Château Pétrus

Pétrus is synonymous with the most luxurious and collectable of fine and rare wines. It is arguably the world’s finest exponent of the Merlot grape, whose 1982 vintage reignited the desirability for Bordeaux after the doldrums of the late 1960s and ‘70s.

Pétrus is highly sought-after for its exceptional quality, age-worthy wines and its rarity. Production volumes are a fraction of those of the First Growths on the Left Bank, with approximately 30,000 bottles produced annually.

During the 19th century, Pétrus belonged to the Arnaud family and encompassed only 6.5 hectares planted in a traditional mix of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Arnauds founded La Société Civile du Château Pétrus, offering shares in the company to the public.

Madame Loubat, wife of the owner of the Hôtel Loubat in Libourne, began to acquire shares in 1925. By 1949, she owned the estate outright. In 1961, the estate was passed down to her niece and nephew, Madame Lacoste-Loubat and Monsieur Lignac. In 1943, Jean-Pierre Moueix had become their exclusive distributor and in 1969 bought a majority share. In the same year, the estate was increased, with the purchase of four hectares of prime vineyards from neighbouring Château Gazin.

Today, Pétrus is under the direction of Christian Moueix and oenologist Olivier Berrouet assisted by his father Jean-Claude Berrouet, who remains a consultant following his retirement after over four decades of expertly crafting Pétrus from the ripe Merlot grapes from their famed terroir in Pomerol.

The 11.4-hectare vineyard is located on the highest area of Pomerol on a plateau dominated by iron-rich (crasse de fer) clay soils that give the wines their structure and power. They are well drained due to a gentle slope. The clay content retains some water which reduces hydric stress and creates a cooler microclimate that is ideally suited to the early ripening Merlot.

Utmost care is taken in the vineyard, with strict green harvesting to limit yields. Helicopters have even been rented to dry out the vines at harvest time after wet spells. Grapes are picked by hand at the optimal moment to ensure sufficient retention of acidity, which provides freshness, finesse and elegance to the wines.

Grapes are sorted to eliminate any substandard fruit, then gently crushed and fermented in concrete tanks with gentle extraction to ensure the wines have their characteristic silky-textured tannins and opulent generous style. The wines are then aged in French oak for up to 24 months prior to bottling.

Pétrus is extraordinarily rich, opulent and concentrated, often with ripe black cherry, blueberry and plum characteristics in youth which evolve into mocha, truffles, exotic spices and tobacco.

Vintages of Petrus are usually more approachable in youth than those wines from the Left Bank based on Cabernet Sauvignon. Similarly to their impressive longevity, Pétrus from the very greatest years will continue evolving and improving for many years, such as the legendary 1947 and 1961 Pétrus which continue to delight wine collectors who are lucky enough to taste these vinous treasures.

Other exceptional vintages that are highly regarded include 1949, 1953, 1964, 1975, 1982, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.