Petrus 2015

Reserved right now, but there is a well of blackberry, boysenberry and plum coulis flavors in reserve here, infused with black tea, anise and singed spice elements. Remarkably silky, elegant and extremely long, this unfurls ever so slowly in the glass, beguiling with texture and fruit purity. Best from 2022 through 2042. 2,500 cases made.

This is like drinking liquid black currants and blackberries. The wine has great intensity and richness from the superbly generous Merlot. The wood aging shows as a hint in the background, with the bold black fruit and ample acidity dominating. Drink from 2026.

The best yet from winemaker Olivier Berrouet (first vintage 2008). 30% of the crop was declassified. Lots of lift and energy. Lively aromatic expression with floral, dark fruit and liquorice notes. Palate ripe, juicy and refreshing, the texture smooth and polished. Structured attack and then great depth and persistence. Powerful but with charm.

The aromas to this are a reference for Pomerol with truffles, black olives, black licorice and dark fruit. Even brown sugar. Full-bodied, layered and multi-dimensional. Chocolate underlines the character above. The perfect tannin texture, length and balance make you think you're dreaming. All about harmony and beauty. Love to taste it now but needs at least five or six years.

Tasted blind. Very transparent. Hint of cocoa on the nose. Very light in terms of impact. Dusty, pinched finish. Not a great pleasure. Rather unappetising and stringy. (When the identity of this wine was revealed I wondered whether this was a perfect bottle.) (JR)

Violets, lilies and the wrapper of a fine, Cuban cigar appear without the asking and fuse expertly with black and blue fruit, smoke, incense and damp earth. On the palate, this wine is pure eroticism in texture, royal, arousing yet discreet and with an exotic, cherry liqueur, dark chocolate and licorice presence in the finish. There is length, intensity and a deep, decadent endnote that must last at least 60 seconds. Produced from 100% Merlot, the wine reached 14.6% with pH 3.7. The harvest started September 14, finishing September 29. What made this vintage extraordinary for Petrus was the extended hang time, which for most years is close to 45 days. But with the 2015 vintage, the hang time during the harvest took between 50 and 60 days. 99 - 100 Pts

Dark ruby garnet with purple reflections and subtle rim brightening. Fine hints of cloves on the inviting, dark berry fruit nose. Some touches of cardamom and floral nuances, as well as more savoury black truffle - a seductive bouquet. Juicy, with great fruit concentration - at the same time very fresh and elegant. Silky tannins carry the palate along and lead to a sweet, long lasting finish. A great Pétrus, both vital and mineral, endowed with a secure future.

The 2015 Château Petrus is undoubtedly one of the gems of the vintage and will probably merit a perfect score in another decade. Even so, it has the sexy, exotic nature of the vintage front and center and offers a huge perfume of black currants, kirsch liqueur, Asian spices, and incense. As always, this beauty is 100% Merlot that was brought up in 50% new wood in 2015. A wine that opens up beautifully with time in the glass, it has beautiful mid-palate depth, sweet, sweet tannins, and a voluptuous yet weightless texture that needs to be tasted to be believed. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 3-4 decades.

100% Merlot. 40 hl/ha. 30,000 bottles. Extremely deep purple with lilac and violet highlights. A sweet, compact bouquet with plenty of ripe cherries, elderberry and blackcurrant, underpinned by delicate floral, refreshing notes. In the background you also sense a hint of mint and milky chocolate tones. On the palate, complex, showing a magnificent, highly perfumed Merlot sweetness. This Pétrus 2015 is emotionally moving and unquestionably great. Olivier Berrouet: “As the grapes were very ripe, we were able to go full throttle in the cellar. The result: power and finesse. That’s exactly what a truly great Pétrus should be!”

A PÉTRUS THAT MAKES YOU FORGET EVERYTHING Last year, tasting Pétrus 2014 was not easy. It was not very forthcoming and, probably, not exactly a blockbuster vintage. This year, it was easier. Much easier. Once in the glass, Pétrus 2015 immediately took off, revealing itself in a straightforward way in all its immense greatness. With an alcohol level just under 15%, it ranks among the richest vintages of the past decades. As is often the case, the harvest took place entirely in September, starting on the 15th with slightly younger vines and finishing on the 20th and 29th with the old vines. I tasted it at exactly 9:46 a.m. on a Monday morning and I was completely captivated. Then I exchanged a few words with Olivier Berrouet, closed my little silver Rimowa aluminium case and left the tasting room. Barely outside, it occurred to me that I had left my Gabriel Gold glass on the table. So I went back to fetch it. Just outside again, someone came up to me and handed me my black coat, which I had also forgotten inside… 100% Merlot. 40 hl/ha. 30,000 bottles. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. A sweet, compact bouquet packed with ripe cherries, elderberry and blackcurrant, underpinned by fine floral, refreshing notes. In the background, you also sense a hint of mint and touches of milk chocolate. On the palate, it is complex, showing a magnificent, perfumed Merlot sweetness. Pétrus 2015 is emotionally moving and unquestionably great. For me, it had many parallels with the 2000 that I was able to enjoy from a magnum shortly before Christmas. Olivier Berrouet: “Because the grapes were very ripe, we could go full throttle in the cellar. The result: power and finesse. That’s exactly what a truly great Pétrus should be!”

(100% Merlot) A concentrated, complex, sweet and elegant bouquet with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, After Eight, fine rock-candy notes and currants. A tightly knit, elegant, multi-layered, velvety and fresh palate with powerful, varied, dense aromatics, a finely creamy texture, combining power and finesse, with plenty of fine tannins and dense, ripe fruit. A very long, dense, full finish with many subtle echoing aromas. 20/20 2025 - 2050

This is an exceptional Petrus vintage, the architecture remains relatively tight, slate and pumice stone scrape, stunning layers of raspberry, grilled black cherries, leather and fennel. Savoury yet fully ripe, a beautiful sense of contrast, and just beginning to open up and show its potential. The bottle tasted in London was perhaps a little under par, holding things back, but I have a tasting from one month ago where it was showing exceptionally well.

Petrus 2015 has a deep garnet color, with a hint of purple. Upon opening (the bottle was opened in front of me) the nose explodes with an atomic mushroom cloud of molten licorice, black cherry preserves, ripe juicy black plums, and candied violets, followed by hints of Sichuan pepper, Indian spices, crushed rocks, and iron ore. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and fantastically opulent, the palate delivers super-ripe, velvety tannins and amazing tension to the multi-layered black fruits and exotic spices, finishing with incredible length. Polished, pristine, curvaceous and hedonic - out of the gate gorgeous, this baby has a good 50-60 years+ further to go. "The chalkiness of the tannins helps to bring a minerality to this 2015," said winemaker Olivier Berrouet. "Most of the top vintages of Petrus are hard to understand in their youth. The structure of Petrus means the wines take time to express themselves aromatically. From time to time we have wines that are approachable in youth, it brings another level to the wine. When you are more precise in the management of the tannins, of the wood, of the picking dates, you can have this type of wine now, like the 2015."

The wine is impressively creamy, full-bodied and deep. Its freshness reflects perfectly judged fruit ripeness and sets it up for harmonious ageing over decades.

Dark color. Splendid nose. An enchanting wine, open and expressive, full of charm—an incredible charm—with very gentle extraction and 100% barrel vinification. The clay soils withstood the drought; flowering took place over five days. Harvest ran from the 15th to the 29th; some plots had to be picked 47 days after mid-veraison, others 60 days after. Vat time ranged from 24 to 28 days instead of 15. Pump-overs up to 1010, no more. 6 to 7% press wine. pH 3.7, 14.5% ABV, with a creamy texture (2009 pH 3.9). Much longer than 2009, longer than 2010: blueberry, blackcurrant, and unrivaled complexity.

Deep garnet red. An intense, complex bouquet marked by a multitude of fruits such as cherries, raspberries and blueberries, with notes of liquorice. Like the nose, the attack is an intense succession of sensations; it is luscious, elegant and fruity. On the palate, the wine is perfectly balanced. The structure underpins the whole tasting experience and is in harmony with well-integrated tannins of very fine grain and exceptional power. A quiet strength that manages its power with restraint. A truly great Petrus with a long future ahead, and one that could join the estate’s Hall of Fame. An elegantly and subtly powerful wine with a dazzling evolution on the palate.

A deep, intense, beautiful color. The nose is somewhat restrained, with ripe, silky fruit. This silkiness comes through right from the attack, as the wine unfolds generously yet with great precision, with a crystalline texture. It melts into a finish with a hint of violet and a complex, powerful flavor that is also wonderfully smooth. Great length.