Wine Advisor
Petrus 1979
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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: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1979 Petrus continues to be less and less impressive every time I taste it. While still young and unevolved, there is a leanness and compact taste that I find very un-Petrus-like. The nearly non-existent nose offers whiffs of dusty red fruits, earth, vanillin, and spices. Medium-bodied, as well as surprisingly high in acidity, with astringent tannins that make it taste hard, this wine appears to be a malnourished, atypical Petrus. Given its acidity and tannin it will undoubtedly last 20 years, but how much joy it is capable of providing remains open to debate. Last tasted, 7/93.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I remember how stunning the 1979 Petrus was from cask, but it has never lived up to its early potential. Even from an Imperial, the 1979 Petrus is a lean, compact, tannic, hard, austere wine lacking the richness and charm of the vintage's top Pomerols. The color was a healthy medium ruby. While the wine does not possess the vegetal overtones of the 1978, it leaves a great deal to be desired. The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series VI - Flight A of the 1995 tasting conducted in Munich by Helga and Hardy Rodenstock. Many years after the tasting from which this note derives allegations were made concerning the authenticity of old and rare bottles of wine sold by Hardy Rodenstock to collectors around the world. The matter has been the subject of numerous articles, litigation and at least one book. Mr. Parker believes that the wines served to him at this tasting were authentic so this note and the others from that specific tasting continue to be posted on eRobertParker.com.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I remember how stunning the 1979 Petrus was from cask, but it has never lived up to its early potential. Even from an Imperial, the 1979 Petrus is a lean, compact, tannic, hard, austere wine lacking the richness and charm of the vintage’s top Pomerols. The color was a healthy medium ruby. While the wine does not possess the vegetal overtones of the 1978, it leaves a great deal to be desired. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 12/95.
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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