"Off" Vintages from Elite Producers: (Petrus, Lafite, Margaux, etc) (Charlotte, NC): Opened at 5:30pm, into a decanter for 30-40 min, then back into bottle; Served at ~7:30pm. Richly aromatic dark fruits on the nose with an intensity that belies its age. Confirmed on the palate blackberry and dark cherries held sway against a gently smokey, though almost burnt, backdrop. Those who had elk chop were richly rewarded with the pairing whereas I opted for fish to have less intrusive flavors with these wines. That was a mistake. Lengthy finish of rich merlot complexity (this was the era where Cab Franc was still blended) made this a stellar wine that upon re-tasting 2 hours later became an absolutely sublime wine. Five votes for Wine of the Night and overall winner.
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Not a sophisticated or deep wine, but a testament on how a great producer can still make something enjoyable in a difficult vintage. Fill is well into neck and color just getting a little mahogany on the rim. No signs of musty/over developed aromas this bottle was in top condition. Bottle breathed for 30 minutes and this was ready to go. Tannins are fully integrated, still fresh, a little hawthorn and tertiary notes, not long but elegant and straight forward. I enjoyed this more than I thought.
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Better showing than a couple of months ago. At first we thought the wine was slightly corked, but it eventually disappeared after 10/15 minutes in the glass. Reduction?.. This is not a powerful Petrus, nor an incredibly complex one, but it is a very fine and elegant example of a rather challenging period.Still quite long, with a lovely freshness and melted tanins. I actually enjoyed it much more than I would have thought.
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Not amazing for the estate pedigree, yet very decent considering the vintage. Slightly past its prime, but still alive and elegant. Full of finesse, tertiary aromas of leather, mushroom, undergrowth scents. Light-bodied, tanins have melted, but a decent length though. Overall a pleasant old wine, but a very poor value intrinsically.
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Not a great showing. A lot of wood and a bit flat. Lacking fruit. Green finish. This was once a lovely wine and remnants of that can still be found but unfortunately this bottle was simply over the hill.
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In a poor vintage, petrus is still robust which shows its pedigree. The wine still retained its fruit profile but it came along with a noticable green flavour. Good effort.
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Weaker than the bottle I had recently, but still very pleasant. The nose was attractive, drifting out of the glass with little curls of smoke and spice around a deeper core of plums and savoury, earthy meatiness. With time, an old Bordeaux leafiness started coming out alongside a toasty, roasted fruit sweetness. Attractive though. The palate felt a bit firmer and tighter if structure on the one hand, yet a bit thinner and meaner on the fruit on the other. There was a nice sweetness to the wine's expression of red cherries and plums, and still plenty of lovely freshness running through its veins, but this lacked the mellow conviction and charm of the previous bottle. All in all though, still a really enjoyable bottle at 35 years, ending in a finish of surprising conviction, with a grip of fresh acidity and woody tannins along with a blush of spice along the sides of the backpalate. A very elegant, even Burgundian expression of Pomerol.
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Dinner at Odette (Odette, National Gallery, Singapore): Surprisingly really enjoyable for a less than heralded vintage. A bit shy when popped, but it really bloomed in the decanter, opening up over an hour or so to show a beautiful nose of sweet plums and preserved berries seasoned with fragrant cloves, wood spices and a sprinkle of dried flowers. With time, a gentle savoury meatiness and olive tapenade started coming out too. Lovely. The palate was nowhere near strong as the nose unfortunately, coming across as more as a mature pleasure than the decadent, opulent wine that the stronger vintages present. It was truly a pleasure though. Round, soft, silky, with deliciously lush lashings of dark plums and berries infused with more of that lovely spiciness. Past the midpalate, the wine felt a little thin, with the structure starting to peek out from beneath the fruit, before the finish came back nicely, showinrg a twist of bramble and wood spice twisted around the back-palate. This will continue to show nicely for the next few years, but I would start drinking it up now.
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It took 4 hrs of bt breathing to really open up the wine. More like a left bank initially in both aroma and taste, slightly more acidic and unyielding. Luckily, after extended breathing, bouquet of flowers, red fruits (almost a burgundy aroma) and plum were found. Smooth, elegant but not very long.
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Tarda un poco en abrir pero sus aromas se perciben a cuero y nuez. Esta en su madurez plena, quizás comenzando su decadencia. En vista es un rojo teja con un ribete claro, es perfecto. En boca es equilibrado, con un perfecto balance entre acidez y taninos, su retrogusto es corto pero especiado, digno de un vino de su tamaño y su añejamiento. Mi opinión seria: Un gran vino que debe disfrutarse próximamente. Ira decayendo poco a poco
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Nose with the complexity of a fine mature Bordeaux which has already started to decline but intensity was rather low. On the palate on the other hand, the wine is thin, fruit is gone with acidity dominating and finish being astringent due to drying tannins. I was surprised to read Michael Broadbent's very flattering note although it was from some fifteen years ago.
Medium garnet. Evolved nose of leather, cedar, ash and spicy scents. Closer in style to a left-banker than Pomerol. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and balancing acidity, lacking the concentration one expects from such a wine. Aftertaste is medium and somewhat leafy and further aging potential is limited if any at all. Still an elegant wine that is enjoyable in its own right once you forget all the legend behind this label.
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smell is huge detail , bouquet , pure , clean , elegance , white flower and red flower mix together , in mouth is power without weight , elegance , silk , charming , long and long finish
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Red colour fading to orange at the rim. The nose was incredible: an ethereal mix of red fruits, forest, perhaps a bit of spice, it entranced and made an indescribable impression. The palate started out light and thin but put on weight over the two hours it was in our glasses. At its worst it came across a bit hollow, at its best it showed wonderful elegance and complexity. There were many changes over the course of the night. Not the best wine I have drank, but certainly memorable and enjoyable. And the main thing was that my wife enjoyed it and helped make her birthday celebration special.
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What a surprise. I wasn't expecting much based on the reviews but the Petrus was a subtle delight. Light floral notes along with subtle blackberries and still quite long on the finish - dancing mid palate for 30 seconds before gently tapering off. A little herbaceous here and there but not unpleasantly so. After a bad run of 70's and 80's Bordeaux it was a relief to get a good one. Maybe I was lucky with provenance here - my cellar for 10 years and one careful owner (at least that's what he said) beforehand.
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Paler, though strong rim; distinctly claret nose, fragrant, rather simplistic later sl. leafy; still some tannin, good concentration; good grip on a positive finish . 16+. [B ****, C 16, P 86].
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Regional Wine and Sprit Rare Wine Tasting: moderate deep crimson fading to brick. Nose a bit reticent, fruity cinnamon, earthiness,coffee. In the mouth a little lighter and more angular than the 78 and 70's. Full bodied, fat entry, medium fine tannins, coffee, nice finish, good structure with a warm finish.
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11/2/2023 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
"Off" Vintages from Elite Producers: (Petrus, Lafite, Margaux, etc) (Charlotte, NC): Opened at 5:30pm, into a decanter for 30-40 min, then back into bottle; Served at ~7:30pm.
Richly aromatic dark fruits on the nose with an intensity that belies its age. Confirmed on the palate blackberry and dark cherries held sway against a gently smokey, though almost burnt, backdrop. Those who had elk chop were richly rewarded with the pairing whereas I opted for fish to have less intrusive flavors with these wines. That was a mistake. Lengthy finish of rich merlot complexity (this was the era where Cab Franc was still blended) made this a stellar wine that upon re-tasting 2 hours later became an absolutely sublime wine. Five votes for Wine of the Night and overall winner.
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9/2/2023 - MC2 Wines wrote: flawed
Bottle had started to seep when it was in transit and so there was some concern on it, but what can you do? It was worth a good try I think.
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5/18/2023 - kentlaw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very consistent to VINUM DEORUM's notes below.
Not a sophisticated or deep wine, but a testament on how a great producer can still make something enjoyable in a difficult vintage. Fill is well into neck and color just getting a little mahogany on the rim. No signs of musty/over developed aromas this bottle was in top condition. Bottle breathed for 30 minutes and this was ready to go. Tannins are fully integrated, still fresh, a little hawthorn and tertiary notes, not long but elegant and straight forward. I enjoyed this more than I thought.
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2/27/2023 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 93 Points
Better showing than a couple of months ago. At first we thought the wine was slightly corked, but it eventually disappeared after 10/15 minutes in the glass. Reduction?..
This is not a powerful Petrus, nor an incredibly complex one, but it is a very fine and elegant example of a rather challenging period.Still quite long, with a lovely freshness and melted tanins. I actually enjoyed it much more than I would have thought.
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12/26/2022 - Anthony.S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredible after 41 years! We celebrated Xmas Eve 2022 and it will always be remembered as the Petrus Xmas!
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5/23/2022 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 91 Points
Not amazing for the estate pedigree, yet very decent considering the vintage. Slightly past its prime, but still alive and elegant. Full of finesse, tertiary aromas of leather, mushroom, undergrowth scents. Light-bodied, tanins have melted, but a decent length though. Overall a pleasant old wine, but a very poor value intrinsically.
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9/9/2021 - Euoinos wrote: 87 Points
Not a great showing. A lot of wood and a bit flat. Lacking fruit. Green finish. This was once a lovely wine and remnants of that can still be found but unfortunately this bottle was simply over the hill.
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7/15/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a poor vintage, petrus is still robust which shows its pedigree. The wine still retained its fruit profile but it came along with a noticable green flavour. Good effort.
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3/2/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 91 Points
An Epic Vertical of Petrus (Ten Trinity Latour Club, London): The nose on the ‘81 gave the impression of the wine being corked although the palate seemed intact, albeit a bit muted. Not a perfect bottle but still enjoyable.
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5/24/2017 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Weaker than the bottle I had recently, but still very pleasant. The nose was attractive, drifting out of the glass with little curls of smoke and spice around a deeper core of plums and savoury, earthy meatiness. With time, an old Bordeaux leafiness started coming out alongside a toasty, roasted fruit sweetness. Attractive though. The palate felt a bit firmer and tighter if structure on the one hand, yet a bit thinner and meaner on the fruit on the other. There was a nice sweetness to the wine's expression of red cherries and plums, and still plenty of lovely freshness running through its veins, but this lacked the mellow conviction and charm of the previous bottle. All in all though, still a really enjoyable bottle at 35 years, ending in a finish of surprising conviction, with a grip of fresh acidity and woody tannins along with a blush of spice along the sides of the backpalate. A very elegant, even Burgundian expression of Pomerol.
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4/18/2017 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Odette (Odette, National Gallery, Singapore): Surprisingly really enjoyable for a less than heralded vintage. A bit shy when popped, but it really bloomed in the decanter, opening up over an hour or so to show a beautiful nose of sweet plums and preserved berries seasoned with fragrant cloves, wood spices and a sprinkle of dried flowers. With time, a gentle savoury meatiness and olive tapenade started coming out too. Lovely. The palate was nowhere near strong as the nose unfortunately, coming across as more as a mature pleasure than the decadent, opulent wine that the stronger vintages present. It was truly a pleasure though. Round, soft, silky, with deliciously lush lashings of dark plums and berries infused with more of that lovely spiciness. Past the midpalate, the wine felt a little thin, with the structure starting to peek out from beneath the fruit, before the finish came back nicely, showinrg a twist of bramble and wood spice twisted around the back-palate. This will continue to show nicely for the next few years, but I would start drinking it up now.
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4/23/2016 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
It took 4 hrs of bt breathing to really open up the wine. More like a left bank initially in both aroma and taste, slightly more acidic and unyielding. Luckily, after extended breathing, bouquet of flowers, red fruits (almost a burgundy aroma) and plum were found. Smooth, elegant but not very long.
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10/13/2015 - Nekodab wrote: 97 Points
First had in NAPA blew me away had two years later, still phenomenal one of my favorite
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3/5/2015 - ricknat1 wrote: 90 Points
clearly a Petrus, if a faded one, slightly astringent, like many 1981s.
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11/27/2014 - Mfsb89 wrote: 93 Points
Tarda un poco en abrir pero sus aromas se perciben a cuero y nuez. Esta en su madurez plena, quizás comenzando su decadencia. En vista es un rojo teja con un ribete claro, es perfecto. En boca es equilibrado, con un perfecto balance entre acidez y taninos, su retrogusto es corto pero especiado, digno de un vino de su tamaño y su añejamiento. Mi opinión seria: Un gran vino que debe disfrutarse
próximamente. Ira decayendo poco a poco
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12/20/2013 - Stefanos T. wrote: 89 Points
Nose with the complexity of a fine mature Bordeaux which has already started to decline but intensity was rather low. On the palate on the other hand, the wine is thin, fruit is gone with acidity dominating and finish being astringent due to drying tannins. I was surprised to read Michael Broadbent's very flattering note although it was from some fifteen years ago.
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12/19/2013 - Yiannis wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet. Evolved nose of leather, cedar, ash and spicy scents. Closer in style to a left-banker than Pomerol. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and balancing acidity, lacking the concentration one expects from such a wine. Aftertaste is medium and somewhat leafy and further aging potential is limited if any at all. Still an elegant wine that is enjoyable in its own right once you forget all the legend behind this label.
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11/26/2013 - Aenie wrote: 94 Points
smell is huge detail , bouquet , pure , clean , elegance , white flower and red flower mix together , in mouth is power without weight , elegance , silk , charming , long and long finish
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4/27/2013 - Stirling wrote: 91 Points
Red colour fading to orange at the rim. The nose was incredible: an ethereal mix of red fruits, forest, perhaps a bit of spice, it entranced and made an indescribable impression. The palate started out light and thin but put on weight over the two hours it was in our glasses. At its worst it came across a bit hollow, at its best it showed wonderful elegance and complexity. There were many changes over the course of the night. Not the best wine I have drank, but certainly memorable and enjoyable. And the main thing was that my wife enjoyed it and helped make her birthday celebration special.
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11/24/2010 - ydris wrote: 90 Points
What a surprise. I wasn't expecting much based on the reviews but the Petrus was a subtle delight. Light floral notes along with subtle blackberries and still quite long on the finish - dancing mid palate for 30 seconds before gently tapering off. A little herbaceous here and there but not unpleasantly so. After a bad run of 70's and 80's Bordeaux it was a relief to get a good one. Maybe I was lucky with provenance here - my cellar for 10 years and one careful owner (at least that's what he said) beforehand.
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1/21/1996 - chbeaumont wrote: 91 Points
Paler, though strong rim; distinctly claret nose, fragrant, rather simplistic later sl. leafy; still some tannin, good concentration; good grip on a positive finish . 16+.
[B ****, C 16, P 86].
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12/5/1990 - Marc wrote: 88 Points
Regional Wine and Sprit Rare Wine Tasting: moderate deep crimson fading to brick. Nose a bit reticent, fruity cinnamon, earthiness,coffee. In the mouth a little lighter and more angular than the 78 and 70's. Full bodied, fat entry, medium fine tannins, coffee, nice finish, good structure with a warm finish.
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