Pétrus
Pétrus is a red wine from the Pétrus estate in Pomerol, on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. It is made entirely from Merlot and ranks among the most expensive and celebrated wines in the world.
History
The estate was owned for much of the 19th and 20th centuries by the Arnaud family, and its name appears in records from 1837. At the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878 the wine won a gold medal, and its selling price came to match that of a Médoc second growth, something unusual for a Pomerol.
After the Second World War, Mme. Loubat, who had been acquiring shares in the estate since around 1925, helped build its reputation. After the 1956 frost destroyed two-thirds of the vineyard, she chose to coppice the vines on surviving rootstocks rather than replant, a method rarely used in the region that became a lasting tradition. In 1964 Jean-Pierre Moueix acquired the remaining shares, and his family still runs the estate. Winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, and later his son Olivier, have overseen production.
Culture
Pétrus is associated with prestige and luxury in wine culture. Production is small, with about 11.4 hectares of vineyard, hand harvesting, and ageing in new French oak barrels. Over the years it has become a status symbol, often referenced in film, television and literature. As there is no physical château on the estate, the wine is usually simply called Pétrus.