PETRUS 2021

An elegant, civilized expression of this terroir, the 2021 Château Petrus is, as always, 100% Merlot and it's medium to full-bodied, with an almost bloody edge to its ripe red and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco, sappy flowers, and iron. With beautiful mid-palate depth, fine tannins, and a layered, elegant mouthfeel that has solid underlying structure, it's going to be ready to go with just 4-6 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following two decades.

The 2021 Pétrus, which was bottled last June, as usual takes a few swirls of the glass to really settle into its groove. Olivier Berrouet said that he did not try to push this wine, decreasing the percentage of new oak and shortening the time in barrel by a couple of months. It eventually offers scents of black cherries, bilberry, light incense and hints of lavender that come through with aeration, all with very fine definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very well-balanced, fresh and more saline than recent vintages. Silky-smooth toward the finish, this is a classically styled Pétrus that has a glorious future ahead. 13.2% alcohol.

Beautiful length and depth here for the vintage, with blackberry, raspberry and blueberry character. Cloves and sandalwood, too. Full and layered. Ripe and ample, yet balanced and fresh. Crunchy and very bright.

One of the most structured, introverted wines of the appellation, the 2021 Pétrus unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, licorice and black truffle, framed by an extremely discreet patina from its élevage in barrel. Full-bodied, ample and concentrated, it's lively and intensely flavored, built around bright acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the long, sapid finish. This is a terrific effort in a challenging vintage from Olivier Berrouet and his team, but it will require patience.