Is there a more handsome wine in Bordeaux than Petrus? I don't think so, and on this evidence the gap is widening. This is pure seduction in a glass. It has everything: grandeur, complexity, elegance and the most wonderful velour tannins, yet there is nothing forced or heavy, this has understated beauty, pure refinement and class, a calm authority and statesmanlike presence. There is a gentle fragrance, so sensual and alluring. The aromas develop displaying ripe damsons, griotte and flowers. The palate is seductive and opulent yet controlled - there's no excess, just enough flesh and fruit to tantalise. On the finish there is real finesse and power. Understated, well-mannered tannins grip the palate and leave the mouth refreshed with salty berry flavours, terrific detail and poise, such effortless charm. In a vintage when nature has provided some elements in excess, Petrus remains true to itself. Even with 14.5% alcohol and a relatively high pH of 3.7, this is regal and understated, calm and effortless - a classic Petrus in the very best sense.
Contains Sulphites.
Although this estate can trace its origins back to Roman times, Petrus is a relative newcomer to Bordeaux’s top table. In fact Pomerol as a whole was overlooked for centuries in favour of the Medoc. Petrus’ fortunes changed in the 1940s when the owner Madame Loubat signed a contract with Jean-Pierre Moueix to produce and distribute the wines. Throughout the 1960s, the Moueix family added to their stock until in 1969, they were the sole owners. In this same year Jean-François Moueix purchased an exceptional 12.5 acre parcel from neighbouring Chateau Gazin, taking the vineyard holdings to 11.4 hectares; large by Pomerol standards.
The other name that is synonymous with Petrus is that of the Berrouets. In 1964 Jean Claude Berrouet took over as the winemaker, a position he held until 2008, when his son, Olivier took the reins. Over the intervening years, the reputation has grown and with it, so has the reputation of Pomerol. Now, Petrus is quite rightly revered as the most exclusive and most expensive wine of Bordeaux.
The vineyards are exclusively planted with Merlot, on the unique blue clay soils found in the south easterly corner of the commune. The wines are quite simply exquisite. They can be dense and monumental in grand vintages, but there is always a nobility and grace and balance that makes these a joy to drink at almost any stage of their evolution. Winemaking is gentle and respectful, always sympathetic to the limitations and strengths of the given harvest, allowing the terroir to speak for itself.
We feel very honoured to be one of the distributors for Petrus in the UK. As allocations are small, the wines are not offered on general release. If you are interested in buying Petrus en primeur, please speak to our sales team for more information.
Pomerol’s Merlot-dominated wines at their best are rich, seductive and silky. For hundreds of years Pomerol was considered as nothing but a satellite district of neighbouring St-Émilion to the east, and it was not really until not until the 1950s that Pomerol started its meteoric rise led by Château Petrus. By far the most dominant merchants in the region are Jean-Pierre Moueix who own or distribute the majority of the finest properties in Pomerol, the most renowned being Petrus.
Pomerol's finest wines originate from the highest parts of the plateau, which is predominantly gravel and clay, with an iron rich subsoil called crasse de fer.
Apparently as important in fashioning wines that are plump, voluptuous, and richly Merlot dominates plantings dramatically, though the notable exception is Vieux Château Certan, nearly half of their estate is devoted Cabernet Franc. Pomerol has no no official classification, but its small scale wines fetch some of the greatest prices for wine in the world. The regions greatest names are Pétrus, Lafleur, Certan de May, Hosanna, La Fleur de Gay, L'Église-Clinet, Le Pin, La Conseillante, Trotanoy, , L'Évangile, Latour-à-Pomerol, and Vieux-Ch-Certan
The supple, alluring plummy characteristics of Merlot have made it hugely popular the world over. It is often blended with the more structured Cabernet Sauvignon, though on its own there are some very serious, long-lived examples in Pomerol and Saint Emilion, where it is planted on both cool clay and hotter gravely soils. It is grown more extensively throughout France and the rest of the world to produce soft, approachable, uncomplicated wines, namely in the Languedoc, Chile, California, Italy and Australia.