2018 Petrus
By Chateau Petrus
2018 Petrus from Château Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux
In the pantheon of celebrated Bordeaux wines, the 2018 Petrus from Château Petrus emerges with a narrative steeped in climatic resilience and enological prowess. This particular chapter of the Pomerol legend reveals the astute adaptation and masterful artistry that defines great vintages.
From Challenge to Triumph: The Finesse of 2018
The Pomerol region in 2018 was graced by Venus – playing a fickle diva, bestowing her beneficence after testing the terroir with challenges aplenty. A sullen start with a wet spring gave way to a blaze of glorious sunshine, culminating in a harvest where the Merlot grape, quietly confident on its home turf, found an expression that was both profound and fulfilling. The ensuing creation within this lush bottle from Château Petrus is nothing short of remarkable.
The opulent ruby essence of the 2018 Petrus spins a tale of contrast and harmony. With an aromatic overture that combines dark fruit decadence and an earthy truffle undertone, it sets an olfactory stage that intrigues and invites. On the palate, this vintage unfurls with disciplined power – full-bodied yet silk-lined, a tapestry woven from plush tannins and ripe plum notes interlaced with whispers of chocolate and subtle oak.
An Investment Wrought from Pomerol’s Soil
While collectors may discern the signature Petrus boldness, it is the 2018 vintage's unique poise under pressure that captivates. Forward-thinking investors will note how it resonates with both immediacy and potential - a lustrous gem within any serious portfolio.
At once a tribute to its lineage and a standalone masterpiece, the 2018 Petrus from Château Petrus showcases the resilient heart of Pomerol's terroir. This investment-grade wine not only offers an astute addition to one's cellar but also promises to unfurl its narrative over time into a more complex saga that speaks to both lineage and the triumphs overcome in its making.
Market price (HKD)
HK$381,400.00
12x75cl
Highest score
100
POP score
1995
Scores and tasting notes
This wine leaves me speechless. It has so much intensity and density with fantastic ripe fruit with spices, dark berries and walnuts and hazelnuts Currants and licorice. Violets and earth. Full-bodied, very, very tannic yet polished and beautiful. Lasts forever on the palate. Reminds me of the great 1998.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com - April 2019
The 2018 Petrus has retained its opaque purple-black color after bottling, foreshadowing the seemingly frozen-in-time glacial pace at which this wine is proceeding. It opens very reluctantly, requiring considerable air with vigorous swirling and doggedly demands a few hours before it offers glimpses at this slumbering giant of a wine. As it eventually unfurls, it slowly morphs into a powerful, fantastically pure nose of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and blueberry compote, followed by nuances of molten licorice, dark chocolate, black truffles, iron ore and, still later, floral notions of lilacs and rose oil come through. The full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and oh-so-tightly wound at this stage, revealing peeks at many, many layers of perfectly ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices and earthy notions for which words simply fail. The texture is at once rock solid and fantastically plush, with impeccably knit freshness, finishing so long you really can't taste or think of anything else for the rest of the day. Here is a heart-stopping titan that puts paid to all those naysayers who contest that perfection in wine cannot exist. It will require a good 8-10 years to hit its stride, then it is very likely to outlive us all, but you will want to make certain you drink this one before you go.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 31 March 2021
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2018 Petrus is a little slow to reveal itself, opening out to beautiful floral notions of violets, red roses and lavender with emerging scents of blueberry compote, powdered cinnamon, star anise, fragrant earth and unsmoked cigars plus nuances of black tea, cardamom, rose hips, iron ore and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, the palate builds very slowly in the mouth, growing to a crescendo of black and blue fruit with an aria of earth and exotic spice accents, finishing with the most amazing perfume, all draped in super plush, seductive tannins, ending with just enough freshness to make the beguiling flavor waves go on and on. Big, bold and opulent yet with fantastic muscle and energy, this timeless 2018 is nothing short of mind blowing.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 23rd April 2019
The 2018 Petrus is a magnificent wine. There is not much else to say. From the very first taste, the 2018 Petrus is simply magical. Dark, sumptuous and beautifully resonant on the palate, the 2018 offers superb richness, aromatic depth and intensity. Blueberry, spice, black pepper, licorice and earthy notes open up in the glass, but it is the wine's vivid beauty and extraordinary harmony that stand out most. I don't think I have ever tasted a young Petrus with such silky, suave tannins. "We lowered the canopies and left more leaf cover to protect the fruit," Technical Director Olivier Berrouet told me. "The berries were especially small. Cuvaison was a bit longer than normal, but we chose to extract more gently."
Antonio Galloni - Vinous - April 2019
There is an intensity, concentration and richness to the fruit in this wine with the one-two sleight of hand between density and elegance that everyone talks about but few people actually get right. This is unquestionably full of plush yet tight cassis, blueberry, tobacco, graphite, chocolate and slate with a fresh mint finish, but it’s elegant and pure, full of pleasure and juice with tannins that have the silky hidden power that is so cherished in Petrus. Grape skins were thick at harvest, with huge tannic potential, but there is an approachability to this wine that makes it one of the more elegant Petrus’ of recent years with so much hidden that by the time the tannins and power have built up, you are enveloped by them almost without noticing. To achieve all this, they kept extraction careful and light, just a little longer than usual but as an infusion, with tiny amounts of pumping juice over the skins. The harvest took place between 13 September and 27 September. 50% new oak. A yield of 37hl/ha which is relatively normal here.
Jane Anson - Decanter - April 2019