2011 Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux

100% Merlot

Opaque ruby. The reticent nose is less aromatically explosive than usual at this early stage but still offers a great depth of pure cassis, violet and coffee aromas. Then, it is very elegant on the palate, with rich, ripe but tightly wound cassis and chocolate flavours nicely framed by silky tannins. Finishes lively, floral and long. Considering its concentration and density, this is an almost charming Petrus.

This is tight and firm, with blueberry and blackberry characters and hints of sweet tobacco. There is some wet earth, too. Black olives. It has a full body and is very tight, with ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. It is powerful and muscular.

Try it after 2023

Another property with a cellar under construction Jean-Claude Berrouet looked very smart in his personalised hard hat). Harvested 12-22 September, a week earlier than in 2010. 'We were very gentle in 2011', says Olivier Berrouet, since small berries meant that the tannins were actually higher than in 2010 and less ripe lack of sunshine), so they wanted to extract the tannins earlier, before the alcohol started to climb, leading to the extraction of tougher tannins. The acidity very slightly higher, the alcohol lower. It could evolve to be like the 2001.

Deep glossy dark crimson. Warm, restrained hedgerow fruit, a little biscuity note, a little spicy. Really tangy and so full of energy and life, the fruit sings. Very expressive and the oak firmly in the back seat. Juicy and soft at the front and mid-palate, though there is a density under there, a firm foundation, an underground concentration. Very very long and real volume building in the mouth. Builds and builds in the mouth. Caressing and long. 

Drink 2022 - 2040

Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

The 2011 Petrus has plenty of fruit on the nose—elegant and floral redcurrant and raspberry fruit, a touch of crushed stone, and pressed rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with a rich and quite extravagant style of the finish, lightly spiced with a rounded, velvety-smooth and quite dense finish. Maybe it just conveys a little more winemaking than the terroir at the moment?

Drink 2022 - 2040

A dense ruby/purple-tinged colour and restrained but intriguing aromas of kirsch, raspberry jam, wood spice, and mulberries are found in this full-bodied Petrus. An undeniable success in 2011, it is rich, layered and pure with light to moderate tannin but seems slightly less muscular and tannic compared to its stablemate, Trotanoy. Forget it for a few years and drink it over the following 25 years. Made from 100% Merlot, it tips the scales at 13.5% alcohol. In short, it is typically open-knit and already showing very well. This is quite opulent.

Drink 2017 - 2042