1989 Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux

The 1989 Petrus is consistent with previous bottles in the sense that it represents the apotheosis of not only the vineyard but of Pomerol itself. It still provides that almost surreal cornucopia of aromas, red fruit melted with tar, tobacco, and hints of camphor and ash, all delivered with astonishing precision. The palate is perfectly balanced and intense yet paradoxically weightless. This example is one of the finest I have encountered regarding clarity and precision. Ethereal. Step this way if you want to taste a genuine 100-point wine. Magnificent!

Drink 2020 - 2045

This wine is more tightly knit and more tannic, but every bit the blockbuster concentrated effort that its younger sibling, the 1990, is. It needs more coaxing from the glass, but the colour is virtually identical, a dense ruby/purple with no lightening at the edge. In the mouth, the wine cuts a broad swath, with spectacular intensity, richness, massive concentration, and high levels of tannin, yet the wine is fabulously well-delineated and, like its sibling, the 1990, has a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. It is not quite as evolved as the 1990, and my instincts suggest there is a bit more tannin, but both are as prodigious as Petrus can be.

Drink 2010 - 2040