A Great Bordeaux Wine, PETRUS is today one of the most looked for wines !

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PETRUS has many admirers among wine lovers, thanks to its very special aromas. Petrus also owes its popularity to its rarity and to the fact many of its vintages are recognized as great wines (1945 for example, or more recently 2005 or 2010); this explains why Petrus' prices are pretty high. Several reasons have contributed to the success of this mythical wine: the grape varieties used (Merlot for the most part and Cabernet Franc in addition), the soil on which the vines grow (very clayey), and its past. It is in fact thanks to those who wrote a page of its history that Petrus wine has reached the international fame for which it is known today.

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1925 marks the beginning of its rise to excellence, when Mrs. Loubat bought the vineyard. She decided to increase the quality of Petrus wine, paying special attention to the choice of grapes and reducing the quantity produced. She then bequeathed the estate to her grandchildren. It was then bought by Moueix family, who still owns it today. This Pomerol wine, named after the place where it is located, was managed until recently by winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, well known in the profession, replaced since 2014 by his son Olivier. It does not carry the appellation of Château Petrus, for the simple reason that there is no Château Petrus on the estate. Oh yeah, Pas de Chateau because the chateau is not there. There is a modernized building where the ripe fruit is brought. There, the grapes are selected, pressed, fermentation takes place, the juice is vinified in cement tanks and the wine is aged in barriques for at least 18 months; then it is bottled and aged further. Everything is done very well even without Chateau!

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The unique clayey soil is what allows merlot to express itself in solitude and in full purity. Since 2010, eleven point four hectares of clayey soil planted with a density of 6000 plants per hectare in an area between Libourne and Saint Emilion that is called Petrus, without any effort of imagination. Average age of vines, which despite the replanting of other merlot, reaches anyway forty years old. The average number of bottles produced is 30/40,000 per year. A scrupulous selection and a meticulous sorting are developed to achieve a result that borders on perfection in terms of merlot terroir, because even here in the end is the absolutely unique terroir that commands and directs the hand of the winemaker. The man indulges, with his savoir faire, his sensitivity and his technique. On this subject, the Moueix family has little to learn. Tasting depends on the vintage and on how old the bottle is. It should be considered that in the past it was not only merlot, but also a 5% of cabernet franc affected with the characteristic scent of green bell pepper. In youth in the bouquet there will be a generous fruitiness and some floral, which will then move towards graphite and humus. If it is going uphill we will find plum instead of black cherry and, further on we will go towards the famous tar and earthy, however more typical of the great Medoc wines.

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Uncorking a precious bottle of Petrus is a bit like wearing a rare Patek Philippe by fastening the leather strap over the cuff of your shirt. Not to go out to dinner, but to stay at home, on the terrace overlooking the lighthouse, sipping an earthy Bordeaux from the '60s.

A GREAT WINE !