Petrus

Petrus.

It's as good as you hoped it wouldn't be.  

Its air of exclusivity and understatement speak loudly. It need not throw open the doors of a grand Chateau to visitors, firstly, because it simply doesn't have one, but more importantly that's just not their style. Enough is said simply with the word "Petrus". A little pit of envy has hardened in the stomach, and illusions of Billionaires begin to lounge in the mind. But once we get past the price tag of its reputation, most wine drinkers are left with the question: is it really that good?

Yes.

And when we enter Petrus (mind you through a gate, and not the doors of a Chateau) we learn precisely why.

I am impressed: not just with the wine, but with the entire visit to Petrus. 

Firstly, there is Elisabeth, the ambassador to Petrus who led me and two NY lawyers through the grounds. Elisabeth, also from the NY region, led us with a casual elegance. She was brilliant. She had the finesse of communication like a great teacher. Concise, clear, and informative, Elisabeth shared the ins and outs of the process of wine making at Petrus. Elisabeth's energy and clarity, bring a joy to discussing the technical details.  I've never had a more thought-provoking and thorough tour of a vineyard. 

We started outside. 

The name "Petrus" derives from the word 'rock', which in one way or another was chosen as Petrus is situated on top of a very unique hill, the highest elevation on the Pomerol plateau. When you're actually at Petrus, it's difficult to make out this hill, which at its peak is about 45cm high. But it's not this altitude in particular that makes the difference (though it does help provide natural drainage); it's the soil beneath this hill that Petrus attributes to the quality of their wines. The soil is uniquely clay; and not just any clay. After just 5 or 6 inches of top soil is to layers of  clay: the first is several inches of dark clay, and then underneath the precious, impermeable clay not found in any other wine region in the world. The clay is approximately 40 million years old. The clay does several things: 1. It forces the roots to grow horizontally rather than vertically, which helps to keep the soil and the plant evenly watered. 2. Retains moisture in the teeny gaps in the clay, which the plant continues to use during the dry summer months, and 3. Adds minerals which happen to add structure and complexity to the generally more delicate, fruity Merlot grape. This divine clay hill is almost entirely owned by Petrus, making it have a uniquely perfect terroir for the cultivation of Merlot. It is this unique terroir that adds such depth to the grape, that has allowed the 'Chateau' to throw open their doors to invite other wine makers to learn from their tactics, because, simply, they know no one else will have this soil to compete. 

Small in comparison to the spacious Medoc vineyards, Petrus is only 11.5 hectares, 11 of which are planted with Merlot and the rest with Cabernet Franc. Although they do grow some Cab. Franc, this is not often added to the wine; most years Petrus is 100% Merlot. 

Jean-Claude Berrouet is the now retired wine maker of Petrus for the past 45 vintages (whose son is now Director of Petrus). He was appointed winemaker at the age of 22, by JP Moueix. The pair have built the wine into the renown brand of today. Berrouet, who also consults for several top right bank properties as well as Dominus in California and his own vineyard in the Pays Basque Country, told me that Petrus has truly exceptional terroir, and even within their land some of the individual rows are singularly phenomenal. 

On my visit through Petrus, I found myself hearing over and over again about the specific properties of the Merlot grape. It seems that not only have the winemakers at Petrus gone out of their way to understand this grape to a science, but then they have pampered and meticulously cultivated their vines to bring out this best expression possible. (To learn more about the wine makers, Monsieur Jean-Claude Berrouet and his son Olivier, now the director of Petrus, visit my blog entry on Vieux Chateau Saint Andre.)

Different vineyards have different strategies for the upkeep of their vines. Firstly, Petrus has started to clone their own vines when they routinely need to plant new vines (the average vine age is 40 years old). Of course, like all of Bordeaux, the root stock is 100% American (as American roots were resistant to the phylloxera pests that destroyed European roots in the 19th century… the American root stocks are resistant because the pesky bugs themselves are American. Today French vineyards graft the old french vine species, Vitis vinifera, onto the American root stock, such asVitis aestivalis). 

Many vineyards arch the vines from which the grapes hang, but Petrus has found that they prefer to nudge this vine into as straight a line as possible. To do this takes many gradual adjustments. Petrus does partake in an extensive green harvest, which is the trimming of the green leaves that cover the grapes. The leaves are helpful, as they protect the grapes from getting a sunburn, but allowing them to grow too wildly will take away energy from the plant that would be better directed toward the grapes. Likewise just select bundles of grapes are allowed to grow per vine, the others trimmed off to concentrate the plant's energies into the better bundles. 

Doors inside of Petrus with the signature keys of Saint Peter

Unlike some left bank properties which have a topsoil heavily peppered with granite stones, Petrus leaves just a few scattered stones around. Elisabeth explained that too many white, granite stones actually burn the delicate Merlot grapes. She gestured to the row beside the granite walkway and noted that this row perennially experiences  over-exposure to the sun. 

Merlot is finicky, and timing is essential. Firstly, it is extremely important that the grapes flower simultaneously. If they're not flowering together this can throw off the timing on the grape development, and finally a consistent harvest. Everyday in the beginning of September, Berrouet is out in the fields tasting the grapes to determine when they have reached their optimal ripeness. This progress is charted. There becomes a point when, Berrouet explained, the grapes have reached their perfection: if picked too early they are left with a green, unripe taste; if picked too late they have a "jammy" taste (see Vieux Chateau Saint Andre). If you go out into the vineyards and you taste a grape, you can tell if it's nearly ready by if the seeds are quite crunchy as you bite, and when the flesh of the grape doesn't attach to the seeds. For days preparing up to the moment when the Berrouet's and the Moueix's declare the grapes are ready a team of harvesters are awaiting the call to action. Elisabeth explained that the harvesters at Petrus are nearly always the same people at each harvest and often wine professionals. The harvest sounded quite fun in my opinion, with days of collective eating and festivities following up to the harvest. The harvest itself must be done quite quickly, and usually within 48hours. Again, this is due the finicky Merlot grape: there's a small window of time for the grapes' moment of perfection, and at a vineyard producing wine of the quality of Petrus, each must be at perfection.

After the grapes are harvested and sorted (Petrus is now using the color sorting machines), the grapes go into concrete tanks. Yes, concrete. Not wood, not stainless steal, but concrete. I'm not sure who started the trend of putting Merlot into concrete fermentation tanks (it could very well have been Petrus), but it's certainly taken the right bank and even some vineyards on the left bank by a storm. Both Elisabeth and Berrouet stressed that concrete is a more stable substance for Merlot, as the magnetic fields on stainless steel can alter the wines. Concrete, on the other hand, does not have this magnetism, and provides stable temperatures. Because concrete is slightly basic, it must be sprayed with Tartaric Acid to neutralize the walls before the grapes are added. 

Inside of the tanks. The streaks on the wall are the acid stains.

Once in the fermentation tanks, the key is to try to bring the grape into as little contact with oxygen as possible while making sure that the juice of the grape comes into contact with the solids (skins, seeds, etc.). Again, here is another aspect in which Merlot is finicky: it must avoid contact with oxygen. Berrouet explained that they slowly drain the wine from the bottom of the tanks and to add back to the top (where the solids are floating). Slowly, and gradually, the wine is turned in this manner to assure that the liquid has gotten plenty of contact with the flavorful solids. The wine is aged for 18-20 months in French oak barrels. 

On touring Petrus, you will be surprised to see how simple the facilities are. The fermentation room is pleasant: it has the feel of a working farm, simply painted concrete tanks. The double doors are marked with the signature of Petrus, two crossed keys, which are the keys of Saint Peter, better known as the gates of heaven. This symbol was chosen by Petrus by Lily Lacoste, who owned nearly all of the shares of Petrus, who played upon the reference of Petrus and Saint Peter, and claimed that the quality of wine was so good, drinking it was an entrance through the gates of heaven. Walking through such doors one enters the small aging room, filled with red-striped wooden barrels. It smells good here: the air is dry, the scent of french oak is strong. It was here that we stopped to taste Petrus.

The 2011 Petrus is 100% Merlot, and is said to be notably more delicate than previous vintages. Elisabeth noted that the bottle is extremely young, and will continue to develop structure and concentration as it ages. Both Elisabeth and one of our companions (who had visited Petrus just months before) noted that in only a few months this structure is beginning to form. But here's what I thought. 

I am not a scientist wine drinker. I do not swish vigorously, and then run through a checklist of qualities in my mind before I can determine it's quality. I simply smell and taste. I know if a wine is of superior quality by one reason: by the third sip, has the warmth of happiness radiated out from my stomach throughout all of my limbs and is it trying to escape through my mouth in contained squeals of delight? Petrus made me happy. 

To the nose, Petrus was a delight. What amazed me about Petrus was the texture. I'd never before had a wine that had this magician-in-the-mouth qualities. Upon first sip it was noticeably light and clean. Flavors of fruit, boysenberry, and a bit of earth were twirled around; and then somehow, mid-sip, as I bounced it on my tongue it started to develop a silky, meaty texture. It was the texture of having a beautiful slice of O-toro on the tongue! The same silky, velvety (is it appropriate to say…) fats, were melting in my mouth. And this was wine. And here at this stage came the dark flavors of spice, stone delicate wood. And the tannins began to play on the insides of my cheeks. And it all occurred so effortlessly, so balanced, and extremely elegantly. And these tastes which came into being on mid-sip, just grew stronger and stronger in harmony and stayed in my mouth bounding off of the happiness radiating from my stomach for a finish that just continued.