Farr Vintners Logo

Pétrus 1989

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Petrus

Label

Tasting Notes

This wine is more tightly knit and more tannic, but every bit the blockbuster concentrated effort that its younger sibling, the 1990 is. It seems to need more coaxing from the glass, but the color is virtuallly 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, has a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. It does not seem to be quite as evolved as the 1990, and my instincts suggest there is a bit more tannin, but both are as prodigious as Pétrus can be. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040. Last tasted. 8/02.

100
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

The 1989 Pétrus is the greatest vintage produced at this estate under Christian Mouiex's administration, and it's one of Winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet's best. It not only rivals but may even surpass Haut-Brion for the title of "wine of the vintage," though I have never drunk them side by side, and the two are so different in style and so high in quality that such a comparison would probably be as futile as it would be pleasurable. Unfurling in the glass with a rich bouquet of dark berries, black truffles, exotic spices, cedar and loamy soil, it's full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a deep and layered core of fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and an immensely long finish. Textural and seamless, this profound Pomerol delivers everything that one dreams about when one reads about Pétrus.

100
William Kelley, Wine Advocate, December 2023

The tannin is well-integrated, but the enormous texture, thickness, and impeccable balance are what make this wine so provocative. It is backward and tannic, thus coming across as marginally more structured than the opulent and flashy. The 1989 should hit its peak around 2005 and last for 25-30 years.

100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (109), February 1997
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.