Petrus Pomerol 2021 750ml Case of 1

Refined, subtle and elegant, with aromas of violets, nutmeg, sandalwood, bark and plums that follow through to a medium body with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on and on. Most impressive are the seamless texture and solid center palate. Lightly chalky at the end. Best after 2028.

A luminous, compelling and memorable Petrus, one of the absolute standouts in 2021. Expressions of dark crimson berries, damson, plums, raspberries, redcurrant fruit, blackcurrant, touches of blood orange zest, cherry perfume and pink flowers on the nose - I could go on..! The aromatic intensity is exceptional and just so beguiling. This has such a seamless continuation of flavours and aromas from start to finish - a consistency, all flowing gracefully - neat, clear and pure. You're not going to find the most rich, dense or exuberant of wines here, that's obvious given the vintage conditions, but this is such an excellent wine from Olivier Berrouet working with the vintage. There is a taffeta quality to the fine and layered tannins that coat the mouth and give an aerial sensation. Juicy and succulent, the acidity comprises part of the structure and carries the expression of the red berry and stone fruit and salty minerality that appears on the finish. Structured with backbone, this is confident in its intensity and momentum but still so refined and finessed. Sublime in its delicacy and grace giving a gentle energy.

The 2021 Petrus is medium to deep purple-black in color. After a swirl or two, notes of raspberry preserves, kirsch, and rose oil prance out of the glass, opening out to an undercurrent of fragrant soil, mossy tree bark, and graphite, with a waft of iron ore and an emerging anise hint. The medium-bodied palate vibrates with energy-charged red and black fruits, framed by very fine-grained tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. This must be one of the most elegant, graceful vintages of Petrus ever!

From barrel, the 2021 Pétrus was decidedly muscular and introverted, but élevage has certainly tamed it, delivering a result that's much more sensual and charming than I could have imagined. Offering up aromas of ripe cherries, mulberries, rose petals, licorice and violets, it's full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a suave, seamless, lively profile and a bright, perfumed finish. This wine, which was racked out of barrel two months earlier than usual, will offer an unusually broad drinking window. In style, it reminds me somewhat of the estate's 2011.

The 2021 Petrus, which was bottled last June, as usual takes a few swirls of the glass to really settle into its groove. Olivier Berrouet said that he did not try to push this wine, decreasing the percentage of new oak and shortening the time in barrel by a couple of months. It eventually offers scents of black cherries, bilberry, light incense and hints of lavender that come through with aeration, all with very fine definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very well-balanced, fresh and more saline than recent vintages. Silky-smooth toward the finish, this is a classically styled Petrusthat has a glorious future ahead. 13.2% alcohol.

An elegant, civilized expression of this terroir, the 2021 Château Petrus is, as always, 100% Merlot and it's medium to full-bodied, with an almost bloody edge to its ripe red and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco, sappy flowers, and iron. With beautiful mid-palate depth, fine tannins, and a layered, elegant mouthfeel that has solid underlying structure, it's going to be ready to go with just 4-6 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following two decades.