Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

I know someone that would like to try a Petrus. Of course, I won't buy any as she won't.

So this is why I'm asking the question : which wine would you consider the twin of Petrus (or let say the more similar)? Is it Trotanoy as it is vinified by the same team with same rigourous technique? Is is one of the Chateau directly next to Petrus? Or another Chateau with same blend of grape?

Of course, I did not sample enough Petrus to select another wine that would be similar, so this is why I'm asking you. And if possible, let say a wine that is significantly lower in price...

Nic

Trotanoy Nic

When I sold out some of my Lafite I bought a couple Petrus 01 for posterity...for less pb- based on the following logic - 01 is a heroic and under-rated vintage on the RB...the 01 Petrus is of course magnificent...see my late May tasting note...but then I managed to snag a half case of 01 Trot for $499 from the Diageo firesale...and I tell you it is also magnificent and 7% of the price per bottle - more ready to drink but not far behind.

Of course Lafleur and Le Pin are more obvious rivals but Trotanoy - never really a HWSRN fave - is the real deal. I saw a note from our old friend Pomerollover on cellar tracker who didn't rate it very highly but I guess he was just being loyal to his boss. That is the stuff of what wine values are made of.

Hi Nic,

That's a tall order, particularly the "significantly lower in price" request.

Lafleur is the wine that has most often compared to or outgunned Petrus in my experience. (I've never had le Pin. ) I agree with the Comte that Trotanoy is probably the best value among the high-end Pomerols, but I've never found it to have a flavor profile similar to Petrus.

If you want a *relatively* inexpensive wine that somewhat reproduces the Petrus experience, try Dominus. Yes, it's a different grape from a different part of the world, but it seriously tastes like Petrus' little brother...

I don't drink much RB, but an "affordable" Petrus; one never knows. Tom, re: Dominus, did you mean the stuff from Napa, or the stuff from Spain?

He means the stuff from Napa

Many years ago I was at a tasting where two wines were served blind side by side. We knew one was Petrus 90 and the other was Dominus 91 but we had to guess which was which. Everyone guessed wrong.

I don't drink Petrus often enough (who does) to have an opinion on which wine is most like it but I can say that my current favorite Pomerol is 1998 Trotanoy.

Chris Bublitz

There is no twin of Petrus.

What Jim says is probably true but (unlike my good friend in DC) I haven't tasted Lafleur enough to form a judgement

I have had Le Pin a few times and although it has a reputation for being a rich man's plaything it never fails to blow your socks off. Never.On these pages some years ago I described how the 1990 did its Mick Jagger (circa 1972) impression while the 1990 Petrus skulked in the corner like Hugh Grant.

I attended a Petrus vs. Trotanoy vertical in 2000 - we raided the Baring Bros cellar - and I remember there not being much between them. The wotn was 1978 Petrus which beat the 1982 while the 1986 and 1981 were lagging behind. Can't remember which vintages of Trotanoy we had but they were good. Also, at the same tasting, run by a British female MW, whose name escapes me, we had a bottle of Masseto as a ringer. Although I am a hopeless taster I nailed it immediately. It tasted like a vulgar interloper next to the Petrus.

At Stuart's Thursday night dinners over the years, we've had some Petruses, and we've had some Trotanoys...
For me, the Petruses have blown away the Trotanoys.

I have a 1995 Petrus in my cellar that I will drink on my 75th or 80th birthday.
I have a 1996 Trotanoy in my cellar that my mother gave me one Christmas -- it is the last bottle in my cellar that my mother gave me -- that I will likewise drink at some future significant occasion.

I know Petrus is unique, but I really can't afford it. So thank you for your help. So it seems to me, from what I'm reading here, that Trotanoy is the nearest ''non identical'' twin...

Nic

I drank Trotanoy 1979 tonight. I paid $109 for it. It was not particularly impressive and was clearly on the downslope. Not relative to hopes. But it was a nice old claret with leather, blackcurrant, plum and tobacco notes. Not very generous on the palate and the fruit has faded. It was fun to drink but not in the same league as the 2001.

Trotanoy is excellent, but I consider it a different style to Petrus. The soil is a bit different and Trotanoy also nomally has a bit more Cabernet Franc. The wine that is seen close by some wine writers to Petrus is Lafleur.(E.g. by James Thurnbull ) I do indeed see some similarity, but my Petrus expierence is limited. (Two times).
Rene Gabriel named the 1998 Chateau La Grave a Pomerol Trignant de Boisset as Petrus look alike. ("tastes just like Petrus").I not sure if he was serious. I guess is he was joking. He has hinted several times that Petrus is a hype born from the marketing of Madam Loubat.

Here you can find a Pomerol Area map: http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalgu ... erol.shtml

I think you can try also La Conseillante and of course Chateau L’Evangile....this are very close to petrus taste, same location, l’evangile is just two miles away from petrus, same terroir

La Fleur Petrus.

Lafleur Petrus has a chunk of vineyard adjacent to Le Pin, which was incorporated around 2009. It may be vinified separately at some stage, but for the time being, it has certainly enhanced the quality of Lafleur Petrus.

For me, Petrus is unique, which is basically what you are looking for in a truly great wine. So is Trotanoy, Lafleur, Lafleur Petrus and VCC. I find current releases of L'Evangile and Conseillante a little more generic. Not that they are not great wines, but they don't show their individuality the way the others do.

The big omission for me in all the previous posts was VCC. It is possibly the closest to Petrus in style, and it's not far away in quality. Since 2005, it has leapfrogged over Trotanoy and takes it place along side Lafleur as the second best wine in Pomerol, and in some vintages, I think it is actually better than the Petrus. Certainly 2005, and 2014 (arguably the wine of the vintage) but the 2009, 2015 and 2016, they are at least at the same level. There are few bargains in Bordeaux, but if you figure that VCC is in the same league as Petrus, and selling at 10% of the price, it is close to being one.

I like Lafleur Petrus, although under Edouard Moueix' stewardship, it is certainly more modern. Lafleur is also going through a good phase, although some of the older wines (pre 2000) can be a little pruney. Trotanoy is the most masculine wine in Pomerol, heavier, and more powerful, but as it comes round, it too can rival Petrus. If you can find 1998, it costs the same as modern vintages, and is utterly brilliant.

I have to say, I have only ever had Le Pin in barrel. Usually very good, never my favorite for me, so I am unlikely ever to buy a mature bottle.

Very interesting Musigny 151.

This quite a good analysis and I understand Petrus is unique.

Pomerol being Pomerol, i don't own that much. I opened a bottle of 2004 L'Église-Clinet this summer and while not very "Petrus", it was very "Pomerol", so incredibly good.

I liked every VCC i had, and i would agree that it has a kind of density, similar to Petrus.

Nic

We're going to be visiting La Fleur Petrus as part of BWE Bordeaux 2020.

I will try to answer this question for you early next year after a little tasting in the Bordeaux capitol of America .

Stu

Oh yeah!

Jaqcues, Jill and I still gotta get down to Ft. Lauderdale at some point as well.

Speaking of capital's we've gotta start thinking about BWE DC '20 as well as part of the gala BWE 20th anniversary celebration!

While I cannot give anyone a good comparison between Petrus and VCC, I will say that VCC is my favorite Bordeaux. It’s pretty painful on the wallet, however.

JimHow wrote:Jaqcues, Jill and I still gotta get down to Ft. Lauderdale at some point as well

Winter BWE Ft. Lauderdale coming in February when Danny finalizes the date.

Hope you and others can make it.

(Will not interfere with BWE DC.)

Stu

I promise I won't be sick this time, Stuart! Man was i hurting that last weekend, I was on morphine.

We’ll be in Sarasota for a week in February. May be able to join if the dates work, keep us posted!