1992 Château Petrus

The 1992 Petrus is clearly one of the two candidates for the "wine of the vintage." The normal production of 4,500 cases was severely reduced to only 2,600 cases, resulting in an atypically concentrated, powerful, rich wine with a dark, saturated ruby/purple color, a tight but promising nose of sweet black-cherry fruit, vanillin, caramel, and herb-tinged mocha notes. Concentrated and powerful, with superb density of fruit and richness, as well as wonderful sweetness to its tannin, this is a brilliant effort for the vintage. The wine requires 3-5 years of cellaring and should keep for 15-20+. Interestingly, the Petrus vineyard, along with that of its sibling, Trotanoy, was covered with black plastic in early September, 1992 to trap most of the rain rather than allowing it to saturate the vineyard's soil and dilute the grapes. It was a strategy that obviously paid off.

Not great but very good. Lovely finesse and good backbone of tannins and fruit. Medium-bodied and silky, featuring a berry, tobacco and mineral finish. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1995

The 1992 Petrus is clearly one of the two candidates for the "wine of the vintage." The normal production of 4,500 cases was severely reduced to only 2,600 cases, resulting in an atypically concentrated, powerful, rich wine with a dark, saturated ruby/purple color, a tight but promising nose of sweet black-cherry fruit, vanillin, caramel, and herb-tinged mocha notes. Concentrated and powerful, with superb density of fruit and richness, as well as wonderful sweetness to its tannin, this is a brilliant effort for the vintage. The wine requires 3-5 years of cellaring and should keep for 15-20+. Dec 1994, www.robertparker.com