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  • Country ranking ?

    683
  • Producer ranking ?

    29
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Herb Roasted Prime Rib

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

Drinking Pétrus may be an unforgettable experience. We has been lucky to have the opportunity to taste most of its great vintages. That is why wine enthusiasts often come to us for advice. First, WeI advise you to choose a good vintage, an excellent one if your wallet allows. If you taste a poor vintage, you will notice how it raises above most other wines of the same vintage, but you will miss the actual point of Pétrus.

Second, purchase wine that is at least 10 to 20 years old, because a young Pétrus is difficult to approach, besides which oak and tannins predominate in its taste. Young Pétrus may be impressive, but it ages fantastically and requires more time than any other Pomerol wine to reach its culmination. Finally, We would advise you to decant the wine with care and well in advance, and also to give it time to develop in the glass. Then you will have the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable experience.

 

Little known 50 years ago, this château has seen the rise of a myth about the uniqueness of its wine. The wine’s inimatibility is due to many factors, first of all, an exceptional terroir - 40 meters above sea level, the highest point of the appellation - with a layer of heavy clay soil and an iron subsoil. These are ideal conditions for the expression of the Merlot grape. With such a special terroir, the approach in the vineyard and cellar is traditional and respectful.

The work done in the vineyard is fastidious - severe pruning in the winter, regular ploughing, crop-thinning, de-leafing, manicuring the clusters in the summer - and allows the perfect ripening of the fruit. The grape are manually harvested within two afternoons and sorted before crush.

Fermentation is carried out gently, without any overextraction, in temperature-controlled concrete tanks. The blend, very often pure Merlot, is defined in December and the young wine is aged in 100% new oak barrels.

This property made famous by Madame Edmond Loubat and then by Monsieur Jean-Pierre Moueix, culminates at 130 feet on the plateau of Pomerol. Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix is responsible for the cultivation, vinification and aging as well as the export distribution of Petrus wines.

 

 

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Wine Information

When the 1950s rolled around, vineyards and their production equipment were still in poor condition. The economy was faltering and ageing grapevines were decreasing vineyard productivity. Considerably higher prices were paid on the world market for top wines from Mosel and Rheingau as well as Burgundy, thus giving an idea as to the esteem in which Bordeaux wines were held. The demand for Bordeauxs had bottomed out. The greatest demand for them was in England, with the American market opening toward the end of the decade. In order to find a solution to the situation, producers and merchants established the La Commanderie de Bordeaux, which was founded in 1952. Its objective was to market the region’s wines through a network of affiliate organisations spanning the globe. However, the process of change took a long time, and the decade went down in history as a difficult one. From a consumer’s standpoint, the 1950s are remembered as a decade when Bordeaux wines could still be had at affordable prices. Even today, the best vintages offer an excellent price-quality ratio.

Although the decade got off to a modest start in terms of crop years, the early 1950s saw some outstanding vintages.
Due to weather conditions and ageing vines, Bordeaux produced fine, concentrated wines in 1952, 1953 and 1955. 1955 was an historic year, as it marked the beginning of a new era for Bordeaux. The reason for this paradigm shift was the shock delivered by a -20°C cold snap in Bordeaux in February of 1956 which killed off a wide swath of vines. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol were hit hardest. Areas least affected by the killing frost still had to deal with a delayed growing season and a cold, rainy summer. Any hopes of having even a mediocre year were lost.
The replanted vines produced their first crop in 1959, which turned out to be an excellent year. The vintage was even proclaimed to be Bordeaux's best vintage of the century. Despite the fact that 1956, 1957 and 1958 were lean wine years, the devaluation of the French franc increased the demand for Bordeaux wine toward the end of the decade. One of the more significant events of the 1950s involved the investments made by Jean-Pierre Mouiex in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, which increased interest in the region, particularly where Pomerol was concerned. Mouiex acquired Trotanoy and La Fleur-Pétrus in 1953, Lagrange in 1954 and Madelaine in 1959.

Upon closer examination of the decade, attention must also be drawn to the 1950 vintage, which offered quantity more than quality - indeed, with welcome exceptions. Due to the relatively rainy summer, expectations for the year were not very high, but the change in weather by the end of the year made it a good one, and in some areas even excellent. The wines lacked the ample and balanced character of the previous year. They were instead noted for their highly tannic quality. But the wines have matured with surprising grace. Many of the wines have become more harmonious as the tannins have faded. Two vintage gems are the Cheval Blanc and Pétrus. On the other hand, the Graves La-Mission-Haut-Brion is an outstanding wine. Although the finest wines are at the peak of their drinkability right now, they will remain there for years to come. Due to the large crop and the very modest reputation of the vintage, these wines can be found at very affordable prices.

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2005 2000 1995
3 890€ +3.5% 3 760€ +2.2% 3 680€ +11.9% 3 289€ +5.5% 3 117€ +16.4% 2 677€ -16.8% 3 219€ +21.2% 2 655€ +56.4% 1 698€ +18.6% 1 432€ +126.2% 633€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Deep and Healthy

ending

Medium, Smooth and Lingering

flavors

Blackberry and Vanilla

nose

Intense, Generous, Ripe and Seductive

recommend

Yes

taste

Complex, Balanced, Unbalanced, Weak, Harmonious, Rich, Ripe and Sweet

Written Notes

Speaking of perfection, the 1950 Petrus was close.  It was deep, dark and rich with a minty freshness, not like that California mint, though.  There was a blueberry appeal here to go with fresh and honeyed flavors.  This was a perfect bottle, both rich and creamy.  It was so plummy and tasty, and its sexy motor oil ignited everyone’s palate.  This was a blueberry bomb that delivered the rarely experienced legend of 1950 Right Bank wines (98).

  • 98p
1950 Château Pétrus Deep brownish red developed colour. Elegant and very complex nose full of promise: bell pepper, leather, tar, mint, licorice, black olives, earthiness, beef stock and toffee. However, the medium bodied palate is already losing its fruit and charm. The tired mouth-feel is smooth with fully matured tannin. Enjoyable today but the wine will no longer improve.
  • 95p
Healthy colour. Sweet and stylish. A bit more lightweight than previous bottles. Unknown négociant bottle.
  • 93p
Deep brownish red developed colour. Elegant nose full of promise: bell pepper, leather, tar, beef stock and toffee. However, the medium bodied palate is already losing its fruit and charm. The tired mouth-feel is smooth with fully matured tannin. Enjoyable today but the wine will no longer improve.
  • 89p
Deep brownish red developed colour. Elegant and very complex nose full of promise: bell pepper, leather, tar, mint, licorice, black olives, earthiness, beef stock and toffee. However, the medium bodied palate is already losing its fruit and charm. The tired mouth-feel is smooth with fully matured tannin. Enjoyable today but the wine will no longer improve.
  • 89p
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Information

Origin

Bordeaux, Pomerol

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

Serious

Other wines from this producer

Saute-Loup Reserve de La Famille

Inside Information

Wine Advocate #95
Oct 1994
Robert M. Parker, Jr. 99 Drink: 1994 - 2024 $4505-$7919 (2200)
Tasted 3 Times With Consistent Notes

It was the extraordinary 1950 Petrus, along with the 1950 Lafleur, first served to me years ago by Jean-Pierre Moueix, that made me realize how spectacular this vintage must have been in Pomerol. The wine is still a young, mammothly-constituted Petrus that is less evolved than more recent knock-out vintages such as 1961. Massive and rich, with spectacular color saturation and the sweet, unctuous texture Petrus obtains in ripe years, this wine will last for another 20-30 years. 
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