The 2020 Pétrus is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Silky, creamy tannins wrap around a core of dark red and black fruit. A wine with explosive depth but no hard edges and mind-blowing balance, the 2020 is so alluring, even in the early going. Time in the glass brings out lifted floral top notes that add freshness. What strikes most is the elegance of the tannins. I don't think I have ever tasted a young Pétrus like the 2020. Technical Director Olivier Berrouet gave the 2020 a bit more time on the skins than is normal. Aging was 17-18 months in oak. Let's cut to the chase. The 2020 Pétrus is profoundly great.

(100% M; 14.5% ABV)
Densely ripe, and yet also fresh and crisp to smell; rich, fresh to vital, firmly but finely tannic, a first-rate long-term balance; deep, ripe, fresh black fruit to taste, deeply mineral-infused, dense and sonorous, within a generous, but super fine-grained velvety tannin; an effortlessly prolonged inner energy on the mid-palate, with a remarkable vitality given its richness; mouthcoating, great elegance, and wonderful length. A wine so complete, and yet seeming so light alongside its density. Grand and yet so easy, so flattering, the mark of a great aristocrat whose presence speaks for itself, which has no need to bellow to make its point. Utterly magnificent. 2035–65+.

The 2020 Petrus was bottled in June 2020. "I feel the wine changed a lot since primeur, and since bottling," commented winemaker Olivier Berrouet, "gaining an extra layer of complexity and more subtlety, the tannins are more polished. You still feel the tannins that have improved in barrel, but it needs aging." It has a spectacular nose that does not hold back: layers of intense black cherry, blueberry, crushed violet and incense rocketing from the glass and almost overwhelming the senses. The palate is medium-bodied yet fills the mouth, almost engulfing it with a payload of concentrated blackberry, cassis, and cracked black pepper. This is extremely harmonious on the finish. It's more peppery on the finish than I recall. Likewise, it deserves more cellaring than I previously envisaged. Fabulous. Feb 2023

The combination of incredible purity in the fruit, silky textures, a complex aromatic profile sporting truffles, flowers, licorice, plums, cherries, and cocoa, and a finish that is all about its silky, cashmere texture is what we call a hit! In every sense of the word, this is a magical wine that is rich, full-bodied, sensuous, and sexy, with a finish that lingers, expands, and inspires you to take another sip to experience it all over again. Drink from 2025-2055. Tasted March 2023

100% Merlot. Cask sample.
Rich, dense and opulent but reined-in, the tannic structure a framework of plentiful but really fine tannins. Lovely, lifted fruit expression, the type seen in top Merlot years (shades of 1998?). Plenty of freshness, so harmonious despite the alcohol degree. Very pure. Tremendous length. A step up from 2019 and at least on a par with 2018. (JL)

A seriously impressive Petrus in 2020. Less hedonistic and instantly emotional than 2019, more sultry, almost shy and reserved but with definition, weight, succulence and suppleness that shines through. It has a silky tannic tension and clear power but not heft, only a soft muscular expansion that comes with a grip and chew to the black fruits with medicinal, liquorice edges and mouthwatering acidity. Understated yet utterly captivating, it takes its time to come out of its shell - a little serious right now but at the same time it’s stylish with a bright, lifted finish reminding you of the juicy freshness that’s possible even in such warm vintages. A shining star that will be magnificent in time. Drinking Window: 2029 - 2050
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 03 Jan 2023)
Part of Pomerol 2020 in bottle: overview plus top-scoring wines

The transparency and complexity in the nose is wonderful, with so much floral character like violets and roses with some fresh spices. Dark berries, too. Sandalwood. It’s medium-bodied but then it just opens and unfolds with incredible depth of fine tannins and great length. It goes on for minutes. It opens like butterfly wings. What a wine. Superb. Drink after 2028. May 2023

As I observed to Olivier Berrouet, it's hardly very original to find a wine critic extolling the virtues of this Pomerol reference point; and yet, whether one likes it or not, there's no denying that the 2020 Pétrus is a brilliant achievement and indeed one of the very finest vintages at this address over the last two decades. Unwinding in the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of exotic spices, violets and vine smoke, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with huge depth at the core, exquisitely refined tannins and a youthfully reserved, even restrained profile despite its power and size. This serious, classically proportioned Pétrus is a monument in the making. WK April 2023