Petrus - Pomerol 1988 6b11bd6ba9341f0271941e7df664d056

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe11/30/1998

Very fine Pétrus. Gorgeous aromas of violet and berry and hints of new oak. Full-bodied, with racy, silky tannins and a long, palate-caressing finish.--1988 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2003.

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1996

The 1988 Petrus is reassuringly outstanding, but it is not a prodigious Petrus. The healthy dark ruby/purple color is followed by a young, backward wine with high tannin levels, medium body, and an inner-core of sweet, ripe fruit. It needs another 7-10 years of cellaring. The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series VI - Flight A of the 1995 tasting conducted in Munich by Helga and Hardy Rodenstock.

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/31/1993

The 1988 tastes tannic and backward. I cannot emphasize enough how difficult this wine is to taste young. Despite the nearly 100% Merlot content, the style aimed for by the proprietors is to produce a wine that will outlive anything in the Medoc. That may not sit well with those who desire a sumptuous Petrus to drink in the first ten to fifteen years of life. The 1988 is the most concentrated wine in what is a very good vintage for Pomerol. It is dark ruby/purple, with a thickness to the color that suggests a high glycerin content. The muted nose offers intense smells of jammy black fruits intermingled with aromas of coconut, tea, super-ripe oranges, and some vanillin oakiness. This firmly structured, full-bodied, massive Petrus is super-charged with both extract and tannin. It will need at least 8-10 years of cellaring. Christian Moueix continues to rate it the third-best Petrus of the decade, preferring it to all except 1989 and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2030. Last tasted, 5/93.

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1993

The 1988 Petrus is dark ruby/purple, with a thickness to the color that suggests a high glycerine content. The nose is muted, but it does offer intense smells of jammy black fruits intermingled with aromas of coconut, tea, super-ripe oranges, and some vanillin oakiness. In the mouth, this firmly structured, full-bodied, massive Petrus is charged with both extract and tannin. It will need at least 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2030.