Petrus 2013: Scores, drinking window and vintage review

The short answer

Petrus 2013 is one of the most challenging and strictly selected vintages produced at the Pomerol estate in the modern era, holding an aggregate score of 91.9 points across five professional wine critics. Shaped by a cold spring and rain during harvest across Bordeaux, the 2013 growing season required extreme vineyard vigilance and rigorous sorting by winemaker Olivier Berrouet. Made entirely from Merlot grown on the estate's famous buttonhole of blue clay, production was naturally constrained across its eleven hectares. Secondary market monitoring shows nine live listings currently circulating among specialist fine wine merchants. Professional evaluations place the recommended drinking window between 2018 and 2035, marking this release as an earlier-maturing Pomerol with refined aromatic freshness and lighter structure than surrounding benchmark years. Collectors valuing immediate accessibility find the 2013 vintage provides authentic estate character for medium-term cellaring.

The 2013 growing season in Pomerol

Petrus 2013 reflects one of the most demanding climatic campaigns recorded in Pomerol over recent decades. According to Decanter, the 2013 vegetative cycle in Bordeaux began with a cold, damp spring that severely disrupted flowering and caused widespread coulure and millerandage. Vineyard teams faced persistent humidity throughout June before warm weather arrived in July and August. The reprieve was brief, as humid conditions returned in September and created severe botrytis pressure as harvest approached.

Winemaker Olivier Berrouet responded with strict vineyard sorting across the eleven hectares of the estate. The Moueix family noted that preserving fruit purity required sacrificing significant volume, eliminating underripe or compromised bunches before vinification. The famous buttonhole of deep blue clay on the Pomerol plateau provided crucial water regulation during the fluctuating summer, but final yields were small. Berrouet avoided heavy extraction in the cellar, choosing gentle maceration to maintain fruit balance and soft tannins.

Critical reception and scores for petrus 2013

Evaluations across professional fine wine reviewers reflect a lighter, earlier-drinking profile than classic vintages. Across 5 professional wine critics, petrus 2013 holds an aggregate score of 91.9 points. While this positions the vintage below monumental years, reviewers praised the precision achieved under adverse harvest conditions. The Wine Advocate reported that the estate managed to produce an elegant, floral wine with supple red fruit character despite the challenging autumn.

The wine displays tobacco leaf, red cherry, cedar, and mineral notes, carried by brisk natural acidity rather than unctuous weight. The house states that the wine is made from pure Merlot, as has been the standard in modern vintages. Because the tannins are softer and less dense than in benchmark years, the wine reached structural balance quickly, offering immediate charm to collectors seeking accessible fine Pomerol.

Benchmarking against surrounding Pomerol vintages

Comparing critic metrics illustrates the distinct tier occupied by this release. The 2013 aggregate of 91.9 points places it below the adjacent 2012 vintage, which scored 95.9 points and trades at retail GBP 2378, as well as the 2014 vintage at 94.3 points and retail GBP 2750. The 2011 release achieved 93.3 points at retail GBP 2112. Looking further back across historical off-vintages, the 2013 score sits above the 2002 vintage at 91.2 points and the 1997 vintage at 91.5 points, while slightly trailing the 2007 vintage at 92.6 points.

These scoring differentials demonstrate how secondary markets stratify Right Bank releases. Top-tier releases from powerful years command substantial capital, such as the 2009 vintage at retail GBP 3288 with an aggregate score of 99.2 points. By contrast, vintages like 2013 provide a distinct entry point for buyers who intend to drink rather than hold bottles for half a century.

Drinking window and cellar progression

Professional consensus establishes a drinking window spanning from 2018 to 2035. Unlike monumental releases from 2010 or 2016 that require decades in the cellar to resolve structural tannins, the 2013 vintage opened relatively early. Jancis Robinson noted that lighter Bordeaux vintages from this decade show best when their delicate fruit aromatics remain intact. Opening a bottle now delivers resolved tannins, fresh acidity, and open red fruit expression.

Cellaring potential remains secure through 2035 under standard dark conditions held between ten and twelve degrees Celsius. The wine will not develop the immense tertiary density found in long-lived years like 1989 or 2000, but it will preserve balance over its remaining shelf life. Bottles cellared beyond 2035 risk losing their core freshness as the delicate fruit subsides.

Market availability and authentication considerations

Secondary market activity for the 2013 release reflects its limited volume. Market data records 9 live listings currently available across verified merchant platforms. Because annual output at the estate is roughly 30,000 bottles in standard years, the severe selection during the 2013 harvest produced a smaller allocation than normal.

Due to widespread interest in the label, Petrus remains one of the most counterfeited wines in the world. Prospective buyers should scrutinise capsule details, glass engravings, and label printing closely, demanding unbroken storage documentation from original allocation to current merchant possession.

Common questions

Sources

• Decanter 2013 Bordeaux Vintage Overview, checked 2026-08-30
• The Wine Advocate Bordeaux 2013 In Bottle Report, checked 2026-08-30
• Jancis Robinson Bordeaux 2013 Tasting Notes, 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.