Pétrus 1995

The 1995 Petrus Magnum was much bigger and full of youthful fruit. It was so much more adolescent out of magnum. I was all about its deep purple and iron as the wine continued to reveal its rich, exceptional sexiness that only grew with air. A touch of banana skin added complexity. This was still elegant but sturdy and fresh in its youth. It was much wealthier than the 1985. Its meat was dripping off the bone; this was an exceptional Petrus, and an undervalued one (96+M).

It is interesting how this wine continues to evolve. Unquestionably one of the vintage's superstars, the 1995 Petrus is taking on a personality similar to the extraordinarily backward, muscular 1975. This is not a Petrus that can be approached in its youth (i.e., the perfect duo of 1989 and 1990). The wine exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, followed by a knock-out nose of pain grille, jammy black fruits, and roasted coffee. On the palate, it possesses teeth-staining extract levels, massive body, and rich, sweet black fruits buttressed by powerful, noticeable tannin. A formidably endowed wine with layers of extract, this is a huge, tannic, monstrous-sized Petrus that will require a minimum of 10 years of cellaring. Forget all the nonsense about Merlot producing sweet, soft, ready to drink wines, because low yielding, old Merlot vines made in the way of Petrus and other top Pomerols frequently possess as much aging potential as any great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine in the world. Look for the 1995 Petrus to last for 50+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2050. Petrus, the undisputed King of Pomerol, was an inconsistent performer between 1976 and 1988, but since 1989 there have been few Bordeaux wines that match this property for its extraordinary combination of power, richness, complexity, and elegance. The 1995 and 1996 are both noteworthy efforts.

A great wine which needed a long time to open up, although opened and double decanted almost three hours before service. The nose displayed a complex aroma reminiscent of mulberries, prunes, fine aromatic herbs, elegant spices, hints of sweet marjoram and liquorice. After some time in the glass an elegant aroma reminiscent of violets was revealed. On the palate the wine showed an excellent structure with depth and complex character, perfectly ripe tannins, ripe berries and aromatic hints of fungus boletus discreetly in the background. A great wine with excellent depth, length and an extremely promising potential. For perfection one should wait a couple of years, though it is an impressing tasting experience already today. 99/100