The short answer
Petrus 1999 holds an aggregate professional critic score of 92 points and trades at a median retail price of 2178 pounds sterling per bottle. Produced under the direction of long-standing winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet on the estate's eleven-hectare vineyard in Pomerol, the wine reflects a harvest shaped by late September showers following a warm, productive summer. The estate cultivates almost entirely Merlot on its distinctive buttonhole of deep blue clay, yielding roughly 30,000 bottles annually without an official classification. Consumer response remains exceptionally favourable, evidenced by a drinker rating of 94.6 across thirty recorded reviews. With an active drinking window spanning from 2007 to 2032, the 1999 vintage occupies a fully mature, approachable phase of its cellar trajectory. While positioned below landmark Pomerol vintages like 1998 and 2000 in raw critic marks, market data shows the 1999 offering dependable Right Bank pedigree at an accessible secondary trade level.
Harvest conditions across the Pomerol plateau in 1999
Petrus 1999 was harvested during a variable autumn that tested vineyard discipline across the Right Bank. According to Decanter, Bordeaux experienced a hot and humid summer in 1999, prompting rapid vine growth and abundant yields across both banks of the Gironde. Pomerol recorded high summer temperatures followed by intermittent rainstorms during the critical September ripening period, requiring rigorous selection in the vineyard. The Moueix family reported that careful green harvesting in July helped regulate crop loads, ensuring that the fruit retained concentration before picking commenced under clearing skies.
Winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet oversaw vinification at the estate, relying on the natural drainage and water retention properties of the Pomerol plateau. As the estate records explain, the eleven-hectare vineyard sits on a unique buttonhole of dense blue clay that expands during wet spells and regulates moisture access during dry spells. This natural soil buffer mitigated the effect of the late-season rain. Yields for the grand vin remained strictly controlled, producing approximately 30,000 bottles of petrus wine 1999 crafted almost entirely from Merlot.
Evaluating petrus 1999 in Pomerol
In the glass, the wine exemplifies the open, supple character typical of Pomerol in moderate vintages. The estate avoids excessive extraction, preferring balanced maceration and measured oak maturation. Tasting panels note expressive aromatics of black cherry, black truffle, cigar box, and damp earth. The palate displays medium to full body, supported by fine-grained tannins that have softened with age, delivering a harmonious finish rather than overpowering weight.
Wine Spectator reported that the 1999 vintage across Pomerol rewarded vignerons who timed their harvest before late September storms diluted the fruit. Berrouet achieved structural harmony where the Merlot core maintains freshness against tertiary forest floor notes. Unlike the dense, brooding structure of 1998 or the monumental power of 2000, the 1999 vintage offers earlier accessibility while preserving estate typicity.
Critical consensus and drinker scores
Professional wine critics award the 1999 release steady ratings that reflect solid Right Bank quality. Across four major professional wine critics, the vintage maintains an aggregate score of 92 points. This places the wine ahead of leaner neighbouring harvests such as 1997 at 91.5 and 1992 at 90. However, it sits behind the historic 1998 vintage, which achieved an aggregate critic score of 99.6, and the celebrated 2000 release at 98.4.
Consumer feedback reveals even greater enthusiasm for the mature wine. Across thirty recorded drinker ratings, the vintage carries an average score of 94.6 points. Collector notes consistently praise the smooth, fully resolved tannins and complex secondary aromatics. The gap between the 92 professional aggregate and the 94.6 drinker average demonstrates that the bottle offers exceptional pleasure for practical drinking, even if it lacks the massive structural density prized in initial en primeur reviews.
Drinking window and maturation profile
The verified drinking window for the vintage spans from 2007 to 2032. Having entered its peak drinking phase more than fifteen years ago, the wine is currently open, expressive, and fully integrated. The primary fruit has transitioned into complex tertiary notes of leather, truffle, dried plum, and spices. The tannins are entirely melted into the fruit matrix, making decanting of thirty to forty-five minutes sufficient to release aromatics without exposing fragile structure.
Cellar longevity depends heavily on sound past storage. Bottles maintained continuously at twelve degrees Celsius in high humidity will comfortably hold their quality through to 2032. Because Petrus is one of the most counterfeited wines in the world, verifying pristine provenance, original wooden cases, label condition, and high fill levels into the neck is essential when acquiring mature bottles on the secondary market.
Market valuation and comparative Right Bank pricing
Observed market data indicates that the petrus pomerol 1999 price settles at a median retail price of GBP 2178 per bottle, based on two recorded merchant asks and one live listing. When evaluating secondary market opportunities, the petrus 1999 price offers an accessible entry point into mature physical stock from the estate. The adjacent 1998 vintage trades at GBP 2601 per bottle, commanding a GBP 423 premium driven by its 99.6 critic score. The 2000 vintage trades at GBP 4104, reflecting a premium of nearly two thousand pounds over the 1999.
Across the broader 1990s decade, the 1999 trades on par with the 1995 vintage at GBP 2193, while outpricing the 1996 vintage at GBP 1752. For private collectors seeking a ready-to-drink bottle without the price tag of legendary years like 1989 at GBP 2438 or 2009 at GBP 3288, the 1999 vintage delivers authentic Pomerol elegance at a comparatively restrained price.
Common questions
What is the critic score for Petrus 1999?
Petrus 1999 holds an aggregate score of 92 points across four professional wine critics, alongside an average rating of 94.6 from thirty consumer reviews.
What is the retail price of Petrus 1999?
The median retail price for Petrus 1999 is GBP 2178 per 750ml bottle, based on recorded merchant asking prices.
What is the drinking window for Petrus 1999?
The recommended drinking window spans from 2007 to 2032, placing the wine currently in its peak phase of maturity.
How many bottles of Petrus 1999 were produced?
The estate produced approximately 30,000 bottles from its eleven-hectare vineyard on the Pomerol plateau.
Sources
- Decanter Bordeaux 1999 vintage overview, checked 2026-08-30
- Wine Spectator 1999 Bordeaux harvest analysis, checked 2026-08-30
- Jancis Robinson Pomerol 1999 vintage guide, checked 2026-08-30
Last updated 2026-08-30. Drafted with gemini-3.7-flash against this site’s own price and critic data, then checked against the sources above. We do not put a human byline on copy a human did not write.