2005 Chateau Petrus Pomerol Grand Vin (Merlot)

The bottle of 2005 Petrus opened at the "Pomerol Comparative Exploration" tasting was unfortunately corked however, I was able to re-taste the wine at a private dinner a few weeks later. It continues to be blessed with a crystalline bouquet, spell-binding purity with ebullient, vivacious red berry fruit struck through with minerals and subtle floral scents. The palate is intense but not full-bodied, quite ferrous as it has been since I first tasted it from barrel. The structure is backward and perhaps broodier, more introspective than I expected and therefore afford this behemoth a few years in bottle, maybe even around 15 years, before reaching for the corkscrew. Maybe say a little prayer that it is not corked!

Tasted blind. Very savoury and appetising. Round and sweet. A real charmer with such great balance that I swallowed it! Really lovely. No rough edges. Long. (JR)

Offering pure black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, the inky ruby/purple 2005 Petrus is still very young and unyielding, but super-concentrated, powerful, full-bodied and primordial. It is much more backward than the likes of Lafleur, Trotanoy or Hosanna. Nevertheless, it is super-rich, extracted, beautifully balanced and pure. Forget it for another 10-15 years, and drink it over the following half-century. This may well be among the longest-lived wines of 2005.