Petrus - Pomerol 2013

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

par Neal Martin le 28/10/2016

The 2013 Petrus was bottled in June 2015, a month before I visited the property to taste with winemaker, Olivier Berrouet. "The idea was to not push too much," he told me. "We didn't use too much wood - around 45% new oak. It would be 55% in a good vintage. The pH is 3.55 and it has 13.5% alcohol." It has quite a deep colour for a 2013, very clear and lucid. The nose is undeniably very attractive, gently unfolding with black cherries, iodine, pot pourri and a touch of bilberry. The aromatics are gentle and unassuming, yet still very Pomerol and still very Petrus. The palate is medium-bodied and for a 2013 it is certainly well structured, the tannins imparting a grainy mouthfeel. At the moment it feels saline in the mouth, fresh and with absolutely no sign of greenness. It is a successful wine within the context of the 2013 vintage and I appreciated the sharpness on what you might call its "clinical" finish. There is not so much in the way of persistence here and it departs out the exit door swiftly rather than abruptly. No, it is not the best Petrus ever made, not by a long chalk, nevertheless it is undoubtedly better than off-vintages in the past such as the 1986 and 1996. Tasted July 2016.

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

le 31/03/2016

Jamessuckling.com

94 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2016

Very fine and structured with ultra-fine tannins. Medium bodied with beautiful density and texture. It has length and grip for the vintage. Better in 2020.

Wine Advocate

90-93 / 100

par Robert Parker le 29/08/2014

The 2013 is a star of the vintage. It exhibits a dense purple color along with deep mulberry, black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with a notion of licorice. Medium-bodied with supple tannins, it reminds me of their over-achieving 1973 in its youth (a wine that transcended the vintage character). The lovely, seductive, fruit-forward 2013 will be drinkable in several years and last 10-15 years thereafter.

The harvest took place on October 2-3, and tiny yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare have produced only 1,000 cases (rather than the normal 2,000-3,000). While winemaker and administrator Olivier Berrouet told me 300 vines of Cabernet Franc remain in the vineyard, for all intents and purposes, Petrus has been 100% Merlot for many years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

90-93 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 16/05/2014

(100% merlot):  Bright, dark ruby.  Captivating, extremely pure aromas of fresh blackcurrant, mocha, gunflint and violet.  Precise and multilayered, with small dark berry flavors given clarity and cut by lively, harmonious acidity.  The finish is complex and very long.  Lighter than usual but extremely pure and perfumed, this knockout wine has silkier, smoother tannins than any other 2013 Bordeaux.  When I visited Petrus in July 2013, the horrible growing season had Olivier Berrouet fretting like I had never seen before, but he can be proud of what he has achieved in this difficult vintage.  Making a great Petrus in outstanding years like 2009 or 2010 is expected, so in some respects this is Berrouet's best wine yet.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 07/05/2014

“This is the best Pétrus since last year,” jokes Olivier Berrouet, but he’s still made an impressive wine in this tricky year. Floral and scented with raspberry and redcurrant flavours, taut acidity, well integrated oak and medium weight tannins.

matthewjukes.com

18 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 23/04/2014

13.2% alcohol, 50% new oak. Very dark and brooding on the nose. They lost 35% of the crop because of the poor fruit set, but picked pristine fruit with no rot at all. Quite loose bunches allowed air to circulate and by bringing the crop in on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th October they missed the biggest rainstorms. They went back out on the 9th and saw no real dilution because the rain hadn’t made it up into the grapes from the roots according to the spokespeople. This is a classically dimensioned Pétrus, not a rich, lusty, showy style. It is compact, tightly-wound, stunningly aromatic and fairly deep. It is not heavy or powerful though, just long and very clean. In theory it will age quite fast, they reckon a decade, but I know it will roll on for double that. Dark purple notes, with flashes of blueberry make the mouth water. There is a pagan taste of the soil which is profound and calming. This is a succulent, cool Pétrus with not an ounce of ostentatiousness or flamboyance. It is very impressive and very confident.

Vinous

90-92 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 18/04/2014

The 2013 Pétrus possesses lovely depth and density for the year. Dark red stone fruits, tobacco, smoke and graphite all blossom in the glass. Underlying beams of firm tannin support the fruit nicely. Violets, game, plums and new leather wrap around the finish. Today, the tannins are a bit firm, especially within the context of the vintage, but the wine retains solid balance and has plenty of potential to grow, even if it isn't especially flattering today.

Jancis Robinson

18,5 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 16/04/2014

Drink 2018-33
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201404153.html

Decanter.com

17,75 / 20

par Steven Spurrier le 15/04/2014

Yield down 40%. Less power and more elegance with the accent on the fruit.  Harmonious and balanced with a fine grain of tannin on the finish.

My Bettane + Desseauve

18 / 20

le 15/04/2014

En finesse et en fraîcheur, avec une qualité de fruit très pure. La trame tannique est fondue, mais présente. L’ensemble, sans avoir la puissance de millésimes récents, brille par son équilibre.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

par Neal Martin le 15/04/2014

The Petrus 2013 is a very fine wine for the vintage, although whether it will evolve into one of the best Pomerol crus is open. That is not to say I dislike this Petrus, on the contrary, Olivier Berrouet has clearly done a fantastic job given the growing season. However, having tasted here from barrel for a decade now, it is clear that this "maverick genius" decides to give profundity a miss in some years. The nose has a glowing warmth about it, a sensation that is uncommon in this vintage, and in fact it almost reminded me of a slimmed-down version of the 2009. It is very pure with marine scents coming through with aeration. The palate is rounded on the entry: velvety smooth in texture with noticeable spice on the back palate. I do not think this Petrus possesses the complexity or persistency of the precious two vintages, simply a Petrus that will just want to go out there and give sensory pleasure without the intellectual import.

Jamessuckling.com

92-93 / 100

par James Suckling le 08/04/2014

An extremely refined, pretty wine with chocolate, berry and hazelnut character. Full to medium body with wonderfully integrated tannins and a clean, refined finish. 100% merlot. Reminds me of the 1985 or 1988.      

René Gabriel

18 / 20

par René Gabriel le 04/04/2014

100 % Merlot. Sehr kleine Ernte mit etwa 16'000 Flaschen. Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Selten war ein ein Pétrus so spontan bei einer Primeurprobe, viel Maulbeeren, Edelhölzer, Schwarzteenoten, floraler Schimmer, das Nasenbild ist mit Minze und Zitronenthymian gepaart, zeigt eine schöne Tiefe an. Im Gaumen wieder ein wunderschönes Gemisch von fruchtig bis floral, mittelfeine, recht dichte Textur, die Säure ist bereits integriert, die Gerbstoffe bilden feine Muskeln in der Adstringenz und unterstreicht so den sich klassisch anfühlenden Jahrgang. Das Finale endet mit einem Cocktail von Redcurrant und Maulbeeren.

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

par Roger Voss le 31/03/2014

This is a very fine and balanced wine, with great acidity as well as great fruit. It is structured with dusty tannins and a pure line of black currant fruit, as well as an underlying minerality. A great wine for the vintage.