2017 Petrus

Deceptively alluring a few months after bottling, the 2017 Petrus is attractive and nuanced, and yet I get the impression it is going through a rather awkward stage. Floral and blood orange overtones add freshness and inner perfume to a Petrus that will age more on finesse than power. Olivier Berrouet opted for longer skin contact than normal, about 30 days, with pumpovers of one volume of wine per day at the beginning of fermentation. Malolactic fermentation took place in steel. The 2017 spent about 14 months in oak and then four months in tank prior to being bottled in July 2019.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Petrus comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notions of Black Forest cake, blueberry preserves and Christmas pudding with nuances of molten chocolate, Chinese five spice, candied violets, licorice and kirsch plus wafts of roses and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and fantastically concentrated, the palate has compelling freshness and a solid base of wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins, finishing very long and opulent. The aromatics at this youthful stage are atypical for Petrus and quite stunning—this 2017 is a bombshell! Furthermore, it is a unique style for this estate and one avid collectors should seek out!

The 2017 Petrus, 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 Petrus, not a headline grabber like the succeeding vintage, rather a Petrus 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.