Château Petrus

Ten kilometers from Bordeaux and three from Saint-Émilion, in Pomerol, lies Pétrus, the château where one of the most legendary wines on the planet is crafted. Its mystery, what truly elevates it to an object of global desire, is not hidden behind the walls of the simple one-story winery—a modest agricultural building without much pretense—but outside.

The true greatness of Pétrus is concentrated in a tiny 11.4-hectare vineyard of merlot (95%) and cabernet franc (5%), a variety that does not always play a role in the coupage that makes up the wine. The key lies in the soil, composed of a layer of gravel situated between two layers of clay that act like sponges, preventing both excess and lack of water. Pétrus, which ferments in cement tanks and undergoes an average aging of 20 months in oak barrels, is consistently an expressive wine—delicate yet powerful, complex, and wonderfully balanced, tannic, and elegant.