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 became the majority owners. In this same year Jean-François Moueix purchased an exceptional 12.5 acre parcel from neighbouring Château Gazin, taking the vineyard holdings to 11.5 hectares; relatively 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 standing of Pomerol. Now, Petrus is quite rightly revered as the most exclusive wine of Bordeaux.

The vineyards are planted exclusively 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, grace and balance that makes these a joy to drink at almost any stage of their evolution. Winemaking is gentle and respectful, sympathetic to the limitations and strengths of the given harvest, allowing the terroir to express the vintage conditions.

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.