1966 Château Petrus

The 1966 Petrus might well be the “hidden gem” of the sixties. Maybe it takes bronze medal after the 1961 and 1964, but it remains a blue-blooded, regal Pomerol that has aged well. This bottle replicates one poured blind by Olivier Bernard at Domaine de Chevalier a couple of years earlier. The bouquet, like many 1966s, is stylistically opposite to the flamboyant 1964: strict, linear, correct with black fruit struck through, with graphite lending it a Left Bank allure (though less Margaux-like than the aforementioned previous bottle). The palate is beautifully balanced, reserved and very correct. Its great virtue is its freshness, allied with an appealing restraint and classicism, brushed with dried leaves and tobacco on the finish. Well kept bottles will continue to give pleasure, but be prepared for one of the classiest, understated mature Petrus you will come across. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at the Épure restaurant in Hong Kong.

Whilst I have tasted many vintages of Petrus, the 1966 Petrus is one that has eluded me. Finally, it appeared in a series of 1966s served blind and frankly, it's quality shone through long before its identity was revealed. You can consider this as the final great Petrus from the original vineyard, before absorbing part of Gazin in 1969. It revels in a stunning bouquet with graphite and bay leaf, as well as very intense black fruit that becomes almost Margaux-like with aeration. The palate is silky smooth with fine tannin, far more reserved and masculine than the 1964 Petrus, yet disarmingly focused and precise, hints of orange peel and morello cherry towards the pixelated finish. What a fabulous Pomerol, one that will last 15-20 years subject to provenance. Tasted April 2016.