2024 Petrus, Pomerol

The purity of fruit is very beautiful, showing raspberry and blueberry pulp as well as orange peel and hints of spice. Medium-bodied, this has soft, velvety tannins with green olives, wet earth, oyster shells and crushed stones. Long, flavorful finish. Like a new rendition of the 1985.

A beautiful wine, the 2024 Château Pétrus offers classic Pétrus notes of ripe black cherries layered with subtle graphite, damp earth, and violets. It's medium-bodied, with a supple, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. This is a terrific 2024 that offers plenty of upfront charm, and while it will be more accessible than some past vintages, it still delivers the depth and class you expect from this château. As always, it's 100% Merlot, aging in 50% new oak, and it reached 13.3% alcohol.

This feels like it is operating on a different plane from many, clear from the first aromatics. Showcasing latent hidden power, sappy, savoury but in this case not overly slim, just full of muscular goodnesss and black fruits. Small yield because of flowering, as you see everywhere in Pomerol, 50% new oak for ageing, although winemaker Olivier Berrouet expects to do a slightly shorter ageing than usual. Around 80% of production is in this wine. 3.6ph. Harvest Sepember 24 to October.

The 2024 Pétrus has impressive ripeness on the nose in the context of the growing season, with scents of blackcurrant, blueberry and iodine. Its aromatic profile touts a little more flamboyance and sensuality than those of some of its fellow Pomerol estates. Cashmere tannins and perfectly judged acidity frame the harmonious and poised palate. Whilst it does not contain the profound complexity of the 2022 (for example), the 2024 does retain the essence of Pétrus. There is a little more flesh and just a hint of spicebox towards the finish. At 13.3% abv, this is just a delicious Pomerol.

Cropped at 27 hectoliters per hectare and harvested between 24 September and 1 October, the 2024 Pétrus is shaping up nicely, exhibiting aromas of sweet cherries and raspberries mingled with licorice and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, polished and suave, it's cool and seamless, with a layered, velvety palate and a charming, pure profile. The grand vin represents some 85% of the harvest, and it's seeing a reductive élevage to preserve the maximum of fruit and flesh.

100% Merlot. 28 hl/ha. Cask sample. Ripe and mouth-filling with a real taste of fruit. Juicy but structured, the tannins firm behind. Slight chalky finish but lots of charm. (JL)