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Château Pétrus 1950 - A detailed report

Introduction and legend

Château Pétrus 1950 is undoubtedly one of the most legendary vintages from the House of Pétrus. It is considered by experts to be a "monument" to the art of wine and has lost none of its fascination to this day. The wine critic Robert Parker, who rated this vintage several times with almost the highest score, describes it as a wine that "still seems young", with a "massive structure" and "spectacular colour saturation". In a remarkable state, still showing signs of youth more than half a century after it was bottled, this wine is often described as "immortal".

History of the estate

Château Pétrus has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the most sought-after and expensive wine estates in the world.

The beginnings and the rise

The first written mention of the estate dates back to 1837, when it was owned by the Arnaud family. As early as 1878, Pétrus won a gold medal at the Paris World Exhibition, which made the wine famous beyond the borders of Pomerol for the first time.

A decisive turning point was the purchase of the estate by Madame Edmond Loubat, who began acquiring shares in 1925 and took over the estate completely by 1945. It was she who recognised the immense potential of the terroir and elevated Pétrus to the same level as the great Bordeaux wines. in 1943, the collaboration with Jean-Pierre Moueix began, who introduced the winery to the USA as the sole sales agent and eventually took over the shares. Today, the winery is run by the Moueix family.

The terroir - the unmistakable secret

The secret of Pétrus lies in its unique terroir: an 11.4 hectare vineyard on the highest plateau of Pomerol, which consists almost exclusively of heavy, blue clay. This special soil composition is ideal for the Merlot grape and gives the wine its unrivalled richness, depth and complexity.

Special features of winemaking

Pétrus is made almost exclusively from Merlot. The grapes are harvested by hand, and only in the afternoon to allow the morning dew to evaporate. Fermentation takes place in cement tanks and the wine matures for 22-28 months in 100% new oak barrels. It is not filtered before bottling in order to preserve its structure and enormous ageing potential.

The 1950 vintage in detail

Vintage characteristics

The 1950 vintage was an exceptional vintage in Bordeaux, offering both quantity and quality. For Pétrus, this vintage marked an absolute high point. Robert Parker described it as "spectacular" and put it on a par with other legendary vintages. Although the 1950s were economically difficult, the top wines of this era showed remarkable longevity and quality.

Wine description

Eye:Even after more than 60 years, the wine still shows a surprisingly dark, ruby-garnet colour with ochre reflections and a slight brightening at the rim. Its colour saturation is described as "spectacular".

Nose: The bouquet is exceptionally complex and developed. Notes of cream, chestnuts, chocolate (Stollwerck), overripe plums, leather, truffles, liquorice, mulberries and even a slight hint of mint are mentioned.

Palate: On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and concentrated, with an almost port-like density. The tannins are sweet and ripe, feel pleasant on the tongue and are now fully integrated. The texture is often described as velvety. It shows incredible richness, pure fruit and a long, delicate finish.

Maturity and ageing

Château Pétrus 1950 is a prime example of the exceptional longevity of Pétrus' great wines. It reached its drinking maturity after around 15-45 years and is now at or close to its peak. Robert Parker originally gave a drinking window of 1994 to 2024 for this wine.

The optimum drinking temperature is 16-18 °C. Decanting is not recommended for this very old wine or should be done with great care, as it can react very sensitively to oxygen. Instead, it is recommended to open the bottle a few hours before drinking and allow the wine to breathe slowly in the glass.

Ratings at a glance

The following table summarises the outstanding reviews for Château Pétrus 1950:

Critics / SourceRatingComment / Source
Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)99/100After three tastings with consistent notes, the critic wrote of an "exceptional" wine that still seems young, massive and rich.
Falstaff97/100The tasting note from 2016 emphasises the almost port-like concentration and incredible weight.
Tastingbook97/100This is the algorithmic average of professional and community ratings.
Wine-Searcher97/100This average score is based on three critic ratings.
CellarTracker (Community)95,5/100This score is based on 12 community ratings, all of which confirm high quality.

Price and market availability

Château Pétrus 1950 is a rarity and is traded almost exclusively at auctions or via specialised dealers. The price varies greatly depending on the state of preservation, provenance and bottle size:

  • 750 ml bottle: prices range from €3,000 to over €8,000 depending on the source and condition .

    • For example, a bottle achieved a price of €4,600at Dorotheum in 2022 (estimated value was €6,600).

    • A bottle was offered for€3,850on iDealwine .

    • The average price according to Wine-Searcher is around $7,428 (excl. tax).

  • Magnum (1.5 litres): A magnum bottle was auctioned at Christie's for $19,600 (estimated value $8,000 - $12,000).

The collector's item

A bottle of Château Pétrus 1950 is far more than just a wine - it is a true collector's item. It represents one of the greatest vintages from one of the most prestigious wine estates in the world. The reasons for this are:

  1. Absolute rarity: the vintage is extremely rare and is sought after by collectors worldwide.

  2. Outstanding ratings: With 99 Parker points and other top ratings, it is one of the best-rated wines of the 20th century.

  3. Legendary status: The wine witnessed the rise of Pétrus to absolute world class and is a testimony to this era.

  4. Perfect maturity: A properly stored bottle today offers an unforgettable flavour experience at the peak of its development.

Serving and pairing suggestions

Optimal serving conditions

  • Serving temperature: 16-18 °C

  • Decanting: Generally not recommended at this age. Open the bottle a few hours before serving and allow the wine to breathe carefully in the glass.

Perfect food pairing

The complexity and richness of Pétrus 1950 calls for an equally sophisticated, savoury culinary accompaniment. We recommend dishes such as:

  • Beef and game: classic combinations such as roast beef, fillet steak or leg of venison.

  • Herb-crusted roast: Especially with prime rib, as recommended on Tastingbook.

  • Poultry and lamb: Mature red wines from Pomerol go perfectly with roast lamb or duck.

Conclusion

Château Pétrus 1950 is not only an outstanding wine, but also a living piece of winegrowing history. It is a shining example of the exceptional quality that this vintage was able to produce in Pomerol. With its almost port-like concentration, its enormous richness and its remarkable longevity, it represents one of the highlights of Bordeaux viticulture and will provide an unforgettable experience for any collector who is lucky enough to taste it.



Chateau Petrus is the favourite wine of the world's rich and famous. The flagship Pomerol wine is located near Libourne in the Bordeaux wine-growing region. However, the Pomerol wines differ significantly from the 1er Cru Classé growths of the Left Bank such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Haut Brion from Graves. Chateau Petrus is a fairly small wine estate with only 11.50 hectares of vineyards. This is planted with around 95 per cent Merlot and only 5 per cent Cabernet Franc, which is also the main difference to the above-mentioned wineries; the high proportion of Merlot is typical of Chateau Petrus and the other wineries from the Pomerol region. The Pomerol region is located 30 kilometres north of Bordeaux and only experienced its steady and unstoppable rise at the beginning of the 20th century. To the east of Pomerol, the very well-known Saint-Émilion growing region joins Pomerol. In the years before the so-called discovery of Pomerol wines, glamorous names such as Chateau Petrus or Chateau Le Pin were only known to insiders. In contrast to the wine estates on the Left Bank, the estates do not boast magnificent castles and estates; wine connoisseurs often find ordinary houses or farms when they visit, as is the case with Chateau Petrus. The best Pomerol wines are produced on the highest parts of the plateau because the soil there consists of gravel and clay. Chateau Petrus has the same soil composition and the wines of Pomerol do not have their own classification. Chateau Petrus only received a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, where the classification of the Bordelais was also announced. The star of Chateau Petrus rose with the 1945 vintage. Alongside the 1945 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, this is still regarded today as the wine of the century. In 1925, part of the property of Chateau Petrus went to Madame Edmond Loubat. in 1949, the enterprising lady was then able to acquire all the shares in Chateau Petrus and call the estate her own. At that time, however, Chateau Petrus was even smaller than it is today, covering only around 6.50 hectares. Also in this year, Jean-Pierre Moueix took over the distribution of the wines of Chateau Petrus and was also able to buy a third of the shares after the death of Mme Loubat in 1961. Today, Chateau Petrus is owned by the Moueix family, long led by the enterprising wine connoisseur and businessman Jean-Pierre Moueix (1882-1957). In addition to Chateau Petrus, he also owned Chateau Trotanoy, Chateau Lafleur-Pétrus and Chateau Lagrange as well as Château Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion. However, Chateau Petrus is his flagship estate with the best reputation and the highest-rated wines. The annual production at Chateau Petrus is usually only around 20,000 to 25,000 bottles, which makes an allocation by subscription almost impossible. Russian oil tycoons and Asian businessmen in particular will pay almost any price for a genuine Chateau Petrus, making older vintages of Chateau Petrus even more difficult to obtain and they are guarded like the apple of their eye. There is probably only one other wine as expensive as Chateau Petrus, and that is the Burgundy legend Domaine Romanee Conti from Vosne-Romanée
Alcohol Alcohol: 14
Colour Colour: red
Country Country: France
Filling quantity Filling quantity: 750 ml
Flavour Flavour: dry
Grape variety Grape variety: Merlot
Product type Product type: Wine
Region Region: Bordeaux
Type of wine Type of wine: Red wine
Vintage Vintage: 1950
Producer Producer: Château Pétrus

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Allergens: Sulphites

Bottler: Producer