1961 | Petrus | Pomerol

Detailed Description

Chocolate, blueberries, nuances of gorse, a fine touch of black truffle, some sandalwood. Full-bodied on the palate, with its unmistakable vintage port texture, extremely powerful, full-bodied and sweet, a broad-shouldered wine with great aromas, fine aftertaste of dried fruit, shows a convincing length, simply an enchanting wine.

Reviews:

• Falstaff: Strong crimson garnet, medium edge brightening. A bit closed on the nose at first, but then the full program with air: chocolate, blueberries, nuances of gorse, a fine touch of black truffle, some sandalwood. Full-bodied on the palate, with its unmistakable vintage port texture, extremely powerful, full-bodied and sweet, a broad-shouldered wine with great aromas, fine aftertaste of dried fruit, shows a convincing length, simply an enchanting wine.

• Vinous: Amber and maroon. Nose: very developed, thick aromas, black cherry, with subtle notes of mocha. Mouth: A mouth-bodied, creamy, very satiny and very alcoholic. Strong notes of chocolate, with cherry and coffee. APPELLATION: Pomerol. VINEYARD: Château Pétrus GRAPES: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc.

Producer Information

Petrus is easily Pomerol’s most important wine, and is one of the most notable estates in Bordeaux. The Merlot-based wine comes from an 11.4-hectare (28-acre) vineyard in the eastern part of the Pomerol appellation, and is known for being rich and powerful, with characteristics of chocolate, spice and black fruit. Petrus is one of the world’s most collectable and expensive wines. Records of Petrus date back to 1837 but the estate’s superstardom has come more recently, when the Moueix family bought a half share in 1962. Since then, it has become a fixture in cellars and on auction lists, and consistently fetches higher prices than many of the Bordeaux first growths. The original 7-hectare (17-acre) vineyard is located on a mound where the soil is almost all clay, unlike nearby properties where there is more gravel or sand in the soil. The high clay content is particularly suitable for Merlot – a unique second layer of dense blue clay forces root systems to spread sideways. This feature is often credited with giving Petrus its soft but abundant tannins. The remaining vineyard was acquired from neighboring Château Gazin in 1969. The vines at Petrus are allowed to reach an unusually old age by Bordeaux standards. They are only replanted after 70 years.