The short answer
The most recent recorded sale of Petrus 1982 in our data was £2,417 a bottle in July 2025.
Petrus 1982 represents a defining milestone in modern Bordeaux history, holding a critic average of 95.4 across 5 published reviews alongside an average score of 95.2 across 82 drinker ratings. Produced from the estate's roughly eleven-hectare vineyard situated on the famous buttonhole of blue clay in Pomerol, the wine reflects an early flowering in perfect conditions and an exceptionally hot, dry early September, and was made by Christian Moueix with Jean-Claude Berrouet as oenologist. In this site's recorded history, the 1982 has traded in 1 month, most recently at £2,417 a bottle in July 2025. On this site's Pomerol vintage chart, the appellation as a whole is rated 97 for 1982. The recorded drinking window spans 1995 to 2028, placing current bottles near the peak maturity of their secondary evolution. Verifying bottle provenance and cellar conditions remains essential due to elevated counterfeit risks associated with mature Right Bank icons. The 1982 release remains a cornerstone vintage for historical Pomerol collections.
Harvest conditions and winemaking for the 1982 vintage
Petrus 1982 was produced during a watershed year that altered how international buyers, merchants, and critics approached Bordeaux. According to Decanter, the growing season brought a mild, dry spring, an early flowering in perfect conditions and a fine start to summer, before an exceptionally hot, dry early September. Light rain fell towards the end of July and continued in bursts through a coolish August, and the September heat promoted a ripening so fast that the start of the harvest was one of the earliest in many years. Decanter describes 1982 as an abundant year at Petrus, and credits the crop thinning Christian Moueix had practised since 1973 as a factor in the wine's quality.
Christian Moueix made the wine from the roughly 11 hectares on the buttonhole of blue clay, with Jean-Claude Berrouet, attached to Petrus from 1964 for more than four decades, as oenologist. Normal production of approximately 30,000 bottles represents only a fraction of the output generated by Left Bank First Growths. Because Pomerol has no official classification system, Petrus relies exclusively on reputation and pricing to lead the region. The resulting 1982 wine combined structural power with lush richness, setting an influential standard for modern fine wine.
Critical consensus and scores for Petrus 1982
Critical evaluation of petrus 1982 has remained consistently positive across more than four decades of international review. Across 5 published reviews, the release holds a critic average of 95.4.
Decanter's Pomerol vintage guide calls 1982 a great year for Pomerol, names Petrus among its best producers, and notes that most Pomerols have kept their colour extremely well and remain rich and satisfying. Its critic average of 95.4 reflects its standing as an essential historical release.
Drinker reception and comparative vintage benchmarks
Drinker ratings are recorded separately from the critic average. They register an average score of 95.2 across 82 drinker ratings. The 1989 holds a critic average of 100.0 and a drinker score of 96.5 from 31 drinker ratings, while the 1990 holds 98.4 from critics and 97.0 from 74 drinker ratings. The 2009 holds a critic average of 99.2 and a drinker score of 97.1 across 23 drinker ratings.
When evaluated alongside adjacent vintages from the 1980s, the 1982 release stands apart for its ripeness and authority. The 1980 holds a critic average of 89.0 and a drinker score of 95.0 from 12 drinker ratings, and last traded at £1,778 a bottle in October 2022. The 1981 holds a critic average of 88.0 and a drinker score of 91.6 from 23 drinker ratings, and last traded at £1,528 a bottle in March 2023. The 1983 holds a critic average of 90.7 and a drinker score of 92.4 from 26 drinker ratings, and last traded at £1,862 a bottle in November 2021. The 1985 holds a critic average of 91.3 and a drinker score of 93.8 across 46 drinker ratings, while the 1986 holds 89.8 from critics and 92.0 from 25 drinker ratings.
The drinking window and maturity curve
The recorded drinking window for the vintage spans 1995 to 2028. Entering the market with immediate appeal, the wine opened fully during the mid-1990s and has delivered fully integrated tertiary character over the past thirty years. Today, bottles stored under controlled conditions exhibit savoury complexity, fully resolved tannins, and harmonious dark fruit flavours.
Because the wine is currently positioned in the final segment of its recommended drinking window, storage conditions dictate remaining longevity. Constant cellar temperatures between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius and humidity around 70 percent are essential to prevent cork failure and oxidation in bottles entering their fifth decade. Properly stored bottles are drinking at peak maturity today. Decanting should be limited to sediment removal immediately before serving, as mature Pomerol can lose delicate aromatics quickly when exposed to extended aeration. The wine will maintain its balance to the end of its recorded window before fruit concentration gradually recedes.
Market valuation, liquidity and provenance checks
Petrus 1982 has traded in 1 month of our recorded history, and last traded at £2,417 a bottle in July 2025. An asking price is what a merchant publishes and a trade is what a bottle actually sold for, so the two are shown separately. For comparison, the 1966 holds a critic average of 92.6, and the 1971 holds 94.0 and last traded at £1,869 a bottle in January 2021.
Prospective buyers must exercise rigorous diligence regarding bottle condition and authenticity. Petrus is one of the most counterfeited wines in the fine wine market, and mature bottles from landmark years like 1982 require meticulous verification. Merchants and auction houses examine label paper texture, printing type, period-specific glass, capsule integrity, and fill levels. A fill level at high shoulder or base of neck, accompanied by clear provenance from cold European cellars, is essential to justify a market valuation for a vintage of this standing.
Common questions
What is the critic score for Petrus 1982?
Petrus 1982 holds a critic average of 95.4 across 5 published reviews in our dataset. Drinkers average 95.2 across 82 drinker ratings.
What is the recommended drinking window for Petrus 1982?
The drinking window spans 1995 to 2028, meaning well-cellared bottles are currently in their mature, peak drinking phase.
What is the retail price of Petrus 1982?
Prices for the 1982 depend on bottle condition and provenance. It last traded at £2,417 a bottle in July 2025.
Who made the 1982 vintage at Petrus?
Christian Moueix made the 1982, with Jean-Claude Berrouet, attached to Petrus from 1964 for more than four decades, as oenologist.
Sources
- Decanter Saint-Emilion and Pomerol vintage guide, checked 2026-09-29
- Wine-Searcher: Petrus Pomerol price and score history, checked 2026-08-30
- 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.