Petrus

Tasting Notes:
The 2008 is destined to be one of the greatest PetrusÕs ever made, ranking alongside the 1989, 1990, 1998, and 2000, and even eclipsing the 2005. An inky/red/purple color accompanies an unevolved, but promising nose of sweet red and black fruits intermixed with hints of earth, spice box, and caramel. It possesses a formidable personality of great intensity, awesome texture, amazingly well-integrated sweet tannin, and a freshness and precision that are hallmarks of this vintage. Given the tiny production, there will not be much of this sensational wine. Like most recent Petrus vintages, a decade of patience will be required despite the sweetness of the tannin. It should evolve for at least 50 years. Like the other top Moueix Pomerol properties, especially such top terroirs as Trotanoy, La Fleur Petrus, Hosanna, and La Providence, yields at Petrus were 28 hectoliters per hectare. This vineyard was harvested much like the proprietors of Yquem pick grapes, waiting for perfect maturity and selecting grape bunches as opposed to sending a team in and harvesting until the entire vineyard is picked. Petrus was harvested on six different days, September 29, October 1, 4, 7, 10, and 12. Robert Parker Wine Advocate April 2009
Parker Points: 98-100
Drinking Period:  -

Tasting Notes:
The 2008 is destined to be one of the greatest PetrusÕs ever made, ranking alongside the 1989, 1990, 1998, and 2000, and even eclipsing the 2005. An inky/red/purple color accompanies an unevolved, but promising nose of sweet red and black fruits intermixed with hints of earth, spice box, and caramel. It possesses a formidable personality of great intensity, awesome texture, amazingly well-integrated sweet tannin, and a freshness and precision that are hallmarks of this vintage. Given the tiny production, there will not be much of this sensational wine. Like most recent Petrus vintages, a decade of patience will be required despite the sweetness of the tannin. It should evolve for at least 50 years. Like the other top Moueix Pomerol properties, especially such top terroirs as Trotanoy, La Fleur Petrus, Hosanna, and La Providence, yields at Petrus were 28 hectoliters per hectare. This vineyard was harvested much like the proprietors of Yquem pick grapes, waiting for perfect maturity and selecting grape bunches as opposed to sending a team in and harvesting until the entire vineyard is picked. Petrus was harvested on six different days, September 29, October 1, 4, 7, 10, and 12. Robert Parker Wine Advocate April 2009
Parker Points: 98-100
Drinking Period:  -

Tasting Notes:
The most backward, tannic, and powerful wine of the appellation, the 2006 Petrus reveals classic herb-tinged, caramel, and sweet black cherry notes intermixed with mocha and spice box. With impressive density, high tannin, full body, and an unyielding style, it will be at its finest between 2020-2050+. This is certainly among the longest-lived wines of the vintage. Wine Advocate # 170 Apr 2007.
Parker Points: 94-96
Drinking Period: 2020-2050

Tasting Notes:
The 2001 Petrus (2,160 cases produced) exhibits more depth and richness than any other Pomerol I tasted. Its deep saturated ruby/plum/purple color is accompanied by a tight but promising bouquet of vanilla, cherry liqueur, melted licorice, black currants, and notions of truffles and earth. Rich, full-bodied, and surprisingly thick as well as intense, there is plenty of structure underlying the wealth of fruit and extract. Give it 3-6 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following two decades as it promises to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage, not to mention one of the most concentrated.
Parker Points: 95
Drinking Period: 2007-2027

Tasting Notes:
The 2001 Petrus (2,160 cases produced) exhibits more depth and richness than any other Pomerol I tasted. Its deep saturated ruby/plum/purple color is accompanied by a tight but promising bouquet of vanilla, cherry liqueur, melted licorice, black currants, and notions of truffles and earth. Rich, full-bodied, and surprisingly thick as well as intense, there is plenty of structure underlying the wealth of fruit and extract. Give it 3-6 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following two decades as it promises to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage, not to mention one of the most concentrated. Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Parker Points: 95
Drinking Period: 2007-2027

Tasting Notes:
A magical effort from Petrus, the 2000 has continued to gain weight and stature. From the bottle, it is a perfect wine, much like the 1998. The color is inky plum/purple to the rim and the nose, which starts slowly, begins to roar after several minutes, offering up scents of smoke, blackberries, cherries, licorice, and an unmistakable truffle/underbrush element. On the palate, this enormous effort is reminiscent of dry vintage port, with fabulous ripeness, a huge, unctuous texture, enormous body, and a colossal 65-second finish. I did not have the benefit of tasting it side by side with the equally perfect 1998, but it appears the 2000 is a more massive, macho/masculine wine, with more obvious tannin and structure than the seamless 1998. It is another wine to add to the legacy of the great vintages of Petrus. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050. NOTE: The passing of a legend. Jean-Pierre Moueix, 1913-2003, passed away the weekend of March 29-30. A noble and erudite man, he single-handedly established the reputation for Pomerol. Founding his negociant firm in Libourne in 1937, he developed a marketplace in Belgium and northern Europe for many of the area's greatest wines. His success led to the purchase of many of the better vineyards, most renowned of which were Trotanoy (1953), La Fleur-Petrus (1953), Magdelaine (1954), and Petrus, partially owned until its outright acquisition in 2002. Jean-Pierre Moueix and his two sons, Christian and Jean-Francois, were the cornerstones of my early education of the wines of Pomerol. As a beneficiary of his wisdom and generosity, I shall always remember him as a visionary as well as a great man. His death symbolizes the end of an extraordinary life and era. The Wine Advocate, #146 Apr-03.
Parker Points: 100
Drinking Period: 2015-2050

Tasting Notes:
The 1998 Petrus is unquestionably a fabulous effort boasting a dense plum/purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of black fruits intermixed with caramel, mocha, and vanilla. Exceptionally pure, super-concentrated, and extremely full-bodied, with admirable underlying acidity as well as sweet tannin, it reveals a superb mid-palate in addition to the luxurious richness for which this great property is known. The finish lasts for 40-45 seconds. Patience will definitely be required. Production was 2,400 cases, about 1,600 cases less than normal. Wine Advocate # 134 Apr 2001
Parker Points: 98
Drinking Period: 2008-2040

Tasting Notes:
The 1998 Petrus is unquestionably a fabulous effort boasting a dense plum/purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of black fruits intermixed with caramel, mocha, and vanilla. Exceptionally pure, super-concentrated, and extremely full-bodied, with admirable underlying acidity as well as sweet tannin, it reveals a superb mid-palate in addition to the luxurious richness for which this great property is known. The finish lasts for 40-45 seconds. Patience will definitely be required. Production was 2,400 cases, about 1,600 cases less than normal. Wine Advocate # 134 Apr 2001
Parker Points: 98
Drinking Period: 2008-2040

Tasting Notes:
100 points. How reassuring it is to see this wine, now the darling of international speculators, trophy hunters, et. al. perform so splendidly. My experience with young vintages of Petrus, particularly in the eighties, is that the wines often did not live up to their pre-bottling quality. That has not been the case with the 1989 and 1990. Both wines have consistently provided exhilarating tasting on the few times I have been able to take a look at them. I initially thought the 1990 may have been marginally superior to the 1989, but at present it is a dead heat. Both are enormously jammy, rich, super-concentrated wines that signal a return to the great Petrus of the pre-1976 era. The tannin is well-integrated, but the enormous texture, thickness, and impeccable balance are what make these wines so provocative. The 1989 is more backward and tannic, thus coming across as marginally more structured than the opulent and flashy 1990. Both wines are phenomenally rich and well-endowed, with that sweet inner-core of fruit that possesses layers of intensity. The colors are nearly opaque purple, and the noses are similar, with offerings of jammy black fruits, intertwined with scents of tea, overripe cherries, oranges, and an exotic coconut/caramel component. Both are massive and youthful, with the 1990 clearly more precocious, and for now, the most flattering to drink. The 1990 will reach full maturity 3-4 years earlier than the 1989 and last just as long. For readers with the riches of a super-star athlete and, just as importantly, a shrewd wine broker who can locate these wines, these two vintages of Petrus will provide memorable drinking for another three decades. Two prodigious wines! The Wine Advocate 2/97.
Parker Points:  -
Drinking Period:  -