Petrus 2019 Vintage En Primeur

2019

2019 VINTAGE EN PRIMEUR

“A very powerful, strong vintage…”

OLIVIER BERROUET June 2020

THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP “The Ingrid Bergman vintage – strong, elegant and complex.”

OLIVIER BERROUET, June 2020

We always end our annual interrogation of Olivier Berrouet with a question about the character of the vintage. This year’s was, “If Petrus 2019 were an actor, who would it be?”

(This is the sort of hard-hitting investigative journalism our customers expect of C&B…)

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Olivier never even pauses when answering these questions, which in itself is rather impressive. He came back immediately with the quote above, kindly teeing up endless references to the Ingrid Bergman back catalogue, such as the above from Casablanca.

We tasted at Petrus on 3rd June 2020. The cancellation of the annual primeurs week and subsequent travel restrictions complicated the logistics somewhat, but Covid-19 did not manage to stop us. Four of us made an inand-out day trip, via an eerily deserted Bordeaux airport.

What we tasted was frankly breathtaking. Possibly the relief of having survived the journey helped, but even allowing for adrenaline in the system, this year’s Petrus is clearly pushing for a top spot among the eleven vintages that Olivier has made to date.

Petrus 2019 shrugs off the vintage’s proliferation of tannin almost nonchalantly, remaining supremely nimble and retaining intricate aromatic delicacy within a finely sculpted framework. A beautiful friendship indeed – and one which you just know will thrive way, way into the future.

GUY SEDDON August 2020

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Olivier Berrouet

Reproduced by kind permission of Neal Martin and Wine Journal Publishing

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THE VINEYARD It’s that blue clay...

60cm beneath the surface at Petrus. Drainage is further aided by the gentle slopes, which rise away from the Route de Lussac to the south.

A key part of what makes Petrus special is what is often referred to as its ‘buttonhole’ of clay. This is a blue-hued patch of smectite, a quirk of the Pomerol landscape, which lies beneath around 90% of the 11.5 hectares of the estate’s vines. It is thought to date back to the Oligocene era, nearly 40 million years ago.

The vineyard itself, as Olivier Berrouet’s map opposite shows, has twelve sub-plots. As Neal Martin says in his book Pomerol, it is so unusual to see it broken down into these individual parcels that several of the commune’s winemakers failed to recognise it as Petrus in this ‘insider’ format. The two largest plots, Mario and Guy, are named after former vineyard workers, with neighbouring châteaux acknowledged in the names Certan and L’Évangile.

As shown in the map above, the buttonhole is an opening through the surrounding gravel plateau, exposing the vine roots directly to the fertile and moisture-retentive clay below. This ready access to highly concentrated nutrients is moderated by Pomerol’s gravel, which starts some

VINEYARD HOLDINGS 2019 VINTAGE Size (hectares)

Plantings

Average Vine Age (yrs)

Soil

Yield

Harvest Dates

11.5ha

100% Merlot

41

Iron rich clay

36 hl/ha

16th-29th September

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Reproduced by kind permission of Neal Martin, Wine Journal Publishing and Olivier Berrouet

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THE CELLAR A gentle hand was more important than ever in 2019.

The Petrus cellars, which were totally renovated in 2005, are a monument to tranquillity. In these airy surroundings, wines are given the breathing space they need to equip themselves for the long journey ahead.

Olivier Berrouet professed himself surprised by the quantity of tannin in Petrus 2019. Although there is apparently twice the level of tannin in 2019 as in 2018, it is all but imperceptible in the glass. However, in the cellar, Oliver noted that it “took time for the wine to build itself”.

He felt that only around May 2020 did the wine “begin to express itself”.

After being destemmed, grapes are sorted twice. A short pre-fermentation maceration of one or two days is followed by fermentation in concrete vats, with each vat handled according to its own development. Tannins are extracted as gently as possible, with pumping-over at the start of vinification.

Malolactic fermentation also takes place in cement vats, to prioritise fruit purity over oak character. The wine is typically transferred to barrel at the end of November. As is customary, Petrus 2019 is maturing in 50% new oak, 50% one year old.

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THE 2019 VINTAGE “Deceptive…”

OLIVIER BERROUET June 2019

Having been fully in control at Petrus since the 2009 vintage, Olivier Berrouet has successfully plotted a route through an extensive range of seasonal variation. From the warmth of 2009, 2015 and 2018, to the cool 2013 and most things in between. Of course, he also has his father Jean-Claude Berrouet’s experience in the role to draw from, which stretches back considerably further, to 1964.

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Although Olivier is understandably reluctant to be drawn on vintage comparisons (why do wine merchants insist on asking this…?), his confidence is such that he can encapsulate the 2019 growing season as “not difficult” and “smooth compared to previous years”. Yes, this is a man you would want at the helm in a storm.

Flowering took place from 12th June. There was some millerandage, the smaller berries contributing to quantities in Pomerol overall being around 20% lower than average.

However, the final yield of 36 hl/ha at Petrus is only fractionally below last year’s level of 37 hl/ha.

There was just enough rain – “exactly what we needed” – especially at véraison (colour change), which was concluded smoothly. Late July, late August and early September all saw “helpful rain”, with 20-30mm being meted out each time.

The various Petrus plots were harvested over a unrushed fortnight, from 16th to 29th September. Olivier explained that the team was determined to avoid overripe fruit, which they absolutely did, resulting, in his words, in “very fruity, floral, clean aromas”.

As mentioned in the previous section, the particularly high level of tannin in 2019 encouraged Olivier to use a shorter cuvaison period than usual. He described the tannins as “powerful”, stressing that “no pushing” was needed in vat, just light pump-overs at the beginning of vinification.

Malolactic fermentation, in cement vats, was “lazy”, some vats finishing in November, some in January. The team watched but did not intervene. At end of vinification, Olivier said, “we realised we had a very powerful, strong vintage”.

And the wine? I will leave the tasting note to Adam but I liked Olivier’s summing-up of it as “deceptive”. In the case of Petrus 2019, that means a lightness of touch, supported by a phenomenal yet intricate tannic framework. Or in the bigger picture, a tacit admission perhaps that yes, it all appears effortless – but you can’t walk a tightrope without placing each step with the utmost care, experience and precision.

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TASTING NOTE

By Adam Brett-Smith PETRUS 2019

When Olivier (Berrouet) and I were trying to come up with four words to define Petrus 2019 we eventually settled on, “Perfume, Poise, Purity, Presence” which reminded me inconsequentially of Mrs General in Dickens’ Little Dorrit.* They go some way towards framing the extraordinary beauty of this wine.

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Opaque, brooding ruby colour. The nose is supremely vinous (which means nothing and everything) with profound red, almost black fruits, and shades of violets, earth, liquorice and even coffee. The palate is silken rich, with a sense only of massive, layered structure of powder-dry but beautifully extracted tannins. The whole is cloaked in a sweet and fresh concentration of old vine fruits that literally balloon across the palate. Imposing and delectable length and freshness, this is both a cerebral and a physical wine and rather beautiful with it.

See Olivier’s take on the video.

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 - 19 Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2055+ £5,100/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK £3,415/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

* “Papa is a preferable mode of address, observed Mrs General. Father is rather vulgar, my dear. The word Papa, besides, gives a pretty form to the lips. Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes and prism, are all very good words for the lips: especially prunes and prism. You will find it serviceable, in the formation of a demeanour, if you sometimes say to yourself in company - on entering a room, for instance - Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes and prism.”

Tasting Guide Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark.

When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score.

Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.

THE ALLOCATION PROCESS We are often asked by customers for guidance on what they should request. Our suggestion is that you simply order what you would ideally like to receive.

• Petrus' and Corney & Barrow's focus is on the private customer, as a consumer rather than a speculator.

• Petrus is bought on the clear understanding that the wine will be stored and delivered in the UK only.

• To offer protection against counterfeit wines and parallel marketing, each case and bottle will show a unique identification number which will be logged against each customer. These identity numbers are tamper proof and will offer customers a legitimacy and protection that is at the heart of the massive investment that the Moueix family have made in their distribution.

In future and as a further refinement, each customer will be able to check via an app the origin of each bottle through an alphanumeric code and graphic signature.

• Should you wish to sell the wine in the future, please offer Corney & Barrow first refusal as this will also ensure the integrity of secondary market distribution, something which is of great concern to Petrus.

• Priority will be given to Petrus' and Corney & Barrow's best, most loyal and most regular customers.

May we please have your order by Monday 17th August.

Allocations will be completed by Friday 21st August.

Confirmation of order will be through receipt of invoice and the wines will be allocated to your reserve upon payment. As detailed above, all orders are conditional upon UK storage only. May we please request that invoices are paid in full by Monday 21st September.

We reserve the right to reallocate your order to other customers on the waiting list if payment is not received by this time. Do please speak to our sales team, who will be delighted to help you further.

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