Petrus 2011

The wine in this vintage

In Bordeaux, 2011 was an uneven vintage: a very hot, dry spring, a cool summer, episodes of hail and an early harvest. Results were mixed, but in Pomerol Merlot on clay soils held up better than elsewhere. Petrus 2011 stands out for finesse and balance: cherry, plum, violet, earthy notes and spice, on a medium-bodied, savoury palate with fine tannins. Robert Parker rated it 95 points. Still youthful in its development, it will be ready sooner than the more powerful vintages, but it still deserves a few more years of patience before it shows its full complexity.

The producer · Petrus

Petrus is the ultimate symbol of Pomerol and one of the most sought-after wines in the world, even though it has never been classified, since this Right Bank appellation has no official classification. Its rise is owed to Madame Edmond Loubat, who owned it in the first half of the twentieth century and turned it into a legend, and to the Moueix family, involved from 1945 first as distributors and later as owners; today the estate is headed by Jean-François Moueix, with winemaker Olivier Berrouet. The secret of Petrus lies in its soil: a seam of very dense blue clay, millions of years old, that surfaces on the top of the Pomerol plateau and regulates the vines’ water supply in a unique way. On around eleven hectares, almost exclusively Merlot is grown, hand-picked with extreme care, sometimes over just a few afternoons, so that each parcel is harvested at the perfect moment. The result is a wine of extraordinary density, opulence and tannic finesse, able to age for decades and made in very limited quantities.

Critics' scores

• 97 Wine Enthusiast
• 95 Robert Parker
• 91 Wine Spectator

Technical details

Producer

Petrus

Region

Bordeaux

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2011

When to drink

Not yet at its peak

Critics' average

94.3/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0710111