Pétrus - Pomerol 1996 b5952cb1c3ab96cb3c8c63cfb3dccaca

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe10/31/2004

Medium-dark ruby with hints of amber on the edge. Intense aromas of tobacco, cedar and plum, with just the right amount of meat. Medium-bodied, with a lovely linear fruit structure and length. Silky.--Pétrus non-blind vertical. Drink now.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1999

Proprietor Christian Moueix's 1996s have turned out well in the bottle. The 1996 Petrus is a big, monolithic, foursquare wine with an impressively opaque purple color, and sweet berry fruit intermixed with earth, pain grille, and coffee scents. Full-bodied and muscular, with high levels of tannin, and a backward style, this wine (less than 50% of the production was bottled as Petrus) will require patience. It is a mammoth example. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1998

Despite all the pessimism that emerged from proprietor Christian Moueix, this has turned out to be an exceptional effort. The wine possesses a dense, opaque purple color, a ripe, mulberry, cedar, and coffee-scented nose, and a dense, powerful, medium to full-bodied, tannic personality with plenty of spice, glycerin, and length. It will require time in the bottle. Petrus's average production in a high quality vintage is approximately 4,500 cases, but due to Moueix's ruthless selection process, only 1,800 cases of 1996 Petrus were produced. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1997

Along with Clinet, Petrus has produced the top wine in Pomerol. Instead of producing 4,500 cases (the quantity produced in abundant high quality vintages such as 1989 and 1990), Christian Moueix has turned out a brilliant Petrus by producing only 1,800 cases. The 1996 Petrus boasts a black/ruby/purple color, as well as a wonderfully sweet nose of black-cherries, raspberries, truffles, cedar, and vanillin. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with considerable power and concentration, this is a superb effort in what was obviously a difficult year for Pomerol. The wine possesses excellent sweetness, high glycerin, and a layered texture. It should mature more quickly than some of its older siblings, particularly 1993, 1994, and 1995, all splendid successes at Petrus. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020