The short answer
The most recent recorded sale of Petrus 2004 in our data was £1,986 a bottle in May 2021.
Petrus 2004 represents a classic, structured vintage from the Pomerol estate, holding a critic average of 92.5 across 4 published reviews in this site's dataset. Produced under the direction of long-time winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, this harvest followed a season with good weather at flowering and at harvest but more challenging conditions in between. Drinker evaluations reflect strong cellar performance as the vintage matured. The drinking window recorded for the vintage spans 2017 to 2037, and the bottle retains structural longevity. With an annual production averaging roughly thirty thousand bottles from eleven hectares of blue clay vineyard, the 2004 vintage provides a textbook expression of traditional Right Bank Merlot balance. Merchant asks and completed trades for the 2004 sit on this site's vintage chart, shown separately and dated to the same extract as every other figure, so buyers can compare it directly with the 2003 and 2005.
The 2004 growing season in Pomerol
Petrus 2004 delivers a classic, proportioned profile that defines the estate in classic Bordeaux vintages. Produced by veteran winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, the wine reflects rigorous vineyard discipline across eleven hectares of deep blue clay on the Pomerol plateau. While not possessing the sheer density of blockbuster years, the vintage holds a critic average of 92.5 across 4 published reviews in our dataset. Drinkers give it 95.3 across 21 drinker ratings.
The 2004 vegetative cycle presented vineyard managers with substantial crop volume following the historic heatwave of 2003. According to Decanter, yields were high as the vines made up for the small 2003 crop, with good weather at flowering and at harvest but more challenging conditions in between. Decanter's Saint-Emilion and Pomerol vintage guide records a dry, sunny June that assisted a swift and uniform flowering, 71mm of rain in August, and a relatively warm, dry, sunny spell through September and early October that compensated. The Merlot was mainly harvested in ideal conditions between 1 and 8 October.
Winemaking remained strictly traditional under Berrouet, who oversaw production from 1964 for more than four decades. Vinification took place in temperature-controlled concrete vats before maturation in French oak barrels. Because Pomerol lacks an official classification system, the reputation of the estate depends entirely on rigorous selection. Production remained restricted to roughly 30,000 bottles, ensuring only parcels from the core blue clay buttonhole entered the final grand vin.
Critical assessment of Petrus 2004
Critical reception reflects a wine focused on aromatic lift and structural precision rather than extracted power. The 2004 release holds a critic average of 92.5 across 4 published reviews in our dataset.
Independent consumers give an average drinker score of 95.3 across 21 drinker ratings. The palate displays dark plum fruit, tobacco leaf, and subtle mineral tension derived from the moisture-retentive smectite clay terroir.
Comparative market pricing and vintage benchmarks
The 2004 has traded in 2 months of our recorded history, and last traded at £1,986 a bottle in May 2021. 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.
Adjacent releases give further context. The 2006 holds a critic average of 94.0, with asks of £3,774 a bottle. The 2002 holds 93.0 and last traded at £2,146 a bottle in August 2024. Each figure comes from the same dated extract as the 2004's, so the years can be compared directly.
Drinking window and cellar progression
The drinking window recorded for the 2004 vintage spans 2017 to 2037. At more than two decades of age, the wine offers expressive secondary aromatics alongside integrated tannins. The 2004 is a classic vintage suited to medium-term consumption. For reference, the 2015 carries a window of 2022 to 2063.
Bottles stored at twelve degrees Celsius in steady humidity will continue to drink well across the rest of the window. Decanting for sixty to ninety minutes allows the compact fruit core to open, releasing secondary notes of forest floor, leather, and dried violets. Collectors should plan to consume standard bottles before the window closes to catch the remaining primary fruit before tertiary dried-herb notes take over completely.
Provenance, counterfeits and secondary trade
Because Petrus is among the most counterfeited wines in the world, physical provenance requires rigorous verification. Buyers should examine capsule condition, embossed glass stamps, label printing alignment, and cork brandings before completing acquisitions.
Original wooden cases with documented storage history command a modest premium over loose bottles. As stock from the mid-2000s continues to be consumed in private cellars, verified physical bottles with clean fill levels at into-neck or higher represent dependable acquisitions for immediate enjoyment or short-term cellar holding.
Common questions
What is the critic score for Petrus 2004?
Petrus 2004 holds a critic average of 92.5 across 4 published reviews in our dataset. Drinkers give it 95.3 across 21 drinker ratings.
What is the recommended drinking window for Petrus 2004?
The drinking window spans 2017 to 2037, and at more than two decades of age the wine is in its maturation plateau.
How much does Petrus 2004 cost?
Current asks and trades for the 2004 are on its vintage page, dated to our latest extract. It last traded at £1,986 a bottle in May 2021.
Who made the 2004 vintage of Petrus?
The 2004 vintage was produced by long-time winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, who oversaw winemaking at the estate from 1964 for more than four decades under the Moueix family.
Sources
- Decanter: Bordeaux 2000s, the complete guide, checked 2026-09-29
- Decanter: Saint-Emilion and Pomerol vintage guide, 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.