The short answer
Petrus 1949 is one of the most celebrated post-war vintages produced on the Pomerol plateau. Produced from the estate's vineyard on a unique buttonhole of deep blue clay, then a mere seven hectares, the 1949 release carries a critic average of 95.0 from 1 published review, alongside an average score of 95.6 from 7 drinker ratings. On this site's Pomerol vintage chart, the appellation as a whole is rated 95 for 1949. Made almost entirely from Merlot, the wine represents an era of small-scale production prior to the devastating frost of 1956. With harvest yields yielding intense phenolic concentration, the 1949 vintage demonstrates extraordinary structural longevity, maintaining vital fruit and tertiary complexity decades after harvest. Collectors assess physical bottles under rigorous scrutiny, requiring documented cellar provenance and verification of original capsule and label condition to confirm authenticity in the secondary marketplace.
The post-war vintage on the Pomerol plateau
The petrus 1949 harvest concluded a run of remarkable post-war vintages alongside 1945 and 1947. The vineyard, a mere seven hectares until 1969 and roughly eleven today, sits on a famous buttonhole of smectite blue clay. This clay expands when moist and retains water deep underground, releasing hydration slowly during hot spells.
Madame Edmond Loubat owned the estate, and Jean-Pierre Moueix, appointed a non-exclusive distributor for its wines in 1943, had been the sole purchaser since 1947. Production volumes remained limited, with the estate crafting only a fraction of the output of Medoc First Growths.
Critical appraisal and scoring benchmarks for Petrus 1949
Professional appraisal of the vintage reflects its standing as an enduring classic of the twentieth century. The release holds a critic average of 95.0 from 1 published review. Community cellar logs record an average score of 95.6 from 7 drinker ratings. Wine writers have long highlighted the unyielding density of the wine in its youth and its gradual evolution toward profound complexity. Wine Spectator's report on a Petrus vertical scored a magnum of the 1949 at 93 points, describing it as very ripe, with a sweet jam, tobacco, raisin and tea character.
When assessed alongside adjacent legendary vintages, the structural identity of the 1949 stands out. The 1945 vintage holds a critic average of 98.4 and a drinker average of 97.7 from 3 drinker ratings. The 1952 vintage records a drinker average of 93.1 from 11 drinker ratings, while the 1953 release carries a critic average of 95.3 and a drinker score of 97.1 from 10 drinker ratings. Later benchmark years like the 1959 hold a critic average of 95.0 and a drinker average of 95.7 across 7 drinker ratings. The 1949 maintains an exceptional balance of aromatic opulence and focused structure.
Pricing metrics and comparative market valuation
Historical rarity dictates trade valuations for pre-1960 bottles from Pomerol. Surviving bottle scarcity and demand from institutional cellars shape whatever price a sound bottle reaches.
A younger legendary release such as the 1989 vintage last traded at £2,833 a bottle in June 2026, while merchants ask £4,098 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated) for the 1990, which holds a critic average of 98.4. An asking price is what a merchant publishes and a trade is what a bottle actually sold for, so the two are shown separately rather than blended.
Drinking profile and physical longevity
At more than seven decades of age, surviving bottles of the 1949 vintage reside in a fully mature, tertiary phase of their evolutionary arc. Tasters who have sampled sound bottles describe aromatics of dried black fruits, cigar leaf, truffle, leather, and damp earth. The natural clay water retention preserved freshness, preventing the wine from drying out over decades in bottle. The palate retains a silky texture supported by softened tannins and lingering acidity.
Bottle condition is the decisive variable for any collector considering opening a bottle today. Well-stored examples with upper-shoulder or neck fills still show remarkable vitality in the glass. Decanter has advised that the older the wine, the more dangerous long aeration becomes, as fragile tertiary aromatics can dissipate rapidly upon contact with oxygen. Standing the bottle upright for forty-eight hours prior to service allows sediment to settle without stripping delicate nuances.
Authentication and bottle provenance
Petrus is widely recognised as one of the most counterfeited wines in international commerce, and post-war vintages demand rigorous physical examination before transaction. Bottles from 1949 predate modern anti-counterfeiting measures such as laser etching, branded security capsules, and digital tracking codes. Unbroken provenance is the first thing to establish when assessing historic bottles.
Prospective buyers must inspect glass morphology, capsule patina, label paper ageing, and cork branding. Original bottles from the late 1940s show period-correct glass seams and appropriate cellar dust or label foxing consistent with decades of cool storage. Bottles offering continuous provenance from historic private cellars or verified merchant archives command substantial premiums over unverified stock.
Common questions
What is the critic score for Petrus 1949?
Petrus 1949 holds a critic average of 95.0 from 1 published review. Drinkers average 95.6 from 7 drinker ratings.
What is the retail price of Petrus 1949?
Prices for the 1949 depend heavily on bottle condition and provenance.
Is Petrus 1949 still drinking well?
Properly cellared bottles with sound fill levels remain fully mature and expressive, offering complex tertiary notes of truffle, cedar, and dried fruit.
Why is Petrus 1949 so rare?
Petrus produces only roughly 30,000 bottles annually from eleven hectares, and in 1949 the vineyard was a mere seven hectares, so few bottles from the vintage survived decades of consumption.
Sources
- Decanter: How to decant, on aeration and older wines, checked 2026-09-29
- Wine Spectator: Drinking the legend, a Petrus vertical, checked 2026-09-29
- Decanter Wine Legend: Chateau Petrus 1945, checked 2026-09-29
- Decanter: Petrus wine, behind the legend, checked 2026-09-29
By WineExperts. First published , last updated . Figures from our tracked merchant prices and recorded sales; text prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above.