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Now Viewing: Chateau Petrus
Chateau Petrus
Pétrus: it just sounds classy. You might not know what it is, but you know that it is precious.
To wine connoisseurs, no other word evokes feelings of awe and wonderment: an iconic wine known by many, tasted by few. Despite vain efforts by new kids on the block; the Californian cult cabernets and some of the garagistes that equate scarcity with quality; it remains the vinous Holy Grail. I must have been a Good Samaritan in my previous life; fate has bestowed an inordinate number of bottles in my short life, including three vertical retrospectives. There is palpable sense of occasion when that unmistakable label with its bold vermillion lettering graces the table: an epiphany you will remember. Those expecting astounding concentration, precocious young fruits or mouth-lacquering tannins might be disappointed: Pétrus is a classically trained wine whose trademark is balance, poise, texture, complexity and longevity. It is not an infallible wine, the decade of the 1980's is marred with under whelming bottles. But what is more boring than a superstar that plods out identi-kit clones year after year? Pétrus is an honest wine, the vintages have their own personality moulded by the vagaries of the growing season. Some wines might leave you wondering what all the hoopla is about, but if you can disentangle the hype, the price, the Parker points, its reputation, from what sits in your glass, you can relax and revel in a gorgeous Pomerol that aims to please rather than impress.
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