Wine Advisor
Petrus 1960
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Description
Petrus is made almost entirely of Merlot grapes grown in Bordeaux's right bank Pomerol appellation. Although never officially classified, the chateau has long been considered on par with the First Growths from the left bank. The ownership of the estate has passed between the Arnaud family in the 19th century, to Madame Loubat at the end of WWII, and finally to Jean-Pierre Moueix in recent years. Petrus's clay soil is rich in iron and the estate's average vine age is 40 years. Chateau Petrus produces approximately 3,000 cases of wine each year.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1960 Petrus was served blind. While it was clear that we were in the presence of a Pomerol of serious pedigree, I was shocked not so much by the revelation of its age since the color betrayed that clearly enough, but by revelation of its undistinguished birth-year. It had a dark color that suggested a warmer growing season. The bouquet is straightforward but defined, a hint of black plum soon nudged over for powdered dark chocolate, sage and glowing embers. The palate is medium-bodied, quite earthy, soft and easy-going, but with a sense of harmony and an abstract sense of "pride" on the finish. I doubt many 1960 Pomerol wines approach this Petrus, which to my mind would have been the last vintage under the legendary "grande dame de Pomerol," Mme. Loubat. Tasted September 2015.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1960 Petrus comes from the same gentleman that served it blind once before, ergo, it comes from the same lot bought at auction. It has the bad luck to be born between two legends, the 1959 and 1961. Its deep color intimates a warmer, more benevolent growing season than this. The nose is perfectly respectable, indeed, one of the best that I have encountered on a 1960 Bordeaux with dark berry fruit, sage and that fireside hearth/ember-like tincture. Medium-bodied, earthy and straightforward, it is not a top-tier Petrus by a long way, yet there is certainly harmony and presence on the finish. This was proprietor Mme. Loubat’s final vintage. It is a respectable way for “la grande dame” of Pomerol to bow out. Tasted at a private dinner in London.
About the Producer
The Patus winery has 11.5 hectares of vineyards. The top layer of the soil in the garden is pure clay, the bottom layer is terracotta, and the deeper layer is lime soil with high iron content, and has a good drainage system. The grape varieties planted are mainly Merlot, accounting for about 95%; the remaining 5% is Cabernet Franc. Because Cabernet Franc matures earlier, unless the vintage is particularly good, Patux winery is generally not used for winemaking. The planting density is 6,000 trees per hectare, and the average age of the trees is around 40 years, and some are even 80 years old. The operator adopts a more traditional method in the renewal of the vineyard, that is, through the selection, the best quality grape vine is used as the "mother plant", which is the same as the method when the Chateau Conti eradicated the old roots in 1946. The vineyard also adopts strict "fruit control". Each plant retains several bud eyes, and each bud eye leaves only one bunch of grapes. The goal is to fully ripen, but avoid over-ripening, otherwise it will affect the delicate flavor of the wine. In terms of the brewing process, Chateau Patus set the grape harvest time in the afternoon, the purpose is to let the morning sun dry the residual dew from the previous night. Each harvest employs 180 harvesters and takes about half a day to complete 2 to 3 harvests. During the brewing, Patus Winery spared no expense, replacing the wooden barrels (of different materials) every 3 months, and the aging time is about 20-22 months. Patus winery attaches great importance to quality and only selects the best grapes. In some bad years, such as 1991, it even stops production. The average annual output of Chateau Patus is no more than 30,000 bottles, which is extremely limited and expensive. Petrus, Pomerol, France is dark in color and has a delicate and rich aroma. Among the aromas of blackcurrant and mint, there are also many aromas such as blackberry, cream, chocolate, truffle, milk and oak. The taste is silky Slippery, long aftertaste.
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