What makes Petrus so expensive?

The main reason why Petrus wine is so expensive is because of its rarity. It consists entirely of Merlot grapes grown in iron-rich clay soil, a unique factor that isn’t found in any other vineyard in the area!

How long does Petrus last?

Pétrus is known for its great aging potential. Basically, a 15 year old Pétrus is still a baby. And good vintages only reache their peak after 20 to 45 years. Finding it too hard to wait and no moral problems with the “baby murder” of opening a young Pétrus?

Is Petrus a good wine?

Pétrus can be very good in less-than-stellar vintages, like 1997, 1994 and 1993, in part because of its unique soil, an outcropping of clay that forms the highest point in Pomerol and retains water even in drought years and yet is well-drained enough to shed excessive precipitation.

What is special about Petrus wine?

The blue clay subsoils of Petrus are what make the wines so special. Petrus is distinctive as its entire vineyard is right on top of the clay, while neighboring vineyards only have a portion of blue clay in their soils. From this unique soil and terroir, Petrus only produces one wine.

Is a case of Chateau Petrus worth $41K?

Last year, a case of Chateau Petrus ‘98 sold for $41,500. With its exceptional quality and character, Petrus is one of the most celebrated and privileged wines of Bordeaux. But is a mere sip of Petrus really worth that much?

What kind of wine is Petrus?

The 1996 Petrus is a big, monolithic, foursquare wine with an impressively opaque purple color, and sweet berry fruit intermixed with earth, pain grille, and coffee scents. Full-bodied and muscular, with high levels of tannin, and a backward style, this wine (less than 50% of the production was bottled as Petrus) will require patience.

Is Petrus Merlot a chateau?

Petrus is not actually a ‘chateau’ per se, although it is often referred to as such. Ownership: Jean-Francois Moueix. Merlot is a red wine grape variety with strong historic ties to Bordeaux and the southwest of France. It is the predominant variety in most wines from Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, the area in which the variety originated.

Why is soetheby’S Petrus so rare?

The extreme rarity is why Serena Sutcliffe, Soetheby’s head of wine, once said that “the highest compliment you can pay a guest is to open a bottle of Petrus for him or her.” While most vineyards range from 50 to 100 hectares, the vineyard of Petrus only spans 11.42 hectares, made up almost entirely from Merlot grapes.