Chateau Petrus 2018

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2018 Petrus has retained its opaque purple-black color after bottling, foreshadowing the seemingly frozen-in-time glacial pace at which this wine is proceeding. It opens very reluctantly, requiring considerable air with vigorous swirling and doggedly demands a few hours before it offers glimpses at this slumbering giant of a wine. As it eventually unfurls, it slowly morphs into a powerful, fantastically pure nose of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and blueberry compote, followed by nuances of molten licorice, dark chocolate, black truffles, iron ore and, still later, floral notions of lilacs and rose oil come through. The full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and oh-so-tightly wound at this stage, revealing peeks at many, many layers of perfectly ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices and earthy notions for which words simply fail. The texture is at once rock solid and fantastically plush, with impeccably knit freshness, finishing so long you really can't taste or think of anything else for the rest of the day. Here is a heart-stopping titan that puts paid to all those naysayers who contest that perfection in wine cannot exist. It will require a good 8-10 years to hit its stride, then it is very likely to outlive us all, but you will want to make certain you drink this one before you go."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This wine leaves me speechless. It has so much intensity and density with fantastic ripe fruit with spices, dark berries and walnuts and hazelnuts Currants and licorice. Violets and earth. Full-bodied, very, very tannic yet polished and beautiful. Lasts forever on the palate. Reminds me of the great 1998."

WEINWISSER: "99 % Merlot, 1 % Cabernet Franc. 37 hl/ha. Tiefes Purpur mit violettem Rand. Was für ein betörendes und gleichzeitig verführerisch-erotisches Parfüm: reife Alpenheidelbeeren, Schattenmorellensaft und Nougatpralinen. Am sehr komplexen, delikaten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur und stützendem Tannin, dabei alles perfekt verwoben: Mineralik, Frucht und Frische in einer grazilen Symbiose. Im katapultartigen Finale schnellt der Wein dieses Jahr nach vorne und endet mit einem Feuerwerk von Milchschokolade, Cassis, Minze und hellen Malznoten. Der nimmt einem dieses Jahr förmlich den Atem, da kann ich nur die perfekte Maximalnote zücken."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2018 Petrus has a deep garnet purple color. It skips out of the glass with lifted scents of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh mulberries, plus suggestions of black olives, truffles, and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is very firm and taut with ripe, grainy tannins and muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy. Typically for this vineyard, it will require patience!"

DECANTER: "There is an intensity, concentration and richness to the fruit in this wine with the one-two sleight of hand between density and elegance that everyone talks about but few people actually get right.This is unquestionably full of plush yet tight cassis, blueberry, tobacco, graphite, chocolate and slate with a fresh mint finish, but it’s elegant and pure, full of pleasure and juice with tannins that have the silky hidden power that is so cherished in Petrus.Grape skins were thick at harvest, with huge tannic potential, but there is an approachability to this wine that makes it one of the more elegant Petrus’ of recent years with so much hidden that by the time the tannins and power have built up, you are enveloped by them almost without noticing. To achieve all this, they kept extraction careful and light, just a little longer than usual but as an infusion, with tiny amounts of pumping juice over the skins.The harvest took place between 13 September and 27 September. 50% new oak. A yield of 37hl/ha which is relatively normal here."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Intensive schwarze Beerenfrucht, ein Hauch von süßen Gewürzen, etwas Nougat und Orangenzesten, facettenreiches Bukett. Kraftvoll extraktsüße, reife Pflaumen, schwarze Herzkirschen, samtige Tannine, sehr gute Frische, schokoladiger Touch im Abgang, mineralisch und minutenlang anhaltend."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Very dark. Glowing shaded crimson. Intense, distinctive, concentrated. Peppery note on the complex nose. Voluptuous texture. Almost impossible to spit out. Rich."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Plush and inviting, with steeped red and black currant and fig flavors that meld nicely with fruitcake, Christmas pudding and anise notes through the finish. Subtle dark earth hint at the end keeps it grounded. The vintage's slightly austere edge is here, but is minimized by the fruit, helping this stand apart from the pack. Best from 2023 through 2034."