Petrus 2005

A sleeping giant. Dark ruby in color, showing aromas of blackberry, cèpe and green olive, with a hint of mineral. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a supercaressing mouthfeel. Turns to coffee, dark chocolate and berry. Chewy yet balanced. Very, very long in the mouth. The finish is absolutely breathtaking. Best after 2013.

95-97 Barrel sample. As always, a class apart, Pétrus is dense but elegant. It has a great combination of power and elegance, superripe fruit and complexity of flavors, but wears all this with such style.

Tasted blind. Very savoury and appetising. Round and sweet. A real charmer with such great balance that I swallowed it! Really lovely. No rough edges. Long. (JR)

For me, Petrus 2005 remains to this day the finest young wine I’ve ever had the chance to taste from barrel anywhere in the world. And even 18 years later, this wine impressed with its incredible intensity and power, its magnificent breadth and great structure. Some tasters that evening preferred the slightly more elegant 2019. With an enormous tarry note in the background, the 2005 is highly complex, powerful and complete. With tremendous, taut, wiry tension and seemingly endless reserves of strength, this impulsive Pomerol delivers an indescribable force and concentration, without ever appearing heavy or broad. A monumental Petrus that can continue to age for a long time.

06: Dense, rich garnet-purple. Powerful, concentrated bouquet, still restrained; lots of red, peppery berries, followed by rose perfume, clove notes, fresh noble woods, a fine touch of beech, Dominican tobacco. Juicy palate, plenty of red berries in a thick, creamy extract; elderberry, coconut sweetness, light praline chocolates; a focused, extremely long finish driven by a refreshing, acid-fruit character. In such a great vintage, the question naturally arises: what is the hierarchy among the Pomerols? Pétrus is certainly among the best, but it has never had so many competitors—either challenging its position or even overtaking it during the first 15 years. The hottest candidates for the podium are surely Gazin, Lafleur, Eglise-Clinet, Evangile, Certan de May. And then, perhaps even first and foremost, Trotanoy or Hosanna from the same stable. (19/20). 15: Very dark wine-red, purple toward the rim and almost black at the core. The nose is concentrated, closed, and yet somehow explosive! The opening is more spicy than fruity: lots of ground black pepper, delicate smoky notes. It feels shut down, but you sense its dramatic depth. You really have to meet the wine halfway and try to draw something out of its depths. After two minutes, the exorbitant fruit gradually pushes to the surface: blackcurrant, blackberry, mulberry, raspberry, strawberry, then ginger, coconut, praline, sandalwood. Everything is seamless, with dramatic intensity. On the palate this absolute perfection continues; the tannins are incredibly noble, and the overall astringency is regal. The crazy thing: this dramatic Pomerol is still far too young, yet you immediately crave a second sip. Once the wine is gone, it’s enough to moisten your tongue again with saliva and it starts all over. The finish is like a roaring berry cocktail. I had not encountered this wine again since my—already thrilling—primeur sip back then. This was far more than just a happy reunion. And then I had written this text, and someone commented on the flight; I listened for ten minutes, and the wine would not leave my palate—it simply stuck there with its gigantic aromatics. “Wine of the competition,” pardon “the wine of the evening!” 20/20 begin

Velvety, dense, complex, elegant, fresh bouquet: black cherries, mint, After Eight, fresh plums, coconut, pralines. A balanced, tightly knit, layered and elegant palate with sweet, refined fruit, fine tannins, dense, powerful aromatics, and a very long, delicate finish with plenty of retronasal aromas. 20/20 2020 - 2050

Logo on the cork: SFI Bad bottle Overripe fruity aromas on the nose. Straightforward palate with a dry finish.

The Petrus 2005 might not be the cheapest wine that has ever been made, but if somebody else is paying it will blow you away. Unsurprisingly, it is bestowed with a more nuanced bouquet than the Le Pin ’05. It is beautifully defined, crystalline, with vibrant red berry fruit, minerals, iris and smoke. This is utterly profound. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, perfect acidity, slightly savoury fruit with an iron-rich finish. There is amazing persistence here, a Petrus that has finally decided to join the ranks of the great vintages from this Pomerol estate such as the 1970, 1989 and 1998. Sensational, seductive and serious.