Petrus 1945: Vintage review, scores and drinking window

The short answer

Petrus 1945 stands as one of the most celebrated post-war vintages produced on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, holding a critic average of 98.4 across 5 published reviews. Harvested at the end of the Second World War from the estate's vineyard in Pomerol, then only 6.5 hectares, the wine reflects a small crop shaped by a severe May frost and a hot, dry summer. Community drinker evaluations record an average score of 97.7 across 3 drinker ratings. Known for its deep core of dark fruit, dried fig, and profound iron-rich mineral complexity derived from the Pomerol buttonhole of blue clay, the vintage maintains structural firmness decades after bottling. The recorded drinking window spans 2024 to 2035, indicating a fully mature profile that retains remarkable vitality. High secondary market rarity and widespread counterfeiting make rigorous bottle provenance verification essential for prospective collectors.

The 1945 growing season in Pomerol

Petrus 1945 was forged during one of the most extreme climatic years in Bordeaux history. Decanter reported that a severe frost on 2 May did extensive damage in the vineyard, reducing the crop to very low levels. The summer that followed was superb, with hot, dry weather that allowed the harvest to take place early and in ideal conditions. The grapes were exceptionally ripe, and overall quantities were considerably reduced. The harvest coincided directly with the close of the Second World War, giving the vintage immediate historic status.

Production volume at Petrus during 1945 was minuscule, falling far below the estate's modern average of roughly 30,000 bottles. By 1945 Madame Edmond Loubat was the sole owner; Jean-Pierre Moueix had been appointed a non-exclusive distributor for the wines in 1943 and was the sole purchaser by 1947. The vineyard, only 6.5 hectares in 1945, sits on an exceptional buttonhole of smectite blue clay at the highest point of the Pomerol plateau. Decanter notes that this mostly clay soil retains moisture, which helps to minimise stress in hot, dry years.

Why Petrus 1945 remains a benchmark vintage

Critical consensus places this post-war release at the pinnacle of historic Pomerol winemaking. Across 5 published reviews, the wine holds a critic average of 98.4. Wine Spectator's report on a Petrus vertical tasting counted 1945 among the great vintages of a superb decade for the estate. Drinker ratings gathered from physical tastings record an average score of 97.7 across 3 drinker ratings.

The estate vinified this wine long before Jean-Claude Berrouet joined in 1964: the 1945 was destemmed, fermented in large wooden vats and aged for 22 months in older barrels, as no new oak was available. The natural concentration of the 1945 fruit produced a wine with immense phenolic weight, balancing dark fruit compote, leather, cigar box, and iron notes. Unlike many left bank counterparts dominated by austere Cabernet tannins, the Merlot of Pomerol preserved a plush mid-palate texture that sustained the wine across decades of cellaring.

Critical comparisons with historic vintages

Evaluating the 1945 release alongside other celebrated vintages demonstrates its rare standing. The 1949 holds a critic average of 95.0, with 95.3 for the 1953 and 93.0 for the 1955. Among mature twentieth-century releases from the estate, the 1964 holds a critic average of 99.0, with 99.0 for the 1967 and 100.0 for the 1989.

Modern benchmark years offer a further reference point. The 2000 holds a critic average of 98.8, with 99.2 for the 2009 and 99.3 for the 2018. Each figure is read from the same dated extract, so the years can be compared directly.

Drinking window and maturation trajectory

The recorded drinking window for Petrus 1945 spans 2024 to 2035. Having passed its seventy-fifth anniversary, the wine has reached full secondary and tertiary maturity while maintaining freshness. Tasting notes from museum collections highlight layers of dried dark cherries, damp earth, truffle, and roasted coffee, framed by resolved, velvety tannins. The wine requires gentle handling and should be consumed within thirty minutes of opening rather than subjected to vigorous decanting.

Cellar conditions determine whether an eighty-year-old bottle remains sound. Professional storage at a stable ten to twelve degrees Celsius with seventy percent humidity is required to protect the integrity of the original cork. Bottles showing significant ullage below the top shoulder carry a high risk of oxidation and muted fruit character.

Provenance, authenticity and acquisition

Acquiring physical stock of this vintage requires exceptional scrutiny. Petrus is one of the most counterfeited wines in the world, and bottles from the 1940s lack modern anti-fraud measures. Authentic labels do not include the word 'chateau', bearing solely the name Petrus alongside the Pomerol appellation. Buyers must inspect glass morphology, capsule markings, cork branding, and paper oxidisation under ultraviolet light.

Commercial transactions for the 1945 vintage take place almost entirely through specialised fine wine auction houses with documented cellar origins. Given the scarcity of genuine bottles, verified single-owner provenance remains the single most important factor determining both quality in glass and transaction value.

Common questions

Sources

• Decanter: Wine Legend, Château Petrus 1945, checked 2026-09-29
• Wine Spectator: Drinking the legend, a Petrus vertical, checked 2026-09-29

By WineExperts. First published 30 August 2026, last updated 29 September 2026. Figures from our tracked merchant prices and recorded sales; text prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above.