The short answer
The Petrus vintage chart tracks performance, pricing, and longevity across decades of production at the Pomerol estate. Petrus does not hold an official classification rank because Pomerol lacks a formal hierarchy, yet its roughly 11 hectares of blue clay yield Bordeaux's most expensive red wine. Production under winemaker Olivier Berrouet and previously Jean-Claude Berrouet averages roughly 30,000 bottles per year, creating persistent secondary market scarcity. Across evaluated harvests, the 1989 vintage achieved a perfect 100 critic score and trades at GBP 2438, while the 1998 vintage reached 99.6 points at GBP 2601, and the 2018 vintage attained 99.3 points at GBP 3087. Benchmark modern years command heavy premiums, including the 2000 vintage at GBP 4104 with a 98.4 score and the 2009 vintage at GBP 3288 with 99.2 points. Historic rarities such as the 1949 vintage reach GBP 15795 with a 95 critic score.
Evaluating Petrus across seven decades
A reliable Petrus vintage chart provides collectors with an essential framework for navigating pricing disparities and maturity schedules. Petrus sits on the Right Bank of Bordeaux in Pomerol, an appellation that maintains no official classification system. Despite the absence of a formal rank, Petrus trades at the apex of fine wine valuations worldwide. The vineyard spans roughly 11 hectares situated on a distinctive geological buttonhole of Smectite blue clay, which retains moisture throughout dry summers and imparts exceptional density to the Merlot grape.
Production at the estate averages roughly 30,000 bottles in a normal year, representing a small fraction of the output generated by Left Bank First Growths. Jean-Pierre Moueix established the modern commercial profile of the estate from the 1960s onward, with Olivier Moueix continuing family stewardship today. Winemaking discipline was directed by Jean-Claude Berrouet between 1964 and 2007, followed by his son Olivier Berrouet. Because the wine is made almost entirely from Merlot, climatic shifts during flowering and harvest generate measurable variations in critic scores, market valuations, and drinking longevity.
Petrus vintage chart: scores and market prices
Secondary market data reveals how critic ratings directly align with merchant asking prices across modern releases. In recent vintages, the 2024 vintage lists at GBP 2752 with a 95.2 critic score and a drinking window of 2027-2054, while the 2023 vintage trades at GBP 2194 with 97.3 points. The warm 2022 vintage commands GBP 3395 with a 98.6 critic score. The structured 2020 vintage lists at GBP 2945 with 98.2 points and an estimated cellar life of 2027-2070, following the 2019 vintage at GBP 2700 with a 97.3 score and drinking window through 2028-2082. The 2018 vintage reached 99.3 points at GBP 3087, and the 2016 vintage commands GBP 3000 with 98.7 points, cellaring through 2022-2076.
Historical transaction records document sustained value across mature decades. The 2015 vintage trades at GBP 3049 with 98.6 points, while the 2010 vintage commands GBP 2695 with 98.7 points. The exceptional 2009 vintage trades at GBP 3288 with 99.2 points from critics and 96.3 from drinkers. The 2005 vintage commands GBP 3333 with a 98.5 score, designed to drink between 2025-2080. Millennial benchmark 2000 reaches GBP 4104 with 98.4 points, while the extraordinary 1998 vintage sits at GBP 2601 with a 99.6 critic score. Among legendary older releases, the 1990 vintage stands at GBP 3626 with 97.3 points, the 1989 vintage commands GBP 2438 with a perfect 100 score, the 1952 vintage lists at GBP 3756, and the rare 1949 vintage reaches GBP 15795.
The greatest historic and modern harvests
Identifying the best year for Petrus wine requires balancing critic consensus against secondary market longevity. Wine Spectator reported on the exceptional concentration achieved during the 1989 harvest, where dry, warm conditions allowed complete phenolic maturation. The 1989 release attained a perfect 100 critic score and 96 from community drinkers, retaining a prime drinking window of 2005-2045 at a retail median of GBP 2438. The 1998 harvest represents another historic high point, scoring 99.6 points from critics with a trading price of GBP 2601 and drinking viability spanning 2020-2060.
Mid-century masterworks remain reference points for collectors. Decanter covered historical Pomerol verticals that confirmed the stature of the 1964 and 1967 vintages, which each attained 99 critic points. The 1945 post-war vintage recorded 98.3 critic points with a drinking window stretching into 2024-2035. Modern reference vintages include 2018 (99.3 points, GBP 3087), 2009 (99.2 points, GBP 3288), 2016 (98.7 points, GBP 3000), and 2010 (98.7 points, GBP 2695). These vintages display the signature density derived from Pomerol clay, offering potential cellaring spans that exceed fifty years.
Challenging vintages and relative value
Not every harvest delivers perfect conditions, though Petrus demonstrates remarkable consistency even in difficult years. Cool or rain-affected seasons yield lighter wines with shorter maturation windows and lower retail entry points. For instance, the 2013 vintage achieved a 91.9 critic score with a drinking window of 2018-2035, while the 2002 vintage trades at GBP 2143 with 91.2 points and a window of 2009-2032. The 1997 vintage scored 91.5 points, designed for consumption between 2003-2025.
According to Liv-ex market analysts, these lighter vintages present buying opportunities for drinkers seeking mature Pomerol without paying premier prices for triple-digit scores. The 1987 vintage trades at GBP 1848 with an 87 critic score, the 1986 vintage sits at GBP 1953 with an 89 score, and the 1983 vintage lists at GBP 1889 with an 89.5 score. Even in difficult harvests like 1992, where critics awarded 90 points, merchant asking prices hold at GBP 2788 due to the tiny estate footprint and global collector interest.
Terroir mechanics and authentication priorities
The performance recorded across our vintage chart links directly to the estate vineyard composition. Pomerol contains varied soils, but the Petrus parcel occupies the highest elevation on the plateau, composed almost exclusively of black and blue clay atop deep gravel beds. The house says that this clay acts as a natural water sponge, absorbing torrential spring rains and releasing measured moisture during midsummer drought. This geological buffer prevents the Merlot vines from suffering hydric stress, preserving natural acidity and tannin structure.
High secondary market prices make Petrus one of the most frequently counterfeited bottles in global auction markets. Verifying bottle provenance through direct merchant chains or inspected ex-chateau cellaring records is critical before committing capital. Whether acquiring the monumental 2000 vintage at GBP 4104 or mature drinking bottles like the 1995 vintage at GBP 2193 with 94.4 critic points, provenance directly preserves both financial value and sensory authenticity.
Common questions
What is considered the single best year for Petrus wine?
The 1989 vintage is widely regarded as one of the finest, holding a perfect 100 critic score and trading at GBP 2438. Other top-scoring vintages include 1998 (99.6 points, GBP 2601), 2018 (99.3 points, GBP 3087), 2009 (99.2 points, GBP 3288), and the historic 1964 and 1967 releases (99 points each).
Why does Petrus not display a classification rank on its label?
Petrus is located in Pomerol, which is the only major Bordeaux fine wine region that never established an official classification system. Petrus trades on global price and historical reputation rather than an assigned rank.
How long can a top Petrus vintage age in the cellar?
Benchmark vintages from top years routinely age for 40 to 60 years. For example, the 2019 vintage carries an estimated drinking window of 2028-2082, the 2020 vintage spans 2027-2070, and the historic 1945 vintage remains viable through 2024-2035.
What is the average retail price for a bottle of Petrus?
Across evaluated vintages, recent releases typically trade between GBP 2112 for lighter years like 2011 and GBP 3395 for top vintages like 2022. Exceptional historic years such as 2000 command GBP 4104, while rare museum bottles like 1949 reach GBP 15795.
Sources
- Wine Spectator Bordeaux vintage retrospective, checked 2026-08-30
- Decanter Pomerol vintage and estate analysis, checked 2026-08-30
- Liv-ex Right Bank market overview, 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.