1970 | Petrus | Pomerol

Red Wine: 1970 | Petrus | Pomerol

Deep garnet, with a brownish rim; hint of oxidation on the nose, but tar and cassis evident also; very rich, round and full, but slightly diffuse compared to Vieux Certan and Conseillante and less concentrated.

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Producer: Petrus

Ratings: WA | 99 JS | 99

Vintage: 1970

Size: 750ml

ABV: 12.5%

Varietal: Merlot

Country/Region: France, Bordeaux

Deep garnet, with a brownish rim; hint of oxidation on the nose, but tar and cassis evident also; very rich, round and full, but slightly diffuse compared to Vieux Certan and Conseillante and less concentrated.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: This dark garnet-colored wine shows considerable amber at the edge. I have always had a tenency to taste this side by side with the 1971, and it has been fascinating how the 1971 was fully mature at a much younger age yet continued to hold onto life without losing any of its seductive fruit and intensity. The 1970 started off life more tannic, backward, massive, but needing considerable time, and it has now hit full stride. It is a profound Petrus, and certainly one of the great Petrus of the last half century. The wine has a huge nose of cedar, caramel, vanilla, tobacco, fruitcake, and licorice-infused black cherry jam. It is unctuously textured and very full-bodied, with extraordinary sweetness and glycerin, and a layered, viscous finish.

• James Suckling: I drank this last year with some wine collector friends you guessed it: in Hong Kong! Its a very special bottle Ive been lucky enough to have tried on a number of occasions, and it never disappoints. The nose shows olives, brown sugar and dark fruit. Its full and joyous with round tannins and a flavorful finish. Truly sublime, and among the great vintages of this legendary estate such as 1947, 1990, or 1998.

Producer Information

Petrus is easily Pomerol’s most important wine, and is one of the most notable estates in Bordeaux. The Merlot-based wine comes from an 11.4-hectare (28-acre) vineyard in the eastern part of the Pomerol appellation, and is known for being rich and powerful, with characteristics of chocolate, spice and black fruit. Petrus is one of the world’s most collectable and expensive wines. Records of Petrus date back to 1837 but the estate’s superstardom has come more recently, when the Moueix family bought a half share in 1962. Since then, it has become a fixture in cellars and on auction lists, and consistently fetches higher prices than many of the Bordeaux first growths. The original 7-hectare (17-acre) vineyard is located on a mound where the soil is almost all clay, unlike nearby properties where there is more gravel or sand in the soil. The high clay content is particularly suitable for Merlot a unique second layer of dense blue clay forces root systems to spread sideways. This feature is often credited with giving Petrus its soft but abundant tannins. The remaining vineyard was acquired from neighboring Chteau Gazin in 1969. The vines at Petrus are allowed to reach an unusually old age by Bordeaux standards. They are only replanted after 70 years. The grapes are painstakingly hand-harvested one berry at a time in the afternoon, after the morning dew has evaporated to avoid any dilution. Fermentation takes place in concrete vats, and vats are carefully scrutinized before assemblage. Oak usage has changed over the years in the 1980s Petrus saw all new oak, but now the amount of new oak is closer to 50 percent. After 18 to 20 months in barrel, the wine is bottled without filtration.