The short answer
The most recent recorded sale of Petrus 1987 in our data was £1,849 a bottle in March 2022.
Petrus 1987 is a fully mature release from a vintage Decanter's Pomerol guide calls under-rated, in which Merlot was more successful than Cabernet. The vintage carries a critic average of 87.0 from 1 published review alongside an average drinker score of 94.9 across 7 drinker ratings. Produced from the estate eleven-hectare vineyard situated on the famous buttonhole of blue clay, the wine was shaped by a long, cold winter, a cool summer with little sunshine and a very hot September, before rain set in towards the end of the month and affected the harvest. In this site's recorded history, the 1987 has traded in 1 month, most recently at £1,849 a bottle in March 2022. With a recorded drinking window of 1997 to 2010, the 1987 vintage has passed its prime plateau and now drinks as a tertiary, lighter expression of Pomerol Merlot. Because Petrus produces roughly 30,000 bottles annually and operates without an official classification, physical scarcity sustains market value even in modest years.
The 1987 growing season in Pomerol
Petrus 1987 emerged from a difficult season. According to Decanter's Pomerol vintage guide, a particularly long, cold winter dragged on well into spring, adversely affecting the flowering. July and August were both cool and there was little sunshine. September was very hot, but the rains set in towards the end of the month, affecting the harvest.
Christian Moueix made the wine from the eleven-hectare vineyard, with Jean-Claude Berrouet, attached to Petrus from 1964 for more than four decades, as oenologist, while the management was in Jean-Pierre Moueix's hands. Decanter lists Petrus among the best Pomerol producers of the year.
Critical reception of Petrus 1987
Professional evaluations reflect the modest scale of the vintage. Across professional assessments, petrus 1987 carries a critic average of 87.0 from 1 published review. Community feedback from private cellars is recorded separately. Drinker ratings average 94.9 across 7 drinker ratings.
The house does not use the word chateau on its label and holds no official classification rank, relying purely on cellar precision and terroir.
Comparative data against neighbouring 1980s vintages
Positioning the 1987 vintage within the historical decade gives useful context. The 1987 holds a critic average of 87.0, with 87.0 for the 1984 and 88.0 for the 1981. Among the other 1980s releases, the critic averages are 89.0 for the 1980, 90.7 for the 1983, 89.8 for the 1986, 91.3 for the 1985 and 95.4 for the 1982. The 1989 holds a critic average of 100.0, with 93.7 for the 1988.
Among its neighbours, the 1980 last traded at £1,778 a bottle in October 2022, the 1983 at £1,862 a bottle in November 2021 and the 1988 at £1,892 a bottle in October 2021. The 1989 last traded at £2,833 a bottle in June 2026, and the 1982 at £2,417 a bottle in July 2025. Annual production is limited to roughly 30,000 bottles, which keeps every vintage scarce.
Drinking window and bottle trajectory
The recorded drinking window for the vintage spans 1997 to 2010. Decanter reported that Pomerol produced a number of ripe, juicy wines in 1987, most of which should have been drunk by now. Opened bottles today are fully mature and display tertiary characteristics including forest floor, leather, and dried plums. The fruit profile has thinned, meaning that bottles held in cellars should be consumed rather than reserved for extended storage.
Storage history is critical when assessing remaining inventory. Bottles kept continuously at twelve degrees Celsius in dark conditions retain their remaining fruit definition far better than stock exposed to temperature fluctuation. Because the wine lacks the dense tannic spine of 1989 or the extraction of modern releases, exposure to oxygen causes rapid fading in the glass.
Provenance and secondary market verification
Acquiring bottles from this vintage requires close attention to secondary market liquidity. The 1987 has traded in 1 month of our recorded history, and last traded at £1,849 a bottle in March 2022. Younger off-vintages such as 1996 and 1999 appear on the vintage chart with their own dated figures. High historical consumption and small initial production keep bottles scarce.
Because Petrus is one of the most counterfeited wines in the world, verifying provenance for mature bottles is essential. Buyers should inspect cork branding, capsule condition, label typography, and ullage levels. For a bottle from 1987, a fill level into the neck or high shoulder indicates sound storage, whereas low shoulder fills indicate significant evaporation and potential oxidation. Sourcing directly from reputable merchant cellars remains the most dependable protection against altered stock.
Common questions
What is the critic score for Petrus 1987?
Petrus 1987 holds a critic average of 87.0 from 1 published review in our dataset. Drinkers average 94.9 from 7 drinker ratings.
What is the recommended drinking window for Petrus 1987?
The recorded drinking window ran 1997 to 2010. Bottles opened today are fully tertiary and should be enjoyed without delay.
What is the current market price for Petrus 1987?
Prices for the 1987 depend on bottle condition and provenance. It last traded at £1,849 a bottle in March 2022.
Who made the 1987 vintage at Petrus?
Christian Moueix made the 1987, 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
- 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.