Description

Little known 50 years ago, this chateau has seen the rise of a myth about the uniqueness of its wine. The wine’s inimatibility is due to many factors, first of all, an exceptional terroir – 40 meters above sea level, the highest point of the appellation – with a layer of heavy clay soil and an iron subsoil. These are ideal conditions for the expression of the Merlot grape. With such a special terroir, the approach in the vineyard and cellar is traditional and respectful.

The work done in the vineyard is fastidious – severe pruning in the winter, regular ploughing, crop-thinning, de-leafing, manicuring the clusters in the summer – and allows the perfect ripening of the fruit. The grape are manually harvested within two afternoons and sorted before crush.

Fermentation is carried out gently, without any overextraction, in temperature-controlled concrete tanks. The blend, very often pure Merlot, is defined in December and the young wine is aged in 100% new oak barrels.

This property made famous by Madame Edmond Loubat and then by Monsieur Jean-Pierre Moueix, culminates at 130 feet on the plateau of Pomerol. Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix is responsible for the cultivation, vinification and aging as well as the export distribution of Petrus wines.

A magical effort from Petrus, the 2000 has continued to gain weight and stature. From the bottle, it is a perfect wine, much like the 1998. The color is inky plum purple to the rim and the nose, which starts slowly, begins to roar after several minutes, offering up scents of smoke, blackberries, cherries, licorice, and an unmistakable truffle underbrush element. On the palate, this enormous effort is reminiscent of dry vintage port, with fabulous ripeness, a huge, unctuous texture, enormous body, and a colossal 65-second finish. I did not have the benefit of tasting it side by side with the equally perfect 1998, but it appears the 2000 is a more massive, macho masculine wine, with more obvious tannin and structure than the seamless 1998. It is another wine to add to the legacy of the great vintages of Petrus. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.

Critical Acclaim

RP100
Robert Parker s Wine Advocate
A prodigious Petrus, this wine has that extra level of intensity and complexity that is monumental. The magic is clearly Petrus, and the 2000 will always be an interesting vintage to compare to another legend in the making, the 1998, or more recently, of course, the 2005, 2008, and 2009. Extremely full-bodied, with great fruit purity, an unmistakable note of underbrush, black truffle, intense black cherries, licorice, and mulberry, the wine seems to show no evidence of oak whatsoever. It has a sumptuous, unctuous texture, plenty of tannin, but also vibrancy and brightness. This is a remarkable wine that seems slightly more structured and massive than the 1998, which comes across as slightly more seamless, as if it were haute couture. This wine needs at least another 5-10 years of cellaring and should age for 50+ years.
W&S94
Wine & Spirits
JS93
James Suckling
A delicious nose of black olives, brown sugar, and sliced plums. Full bodied but shy, with a dense palate and soft and silky tannins. Flavors of milk chocolate, plums, and light vanilla bean come through. This is so good now, but wait three to four years to really see it shine. Find the wine
WS93
Wine Spectator
Elegant, this starts slowly, unveiling stylish tobacco leaf and singed sandalwood notes first, with the core of soft plum cake and dried currant fruit taking time to catch up. When it does, the finish takes on new life, with warm tar and ganache flavors filling in and expanding the experience. A wine that seems to be growing still. I d hold off a bit longer.—2000 Bordeaux blind retrospective (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2028.