Petrus

An 11.3 hectare wine estate that produces the most coveted Pomerol in the world.

The wine estate we are discussing in today’s article is located in the heart of the Libournais vineyard, a subdivision of the Bordeaux vineyard. More precisely, we take you to the commune of Pomerol, whose terroir gives way exclusively to red wines.

Although the Pomerol appellation has never had an official classification, it is extremely well known throughout the world, notably for its most famous crus. Among them: Petrus!

Let's take a look at the history of this estate, which is not as old as it seems. Indeed, the name, Petrus, seems to come straight from the Roman era and yet the Petrus myth is relatively recent. Moreover, there is no official source to attest the origin of the name. From then on, several theories have been put forward. Whether it is a reference to the place where the estate is located or a tribute to Saint Peter (Petrus in Latin), known as the "Prince of the Apostles", no one is able to say.

In any case, if you look at the label on a bottle of Petrus, you can see a saint holding two keys, like the representations made of Saint Peter. These two keys, one gold, celestial, the other silver, terrestrial, represent the keys that lead to heaven. These two keys can also be found on the top of the bottle cap of Petrus.

It all began in 1770 with the Arnaud family, who owned the estate. At the time, the estate covered barely 7 hectares. The wines produced at the time were known as "Petrus-Arnaud" and were generally described as modest in terms of quality. It wasn't until 1925 that the beginnings of the Petrus myth appeared. It was at this time that Ms. Loubat, a hotelier in Libourne, bought part of the estate. In the meantime, at the beginning of the 20th century, the estate had passed into the hands of Mr Sabin-Douarre, a former steward, who created the "Société Civile du Château Petrus".

Ms. Loubat, Marie Louise by name, was convinced of the quality of this terroir. From then on she worked to make the most of it. Already at that time she turned production upside down by reducing vineyard yields to a minimum and by introducing manual sorting of each grape. Her efforts bore fruit immediately after the war, in 1945, with a first vintage of anthology. It was at this time that Ms. Loubat acquired the entire estate.

The bottom of the label reads "Mme Edmond Loubat - Propriétaire à Pomerol". At that time, women bore the first and last names of their husbands, which led to some confusion as to Ms. Loubat's first name, with some articles referring to "Edmonde Loubat".

In the meantime, in 1940, the name of the estate was shortened from "Château Pétrus" to "Petrus", without an accent. In fact, no château has ever been built or attached to the Petrus estate.

In 1947, Ms. Loubat joined forces with Jean-Pierre Moueix, a wine merchant from Libourne, and gave him exclusive marketing rights. The two of them travelled the world to make Petrus known and thus build the reputation of the estate. Among their achievements, she managed to place the wine on the wedding table of the future Queen Elizabeth II, who then invited it to her coronation; and him made Petrus the favourite wine of the Kennedy family.

Jean-Pierre Moueix's involvement in the estate continued to grow. Initially in charge of marketing, he was also involved in the management of the vineyard and in the vinification, until the death of Marie Louise in 1961. With no descendants, the estate was entrusted equally to her nephews and nieces, Jean-Louis Robert Lignac and Lily Lacoste. The latter successively sold their respective shares of the estate to Jean-Pierre Moueix, allowing him to become the sole owner in 1969.

That same year, the Petrus estate vineyard was enlarged by 5 hectares thanks to the acquisition of plots from the Baillencourt family, owners of Château Gazin. The Petrus estate now covers 11.3 hectares.

The acquisition of the entire Petrus estate was truly the high point of Jean-Pierre Moueix's career. When he passed away in 2003, this native of Correze left behind him a veritable wine empire that is now managed by his two sons, Christian and Jean-François, in perfect harmony. In September 2018, they in turn decided to join forces with Alejandro Santo Domingo, heir to a family that made its fortune in beer, in order to support the development of the estate.

Despite the absence of a website, Petrus has total control over its marketing and communication, cultivating its own mystery. Out of time and not following any fashion, Petrus is today one of the most coveted wines in the world, which contributes to maintain the legend.

Beyond the covetousness and the media coverage, the great strength of the estate is its privileged location and the composition of its soil. Located on the highest point of a plateau, this exceptional terroir is composed of a unique type of clay, called "montmorillonite", dating back more than 40 million years and existing nowhere else. Less permeable, it allows a greater volume of water to be retained and ensures that the vines receive a regular supply of water even during the hottest periods.

The vineyard, planted exclusively with Merlot, is the object of the most attentive care. With a vineyard that is over 40 years old and pampered like a treasure, Petrus perpetuates the conditions to produce ever more exceptional vintages year after year.

The production of these masterpieces, which averages 30,000 bottles per year, is entrusted to Jean-Claude Berrouet, the oenologist in charge of vinification at the Moueix estates since 1964, assisted by his son, Olivier, since the 2008 vintage.

The grapes are harvested by hand and vinified in cement vats. The wine is then aged for 12 to 16 months in oak barrels before bottling.

Quality being a real obsession, some years have not produced a vintage at Petrus. On the other hand, among the greatest vintages of the estate, we can mention 1982, 1989, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2006 and of course 2010, which we present today...tasting: "The nose, discreet at the beginning, reveals delicate notes of spices. After aeration, black fruits come next, a real explosion. The terroir reveals itself, wet earth, graphite and a swirl of flowers.

On the palate, a rarely equalled harmony of fruit and spices, supported by an exemplary finesse of wood, velvet, until a goldsmith's finish, on silky tannins.

An exceptional wine, which draws its depth from its black clay terroir, the perfect balance, just sublime." Christophe Montaud - Chef Sommelier at The House of Grauer.

PETRUS - Pomerol - 2010 - Bottle of 75 cl

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The bottom of the label reads