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Pétrus 1961

Château Pétrus, Pomerol, France

Château Pétrus
Pomerol France
  • 100
    Points
  • The 50 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 30 Pros of
    31 recommend
    this wine
1074 100
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    41

  • Producer ranking ?

    4

  • Decanting time

    2h

  • When to drink

    now to 2030

  • Food Pairing

    enjoy without food

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Wine Information

1961 – Bordeaux’n paras vuosikerta koskaan?

teksti: Jan-Erik Paulson kuvat: Pekka Nuikki

Vuosikerran 2007 en-primeur-kampanja on käynnissä, silti bordeaux’laiset tilanomistajat sekä viinikauppiaat ovat olleet epätavallisen hiljaisia. Olen seurannut tätä osaa markkinoista noin 30 vuotta, jona aikana montakin ”vuosisadan vuosikertaa” on nähnyt päivänvalon. Kun viinit sitten on pullotettu ja myyty, tai päinvastoin kuten Bordeaux’ssa tehdään...

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2005 2000
9 120€ +1.8% 8 960€ +8.8% 8 234€ +4.3% 7 892€ +1.7% 7 760€ +13.4% 6 843€ +4.5% 6 549€ +5.4% 6 211€ -7.9% 6 745€ -3.7% 7 005€ -5.6% 7 422€ +67.4% 4 433€ +101.6% 2 199€

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

Syvä, Rubiininpunainen and Kirkas

ending

Pitkä, Viipyvä and Aromikas

flavors

Savuinen, Karhunvatukkaa, Luumua, Tryffeliä, Yrttinen and Suklaata

nose

Moniulotteinen, Hienostunut, Antava and Intensiivinen

recommend

Kyllä

taste

Keskiverto hapokkuus, Korkea alkoholipitoisuus, Keskirunsaat tanniinit, Moniulotteinen, Täydellisen tasapainoinen, Konsentroitunut, Nuorekas, Täyteläinen, Elegantti, Runsas, Aromaattinen, Kuiva and Silkkiset tanniinit

Verdict

Kaunis and Vakuuttava

Written Notes

The 1961 Petrus was a touch tight, but all its Pomerol goodness expressed itself.  There were clay and ceramic borders to its deep purple fruit.  Rich and decadent with great minerality, this was a superlative bottle of Petrus, so fleshy and a ‘Burgundian style of Petrus’ per one guest (98).

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  • 98p

For the first time I tasted a perfect bottle of this super star wine this year at a private dinner in London.

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  • 98p
Regardless of bottle variation one thing is sure; this wine is a true homage to one of the greatest ladies in the history of Bordeaux – Madame Edmonde Loubat. She became a shareholder of Château Pétrus in 1925. After progressively buying out the shares from the Societé Civile du Château Pétrus, she became the sole proprietor of Pétrus in 1945. By the time of her death in 1961, she had created a status for Pétrus as the world’s most desirable wine. Our best experience of the 1961 Pétrus was just recently in May 2013 when it was able to reveal its true magnitude. The Pétrus was tasted together with a collection of legends: Cheval Blanc 1947, Lafleur 1947, Romanée-Conti 1943, Mouton-Rothschild 1945, Margaux 1961 and Pétrus 1955. It stood out from its rivals with its incredible power and elegance. A clear, moderately intense, brick red colour. A stunningly pronounced nose which expanded in the glass. Complex aromas of cigar, cedar wood, smoke, dark chocolate, black berries, teak and black olives. Such a youthful nose for its age. The taste has an extremely broad mouth-feel with elegant lively acidity, supple mellow tannins and ripe dark fruit aromas. A savoury finish with immense richness. A silky wine with an amazingly youthful style. This wine has scored a full 100 points eleven times since we first tasted this wine in 1989.
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  • 98p

The 1961 Petrus is a legendary wine, although bottles are now extremely scarce and there are plenty of fakes. Upon close examination of the bottle and cork, with evidence of provenance and verifying with Jean-Claude Berrouet, this is the real deal. It is quite deep in color with just a touch of turbidity, though nothing to fret about. What distinguishes the 1961s is a marine-like trait and this is certainly evident here – a whiff of a cold northerly sea, touches of kelp and crustaceans. It has bewildering delineation. The palate is quite structured, perhaps more so than the 1964 Petrus, quite “serious” and masculine, almost Left Bank in style thanks to its cedar-infused black fruit. With aeration, shade becomes light. There are more red fruit in evidence, all with wondrous detail on the sweet finish that suggests a discrete Cabernet Franc influence. It is an awesome Pomerol, not perfect, certainly of its time. To repeat a phrase I used previously: ‘tis a wine of staggering beauty. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at the Épure restaurant in Hong Kong.

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  • 98p

Petrus 1961 / Deep red-ruby color with an amber edge. Utterly singular perfumed, high-pitched aromas of loganberry, cherry and flowers. An awesomely concentrated wine of huge power and depth. Chewy with extract and wonderfully sweet and rich. Shows the strong iron note I often get from merlot on the Pomerol plateau, along with superripe suggestions of cherry liqueur and dark chocolate. Finishes with great grip and length, and a bit less sweetness than the middle palate would suggest. Drink now through 2020.

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  • 98p

A powerful Petrus with a firm mid palate and velvety tannins. Still youthful - one would not guess it is more than 50 years old. The wine bursts with flavors that include cloves, sweet cinnamon and dried dates. This is a beautifully preserved wine that will keep for another 10 years.

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  • 97p
Only the second time that I have given 100 points to Pétrus 1961. Or should I say the first as previous 100 point experience was rather 101 point one! After tens of bottles that I have shared of Pétrus 1961s, it is fair to notice that the bottle variations are immense. So far none of the bottles have been below 93 point experiences.
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  • 100p
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Information

Origin

Bordeaux, Pomerol

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Very good

When bottled

1962

Investment potential

Outstanding

Fake factory

Every second bottle is a fake

Glass time

2h

Drinking temperature

18

Other wines from this producer

Saute-Loup Reserve de La Famille

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