Petrus 2017

Astonishingly ripe and full-bodied, with first-class, supportive tannins and a surprising cherry jam finish; a particularly distinctive style.

This delivers a torrent of pure, unadulterated raspberry fruit that extends effortlessly through the finish, while hints of incense, mineral and rooibos tea glisten tantalizingly throughout. Shows terrific cut and precision, with eye-catching detail. Drink now through 2040.

Jammy ripe fruit aromas lead to a wine that is powerfully structured and solid. With rich berry flavors and density, the wine is concentrated while also exuberant. The flavors are just developing, with great ripe fruits showing strongly. Drink from 2024.

One of the very few in the vintage where there is real flesh on the bones, and plenty of it. The danger in dry years is that tannins can become too angular and the overall feel too austere, but here they have successfully managed to maintain juice and aromatics. A three-week harvest at Pétrus, a long window for this property where the terroir is so even. There is an awful lot to recommend here, and it is easily one of the best wines of the year. The aromatic side is extremely enjoyable: touches of fresh hay, lovely gentle spice, tons of dark fruits, cinnamon and complexity. Extremely charming, with lots to say for itself.

I love the aromatics to this with crushed berries, violets and black olives. Hints of vanilla and some caramel. Decadent. Full-bodied and round with very creamy tannins that melt into the wine. It starts off slowly and and then kicks off a few seconds later. The tannins are extremely polished and refined. Hard not to drink now, but wait. Try after 2025.

The 2017 Pétrus, as usual, is a wine that bides its time and I left my glass for five minutes before broaching. Bottled at the beginning of August 2019 it gradually unfurls with a mixture of red and black fruit, those pressed irises that I remarked upon out of barrel, now a hint of steaming espresso in the background. The palate is very smooth and quite plush on the entry. It has a frame of very pliant tannins, notes of mulberry mixed with black truffle and white pepper. This is a gentle and self-effacing, nonchalant Pétrus, not a headline grabber like the succeeding vintage, rather a Pétrus that just wants to be consumed. It deserves four or five years in bottle to manifest more secondary notes, and it will go on to give 25-30 years of drinking pleasure, taking account of its unerring longevity.

Truffle, a Cuban cigar wrapper, exotic spice, licorice and lilacs create a complex aromatic profile. Powerful yet poised, rich and fresh, dense and velvety, the finish lingers for close to 60 seconds. The final notes reveal spicy, silky, creamy tannins, ripe, dark plums and deeper red fruits that saturate the palate. The wine is structured with everything needed to age for decades. Produced from 100% Merlot, the harvest began on September 8 and ended on September 28. The wine reached 14.5% ABV with a pH of 3.6. This is the wine of the vintage.

Dark ruby with purple reflections and a narrow bright rim. Intense black berry fruit with hints of juniper and liquorice, smoky-spicy background, black cherry and tangerine zest. Substantial pronounced fruit on the palate with silky texture, fine nougat and salty mineral notes, candied violet and also velvety. Ripe fruit on the finish with great freshness, a touch of strawberry jam, chocolate and liquorice. Already nicely developed and drinking well.

The 2017 Chateau Petrus is, as always, 100% Merlot that's from the top of the Pomerol plateau. The 2017 is an incredibly elegant, perfumed example from this estate that has terrific cassis, raspberry, and red currants fruits as well as lots of floral and violet hints, medium to full body, a beautiful spine of acidity, and building tannins. It's not a blockbuster like the 2015 and 2016, yet it’s flawlessly balanced, with stunning purity of fruit and a great, great finish. Give bottles a solid 7-8 years, and it should keep for 20-25+.

Kunz Fassprobe 18: (100% Merlot) A silky, elegant, complex and fresh bouquet: blueberries, strawberries, pralines, flint, After Eight. A tightly woven, multi-layered, elegant palate with powerful, refined, sweet, fresh fruit, lots of very fine tannin, concentrated, diverse aromatics, a finely creamy, dense structure, and a very long, delicately opulent finish with many lingering echoes.

(100% Merlot) Silky, elegant, complex, fresh bouquet with blueberries, strawberries, pralines, flint, After Eight. Tightly knit, multi-layered, elegant palate with powerful, fine, sweet, fresh fruit, lots of very fine tannin, concentrated, diverse aromatics, a finely creamy, dense structure, and a very long, delicately opulent finish with many lingering flavours. 19/20 2025 - 2048

An intense, juicy, velvety wine with silky tannins and plenty of energy. A truly great wine.

Dense garnet red with violet highlights. The bouquet of Petrus 2017 reveals itself gradually and subtly, highlighting a signature trait of the vintage: the fruit’s freshness, with red berries followed by floral notes. A generous, fruity opening with a pleasant sweetness. The tannins quickly come in to temper the wine’s charm, supported by the structure, lending power and pedigree. The aromatic expression is intense and persistent. A wine with the ability not only to rank among the great Petrus, but above all to remind us that 2017 produced truly great wines—well beyond the context of the vintage itself! Firm, fine-grained tannins, well integrated, in perfect harmony with the pedigree of the structure. Fruity, lingering finish.

First of the vintage En Primeur, this wine has kept its standing after bottling. Tasted in the morning at the château, I went back in the afternoon to sample this opened bottle, kept chilled. For pleasure, I’m sharing both tasting notes with you. Morning. Dark, intense, beautiful colour. Moderately aromatic nose, refined, fruity and pure, opening up with swirling as it gains depth. The attack is both rich and subtle, followed by a delightful mid-palate in which the wine reveals itself to be generous, with a present yet airy body and great brilliance of flavour. The finish is long and utterly impossible to spit. 5 hours later. Dark, intense, beautiful colour. A more intense nose than in the morning, refined, with a more powerful development while remaining subtle. Two aromatic nuances appear: creaminess and almond. Aeration has really knitted the palate together. Now the wine shows meticulous breadth, with great brilliance of flavour, a rounder, more seamless style than in the morning and extremely luscious—something Petrus had not accustomed us to. It is a delight: fragrant, deep, with great class in the overall and final mouthfeel. I would draw your attention to the fact that this is not a lesser vintage for Petrus, but a great one. For the time being, the market doesn’t know it yet, and the price—proportionately—has not followed!