, a jalopy stuck in first gear. The palate is medium-bodied, leafy and gentle, with slightly brusque tannin. Sure, there is decent weight on the finish but it flirts with an adjective rarely attributed to this Pomerol. It is just ordinary and Petrus does not do “ordinary”. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at the Épure restaurant in Hong Kong.
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Rather a muddy, diffuse nose – though could be interpreted as comforting. Super-rich fruitcake on the palate. Quite dry tannins on the finish. This wine seemed very different from all the other 1996s tasted in this range – fullblown yet not ready to drink. At a decidedly awkward stage. (JR)
Proprietor Christian Moueix's 1996s have turned out well in the bottle. The 1996 Petrus is a big, monolithic, foursquare wine with an impressively opaque purple color, and sweet berry fruit intermixed with earth, pain grille, and coffee scents. Full-bodied and muscular, with high levels of tannin, and a backward style, this wine (less than 50% of the production was bottled as Petrus) will require patience. It is a mammoth example. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035
Wild aromas of crushed fruit, forest flower and wild mushrooms. Full-bodied, with incredibly velvety tannins that go on and on. Lovely and exciting fruit. Gorgeous, seductive wine. Hard to resist now. Better than I remember.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2007. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2007
About the producer
Ask any wine-lover to name the world’s greatest fine wines, and the answer will invariably include Pétrus.