Petrus wine: history in brief, characteristics, interesting facts

The French region of Bordeaux is known to the world as the producer of the most expensive grape drinks. Wine "Petrus" belongs to this category. The cost of individual bottles reaches the amount of several thousand dollars.

The drink is produced in the commune of Pomerol in the oldest winery, which is one of the eight best producers in the Bordeaux region.

What justifies such a high price

1. Excellent quality

   Not just high, typical for most quality French wines, but "the highest".

   The selection of raw materials is so strict that in the case of a "bad" harvest, the production of wine in a bad year is abandoned altogether.

   However, this has happened only three times in the history of the farm (in 1956, 1965, and 1991), but by calculating the producer's losses, we can assess the thoroughness of the approach.

2. Production costs

   Manual harvesting, often at night, in order to catch the grapes with perfect characteristics

   And also: the maintenance of its own weather stations, strict control of each stage of production, the absence of artificial additives, even the use of helicopters to create certain air flows for growing berries.

   Of course, all this requires considerable investment, especially given the small production volumes.

3. Name

   Each farm in Bordeaux, in addition to the vineyards, has its own legend of creation, full of a special atmosphere; history of development, which often goes back several centuries; a few interesting facts that excite the imagination of the consumer...

The combination of these three components with the outstanding taste of the drink, which simply must be appropriate, determines the high cost of wines from Bordeaux.

The history of the brand

As for the legend, the Petryus winery is a rare exception that does not have ancient secrets and eccentric founders.

He doesn't even have his own chateau, unlike other famous Bordeaux winemakers.

The element "chateau" in the name appeared over time as a tribute to the high status of the wine, in fact, it is replaced by an old farmhouse.

The Petryus farm began its history in the XVIII century with the laying of vineyards and for a long time produced unknown red fruit drinks.

The winery's fame was brought by Madame Loubat, who decided to take advantage of the famous region and launched an active campaign to create a big name.

It happened in the 40s of the XX century. The lady hired a professional manager and it was off to the races.

The Petrus brand gradually won its place among Bordeaux producers to become one of the best by the end of the twentieth century.

Peculiarities of terroir and wine production

Undoubtedly, half of the success of local beverages lies in the unique natural and climatic conditions:

1. Soils where Merlot (95%) and Cabernet (5%) grow

   Mostly clay soils with a high iron content and a slight admixture of gravel.

   They were formed over many millions of years.

2. Moist air masses

   The air coming from the nearby sea and the mild climate without sharp temperature changes are ideal for growing red grapes.

Everything else is the work of the winemakers, and in the literal sense: most of the work is done by hand.

Particular attention is paid to harvesting: the berries should be picked as quickly as possible after reaching the desired degree of maturity, without damaging them.

Only whole fruits with the same characteristics - a certain shape and size - are used.

The two-stage sorting of raw materials (triage) at Petryus is also carried out manually: the berries are carefully separated from the crests, cleaned of twigs and stalks.

After the grapes are prepared, the winery proceeds directly to the production of wine: the fruits are crushed, placed in neutral containers, where the must undergoes a two-stage fermentation process.

It is produced for several weeks at a temperature of 30 °C.

For aging, oak barrels are used, in which wine is stored for two years or more.

Before being bottled, the drink is blended (mixed): Petrus wine consists mainly of Merlot, with Cabernet accounting for only 4-5% (in rare cases, it can increase to 20%).

Characteristics of "Petrus" wine

Describing the taste of one of the best drinks in the world is a thankless task: you need to taste it.

Although, due to the high price, this pleasure is not available to many people.

Wines of different years are characterized by their own qualities: the bouquet is original every year. But there are also mandatory general notes.

1. Connoisseurs find bright berry and fruit flavors in the wine's aroma: cherries, blackberries and currants prevail.

2. The taste is balanced, elegant, harmonious.

3. The finish is long, sweet, coffee-caramel with a trail of herbs, tobacco and truffles.

4. The color of the drink is a beautiful ruby.

5. Drinking is recommended with light dishes of veal and poultry, French cheeses and Italian snacks.

Interesting facts

1. On the labels of the finished drink you can see an image of St. Peter, whose statue is located at the entrance to the estate.

   It is believed that the name of the area comes from the name of this saint.

2. Petrus products have never been officially classified as "Grand Cru", but at the same time they are one of the most famous and expensive in the world.

3. John F. Kennedy and Robert Parker were among the drink connoisseurs.

4. The tasting room and wine storage facility at Petryus was built quite recently (in 2002), which resulted in the coexistence of centuries-old traditions with modern architectural achievements.

5. Petrus wine is present in the movie "Death on the Nile" about the famous detective Hercule Poirot: he enjoys tasting the drink.

Update: 27.09.2018

Category: Wine and Vermouth