Pétrus 2017

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Petrus comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notions of Black Forest cake, blueberry preserves and Christmas pudding with nuances of molten chocolate, Chinese five spice, candied violets, licorice and kirsch plus wafts of roses and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and fantastically concentrated, the palate has compelling freshness and a solid base of wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins, finishing very long and opulent. The aromatics at this youthful stage are atypical for Petrus and quite stunning—this 2017 is a bombshell! Furthermore, it is a unique style for this estate and one avid collectors should seek out!
Drink Date
2023 - 2063

I asked Pétrus winemaker Olivier Berrouet what he felt had changed about this 2017 since I last tasted it from barrel. "During primeurs the wine was based on its aromatic side. With further time in barrel, the structure came through." He hit the nail on the head. I remember clearly how forward the wine appeared when I tasted it from barrel—a little blousy even. Now in bottle, it has gained backbone, layers and that underlying gravitas that makes Pétrus what it is. And yet, this is an exotic, downright flamboyant expression of the vineyard. I don't generally like surprises, but I loved this one!

I love the aromatics to this with crushed berries, violets and black olives. Hints of vanilla and some caramel. Decadent. Full-bodied and round with very creamy tannins that melt into the wine. It starts off slowly and and then kicks off a few seconds later. The tannins are extremely polished and refined. Hard not to drink now, but wait. Try after 2025.

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Roasted red fruits on the nose. Strawberry and garrigue – quite unique in this vintage and perhaps beyond! Very succulent and round; very red fruited. If anything, a touch too ripe in its red fruit, but there is real persistence to the finish. Creamy and very polished.
Drink 2023 – 2038

There was no frost here, but they still had to contend with 100mm of rain at the end of June, then one-third of regular rainfall over July and August, then rain again in September. The young vines were more affected by drought, but the older vines had to be left for a few weeks to digest the early September rains. As you might expect, we don't need to worry unduly about winemaker Olivier Berrouet's ability to handle it - but you can certainly see that he had to make a number of careful choices. The harvest, for example, was from 8-28 September - a long spread for such a small vineyard, but they needed to be really careful and work plot by plot. The resulting wine has an extremely powerful nose; the aromatics are high and very complex. On the palate I get dark chocolate, slate, liquorice and damson flesh, giving a dense, compact structure followed by a floral finish. It's fresh and complex, with notable spice. The tannins are deceptive, building over the palate to a fairly tannic finish, and it's very persistent, not a large step down from the last two years, even if it's not quite at their heights. Higher alcohol than most this year, but well balanced.
Drinking Window 2025 - 2040

Very dark and super-fragrant. Beautifully intense cassis aroma, very pure, gorgeous dusty graphite nose, and a light note of violets. Beautifully dry and with finest of textures. Opens up to sweet spice and some red fruit. Iris root – used in perfume – says winemaker Olivier Berrouet. Caressing texture, supple. Becomes ever more floral with air. Incredibly smooth. A beauty.
Drink 2027-2047

The frost protection devices worked perfectly here and the yields were spot on. Superbly fresh and almost pretty on the nose, this is a phenomenally balanced wine. Olivier Berrouet said that he could clearly see the shape of this wine coming during the vinification. The nose is stunningly plummy and very pure, with awesome spice very good length and purity. I wouldn’t feel guilty opening a bottle within ten years. Like a top Barolo in terms of fruit density but also clarity on the finish, the drive and momentum of this wine is sensational and the silkiness and persistence is stellar, too