For one of the most cherished and expensive wines of the world, Petrus has little significant history. The owner of Libourne, Hotel Loubat, was the majority owner of Petrus until the late Jean-Pierre Moueix se-cured partial ownership in 1961 and 100% of the estate in 2002. The original vineyard of 16 acres was enlarged, and significantly so, by the acquisition of 12-plus acres in 1969 (a part of the Gazin estate). The wine was little known until the late 1940s, when vintages such as 1945, 1947, and 1950 created considerable excitement. Now the most celebrated wine of Pomerol, Petrus has, during the last four decades, become one of Bor-deaux's most renowned as well as expensive red wines. A humble building, renovated in 2004, boasts a vine-yard situated on a buttonhole of clay in the middle of Pomerol's plateau. The tiny 28.4-acre vineyard renders wines that are treated as well and as carefully as any wines produced on earth. The legendary Jean-Pierre Moueix (1913-2003), a noble and erudite man, single-handedly established the reputation of not only Petrus but also of all the wines of Pomerol. He founded his firm in Libourne in 1937, and developed a marketplace in Belgium and northern Europe for many of the area's greatest wines. His success allowed him to purchase many of the better vineyards, the most renowned of which were Trotanoy (1953), La Fleur-Petrus (1953), Magdelaine (1954), and Petrus, which he partially owned until its outright acquisition in 2002. While the property is owned by Jean-Francois Moueix, a very private person, it is his younger brother (by one year), Christian Moueix, who is responsible for the viticultural management and winemakery. This is the same Christian Moueix who owns the flagship/ reference estate Dominus in Napa Valley. Christian Moueix couldn't be more different from his reclusive brother. Tall, handsome, charismatic, outgoing, and married to an American, he looks like a Vanity Fair cover story, but looks and personality aside, he is a bril-liant winemaker. After the two brothers make their selection, most vintages of Petrus turn out to be 100% pure Merlot.There have been a tremendous number of leg-endary Petrus vintages, which no doubt has propell. ed prices into the stratosphere. Yet as Petrus has become deified by much of the world's wine press, one must ask, particularly in view of this property's track record from 1976 on, "Is Petrus as great today as it once was" There is no doubt that Petrus slumped in vintages such as 1988, 1986, 1983, 1981, 1979, 1978, and 1976, but since 1989 Petrus has been in top form, producing a succession of brilliant wines. The 2003, 2000, 1998, 1990, 1989, 1975, 1971, 1970, 1964, 1961, 1950, 1948, 1947,1945, 1929, and 1921 are among the most monu-mental wines. |
