2012 Petrus

The 2012 Petrus has a slightly higher-toned bouquet than its peers: scents of brambly red fruit and briary, liquorice and dried herbs. This gains complexity in the glass, and a second bottle at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On, given two hours to open, develops some gorgeous pure plummy fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, fleshy, ripe and harmonious with pliant tannins and a little more obvious oak towards the sensual finish, white pepper and thyme lingering on the aftertaste. Wonderful. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Looks much more evolved than Le Pin tasted alongside. Glowing ruby. Sweet and opulent with a really rich undertow. Not one of Petrus’s most glorious vintages but a lovely long, confident finish. (JR)

Ten years is not quite the sweet spot for Petrus, and it will benefit from a few more years softening in the bottle as there are layers of tannins to work through, but this is right up there as the wine of the tasting, it just jumps out of the glass. As ever with Petrus it's the texture that gets you; satin, velvet, silk, lace, all rolled up into one, with succulent black cherry and raspberry fruits given definition and depth by fennel, cocoa bean, graphite, crushed rock, jasmine and black tea. Muscular and yet fresh, it rises up through the palate and leaves you wanting more. 50% new oak, Oliver Berrouet winemaking director.