Wine Advisor
Petrus 1971
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Description
Petrus is made almost entirely of Merlot grapes grown in Bordeaux's right bank Pomerol appellation. Although never officially classified, the chateau has long been considered on par with the First Growths from the left bank. The ownership of the estate has passed between the Arnaud family in the 19th century, to Madame Loubat at the end of WWII, and finally to Jean-Pierre Moueix in recent years. Petrus's clay soil is rich in iron and the estate's average vine age is 40 years. Chateau Petrus produces approximately 3,000 cases of wine each year.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A deep garnet core with tawny rim. An awesome, almost medicinal nose with a touch of eucalyptus, as if a little Antipodean Shiraz had been blended, though it doubt that! Kirsch and raisin developing on the nose. The palate does not quite live up to expectations. Tannic, complex, a more challenging wine than the Petrus 1975 but lacking its harmony and vigor. Well-balanced, yet linear, especially towards the finish where there is a touch of liquorish. I think this has just past its best, so I'll obviously have to invest in a larger format for my 40th birthday celebrations. Tasted October 2005.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A Possible Legend Candidate
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a sensational Petrus that has drunk well since the mid-1970s. Plum/garnet in color with noticeable orange at the rim, the chocolate, mocha, sweet, fruit-scented bouquet is followed by a rich, velvety, full-bodied wine with layers of silky fruit. The 1971 must surely be the wine of the vintage. Light to moderate tannins and high alcohol will continue to preserve this plump, unctuous wine for another decade. This is Petrus at its most seductive. Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Last tasted, 3/94.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This vintage of Petrus outperformed the 1970 for its first 15-18 years of life. Although it will last for another decade or more, the wine's ostentatious, dramatic style is becoming more muted. Otherwise, it is still a huge, rich, creamy-textured Petrus, with opulently deep, sweet fruit. However, it is soft and may begin to dry out over the next decade.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted alongside the Lafleur-Petrus ’71 at the American Club in Tokyo, there is no doubt which is the better wine, the Petrus noticeable darker in hue. The nose blossoms in the glass over the evening, never tiring although never inclined to reach the dizzy aromatic heights of say the ’71 or the ’75. The nose is mercurial, chocolate and coca at first, quite lactic, then moving towards lavender scents and then finally that peppermint/medicinal aroma that I detected on the previous bottle back in 2005. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine tannins, showing more harmony than I was expecting with modest complexity. Mulberry, dark cherry and a touch of thyme towards the finish with moderate length and persistency. This is simply a lovely Petrus to drink now, but it will not improve. Drink now-2018. Tasted February 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This wine has been seemingly fully mature since the mid- to late seventies. It is a seductive, opulent vintage for Petrus. The color now is a dark garnet with considerable amber at the rim. The incredible nose of Christmas fruitcake intermixed with mocha, jammy kirsch, and black currants is followed by a silky textured, full-bodied, very opulent wine that is still totally intact. The tannins have totally dissipated, and the wine is an unctuous, seductive Petrus that is certainly one of the vintages that is most delicious and compelling. A sensational wine and probably the wine of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: Now-2011. Last tasted, 11/02.
About the Producer
The Patus winery has 11.5 hectares of vineyards. The top layer of the soil in the garden is pure clay, the bottom layer is terracotta, and the deeper layer is lime soil with high iron content, and has a good drainage system. The grape varieties planted are mainly Merlot, accounting for about 95%; the remaining 5% is Cabernet Franc. Because Cabernet Franc matures earlier, unless the vintage is particularly good, Patux winery is generally not used for winemaking. The planting density is 6,000 trees per hectare, and the average age of the trees is around 40 years, and some are even 80 years old. The operator adopts a more traditional method in the renewal of the vineyard, that is, through the selection, the best quality grape vine is used as the "mother plant", which is the same as the method when the Chateau Conti eradicated the old roots in 1946. The vineyard also adopts strict "fruit control". Each plant retains several bud eyes, and each bud eye leaves only one bunch of grapes. The goal is to fully ripen, but avoid over-ripening, otherwise it will affect the delicate flavor of the wine. In terms of the brewing process, Chateau Patus set the grape harvest time in the afternoon, the purpose is to let the morning sun dry the residual dew from the previous night. Each harvest employs 180 harvesters and takes about half a day to complete 2 to 3 harvests. During the brewing, Patus Winery spared no expense, replacing the wooden barrels (of different materials) every 3 months, and the aging time is about 20-22 months. Patus winery attaches great importance to quality and only selects the best grapes. In some bad years, such as 1991, it even stops production. The average annual output of Chateau Patus is no more than 30,000 bottles, which is extremely limited and expensive. Petrus, Pomerol, France is dark in color and has a delicate and rich aroma. Among the aromas of blackcurrant and mint, there are also many aromas such as blackberry, cream, chocolate, truffle, milk and oak. The taste is silky Slippery, long aftertaste.
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