Professional Reviews
Antonio Galloni
AG
94
"The 2017 Pétrus, as usual, is a wine that bides its time and I left my glass for five minutes before broaching. Bottled at the beginning of August 2019 it gradually unfurls with a mixture of red and black fruit, those pressed irises that I remarked upon out of barrel, now a hint of steaming espresso in the background. The palate is very smooth and quite plush on the entry. It has a frame of very pliant tannins, notes of mulberry mixed with black truffle and white pepper. This is a gentle and self-effacing, nonchalant Pétrus, not a headline grabber like the succeeding vintage, rather a Pétrus that just wants to be consumed. It deserves four or five years in bottle to manifest more secondary notes, and it will go on to give 25-30 years of drinking pleasure, taking account of its unerring longevity." -Neal Martin
Robert Parker
RP
98
"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Petrus comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notions of Black Forest cake, blueberry preserves and Christmas pudding with nuances of molten chocolate, Chinese five spice, candied violets, licorice and kirsch plus wafts of roses and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and fantastically concentrated, the palate has compelling freshness and a solid base of wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins, finishing very long and opulent. The aromatics at this youthful stage are atypical for Petrus and quite stunning—this 2017 is a bombshell! Furthermore, it is a unique style for this estate and one avid collectors should seek out!" -Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Decanter
D
97
"There was no frost here, but they still had to contend with 100mm of rain at the end of June, then one-third of regular rainfall over July and August, then rain again in September. The young vines were more affected by drought, but the older vines had to be left for a few weeks to digest the early September rains. As you might expect, we don't need to worry unduly about winemaker Olivier Berrouet's ability to handle it - but you can certainly see that he had to make a number of careful choices. The harvest, for example, was from 8-28 September - a long spread for such a small vineyard, but they needed to be really careful and work plot by plot. The resulting wine has an extremely powerful nose; the aromatics are high and very complex. On the palate I get dark chocolate, slate, liquorice and damson flesh, giving a dense, compact structure followed by a floral finish. It's fresh and complex, with notable spice. The tannins are deceptive, building over the palate to a fairly tannic finish, and it's very persistent, not a large step down from the last two years, even if it's not quite at their heights. Higher alcohol than most this year, but well balanced."
Wine Spectator
WS
98
"This delivers a torrent of pure, unadulterated raspberry fruit that extends effortlessly through the finish, while hints of incense, mineral and rooibos tea glisten tantalizingly throughout. Shows terrific cut and precision, with eye-catching detail."
Wine Enthusiast
WE
96
"Jammy ripe fruit aromas lead to a wine that is powerfully structured and solid. With rich berry flavors and density, the wine is concentrated while also exuberant. The flavors are just developing, with great ripe fruits showing strongly."
