The short answer
The most recent recorded sale of Petrus 1973 in our data was £1,518 a bottle in August 2025.
Petrus 1973 is a fully mature Pomerol produced in a Bordeaux season in which heavy rain from mid-July continued until the late harvest. Across professional assessments, the vintage holds a critic average of 89.7 from 3 published reviews, alongside an average rating of 94.3 across 19 drinker ratings. In this site's recorded history, the 1973 has traded in 2 months, most recently at £1,518 a bottle in August 2025. Christian Moueix made the wine, with Jean-Claude Berrouet as oenologist, from the eleven-hectare estate on Pomerol's blue clay, and 1973 was one of only two years in which 20% of the vats had added stems. Unlike the 1971, the 1973 release is past its primary fruit phase and must be approached as a fully resolved, tertiary wine. Collectors acquiring bottles must prioritise provenance, sound cork condition, and high ullage levels before purchasing.
The 1973 growing season in Pomerol
Petrus 1973 was produced under difficult meteorological conditions that challenged winemakers across Bordeaux. According to Decanter's Pomerol vintage guide, flowering took place in fine spring weather, but there was no rain at all until the middle of July, when heavy rain began to fall, and these conditions continued until the late harvest.
Jean-Claude Berrouet, oenologist at Petrus from 1964 for more than four decades, worked alongside Christian Moueix, and Decanter records that 1973 and 1974 were the only years in which 20% of the vats had added stems. The estate relied on its famed buttonhole of deep blue clay on the Pomerol plateau to manage soil moisture. Decanter also records that Christian Moueix was one of the first to practise crop thinning, as early as 1973. Because Pomerol has no official classification, market standing rested entirely on cellar discipline during lighter vintages.
Why Petrus 1973 presents a lighter profile
The 1973 vintage showcases an aromatic and resolved character rather than the dense extraction seen in powerful vintages. Made almost entirely from Merlot, with small parcels of Cabernet Franc historically integrated, the wine displays tertiary notes of cedar, damp earth, truffle, and dried plum.
Decanter's Pomerol vintage guide notes that the 1973s were delicious when young and are now for drinking rather than keeping. While the estate does not display the word chateau on its label, consumer demand for chateau petrus 1973 price data remains consistent among collectors seeking birth-year bottles or vertical tastings.
Critical ratings and drinker evaluations
Critical consensus reflects the lighter weight of the harvest. Across 3 published reviews on record, the vintage holds a critic average of 89.7. For reference, the 1978 and the 1980 hold critic averages of 89.0 and 89.0 respectively.
Consumer feedback is recorded separately from the critic average. Across 19 drinker ratings, the wine carries an average score of 94.3. Tasters regularly highlight the silky texture and expressive dried floral bouquet that emerged as the youthful acidity softened. For drinkers who appreciate tertiary complexity, the bottle offers a delicate demonstration of aged Merlot from classic clay soils.
Comparative pricing against adjacent mature vintages
The 1973 has traded in 2 months of our recorded history, and last traded at £1,518 a bottle in August 2025. A trade is what a bottle actually sold for and an ask is what a merchant publishes, so petrus 1973 wine price figures are shown separately rather than blended.
Neighbouring vintages give useful context. The 1971 last traded at £1,869 a bottle in January 2021 and holds a critic average of 94.0. The 1974 last traded at £1,852 a bottle in June 2025, with a drinker score of 95.9. For collectors tracking petrus pomerol 1973 price levels, the vintage chart on this site sets every recorded trade side by side.
Cellar longevity and acquisition guidance
Petrus 1973 is fully mature and should be consumed without further cellaring. The 1973 vintage has exhausted its structural fruit reserve. Bottles opened today require gentle handling and minimal aeration, as delicate tertiary aromas can fade quickly once exposed to oxygen in the glass.
Provenance is critical when purchasing 1973 petrus price offerings on the secondary market. Petrus is one of the most counterfeited wines in the world, making original provenance, capsule condition, and fill levels essential checkpoints. Buyers should look for bottles with high shoulder or neck fills that have been preserved at a steady ten to twelve degrees Celsius.
Common questions
What is the market price of Petrus 1973?
Prices for the 1973 depend on bottle condition and provenance. It last traded at £1,518 a bottle in August 2025.
What critic score does Petrus 1973 hold?
Petrus 1973 holds a critic average of 89.7 across 3 published reviews. Drinkers average 94.3 across 19 drinker ratings.
Is Petrus 1973 still good to drink today?
Yes, but the wine is fully mature and in its final tertiary phase. It should be opened and enjoyed without prolonged aeration or further cellaring.
Does the Petrus 1973 label include the word Chateau?
No. Petrus does not use the word Chateau on its label, though many collectors search for chateau petrus 1973 price out of habit.
Sources
- Decanter Saint-Emilion and Pomerol vintage guide, checked 2026-09-29
- Bordeaux Wines official Pomerol appellation guide, 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.