Wine Advisor
Petrus 1983
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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.
Some may rate this wine higher, but I find it entirely too herbaceous to merit better marks. The medium to dark ruby color reveals noticeable amber at the edge. The cedary, herbal, spicy nose is of moderate intensity. Medium to full-bodied, with obvious ripeness and coarse tannins in the finish, this wine continues to taste rough-textured. I remain unconvinced that it possesses the requisite amount of fruit to balance out the tannins. Nevertheless, it should last for at least 15-20 more years. Last tasted, 7/93.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Talk about a thrill a second, as well as unprecedented decadence (at least for me), consider the rarity of a flight of six double magnums of Petrus! Because there were not many people at the tasting, there was the possibility of having several large glasses of these wines, making judging them all the more fun. And let's not forget the medical benefit of flushing the fat out of one's arteries with such remarkable juice! The fully mature 1983 Petrus (even from double magnums) is a weedy, herbaceous, vegetal-scented wine with plenty of sweet, somewhat disjointed fruit flavors, medium to full body, and copious quantities of glycerin and alcohol that are not entirely balanced by fruit. It is just not as harmonious or well-balanced as it should be. Drink it over the next 5-10 years. I have never been especially enamored with this vintage of Petrus. The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series IV - Flight B 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: Neal Martin
Tasted at Benoit restaurant in New York. It has been five years since I last tasted this Petrus. Here in New York, the bottle is showing better than before. It has a fresh, lifted bouquet with wild strawberry mixed with cooked meat and that roasted chestnut that I have noticed before. The palate is medium-bodied and showing a little more weight than I recall, although it is still very foursquare and conservative. There is a sense of breeding and elegance here, but it is not translated into complexity or length. I suspect it would struggle to compete against Lafleur ’83, but it remains a serviceable Petrus that should be drunk over the next decade. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at “The Sampler” in London. A light brick/garnet core with a rusty rim. The Petrus ’83 had a surprisingly upfront nose, more like and ’85, fleshy and generous with notes of wild strawberry, bacon fat, chestnut at black coffee. Good definition. The palate is medium-bodied, a little dry on the entry and some bitterness on the mid-palate. The palate is quite different from the nose: more typical of the vintage and though it has a certain elegance, it fades towards the austere finish and ends up as a rather ordinary Pomerol that has admittedly lasted well, but does not really inspire reverence. Drink now-2010. Tasted December 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Weedy, herbaceous, vegetal notes intermixed with notes of tea, earthy cherries, and a hint of licorice are all present in the aromas and the attack. In the mouth the wine is medium-bodied and beginning to shows some very hard, astringent tannin in the finish, which has become increasingly attenuated over the last several years. This wine needs to be drunk up. Another disappointing Petrus. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 11/02.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1983 Petrus is a vintage that I have only encountered on one or two occasions. It has an easygoing nose with leather and game, perhaps a little dustiness that detracts from its definition. It is not fatigued but you could say that the batteries are down to a single bar. The palate is balanced but rather angular, the tannins now having dried out somewhat and there is some bitterness evident on the finish. This is never going to be a great or arguably even a good Petrus. Drink soon. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at the Épure restaurant in Hong Kong.
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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