The short answer
Buyers researching who owns Chateau Petrus will find that the estate is majority owned by the Moueix family, with a twenty percent minority stake held by Colombian-American billionaire Alejandro Santo Domingo. The estate belongs to Jean-Francois Moueix and his children. The modern stature of the estate originated under Madame Edmond Loubat, who acquired full ownership between 1925 and 1945. In 1945 the negociant Jean-Pierre Moueix acquired exclusive selling rights, and the international reputation of Petrus began to grow. Winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet managed cellar operations from 1964 for more than four decades, handing control to his son Olivier Berrouet. Covering roughly 11 hectares on Pomerol's blue clay buttonhole, the vineyard yields around 30,000 bottles annually. Asking prices for the 2000 are left to the dated vintage chart, which shows a median wherever three or more single-bottle listings support one.
Who owns Chateau Petrus?
Wine collectors asking who owns Chateau Petrus often discover that the Pomerol estate rejects the traditional Bordeaux castle designation entirely. The property does not use the word chateau on its label. Today, the estate belongs to Jean-Francois Moueix and his children, who have controlled its distribution worldwide via Cles Distribution since 2014. In 2018, Decanter reported that the Moueix family had sold a 20 percent stake to Colombian-American investor Alejandro Santo Domingo, in a deal that the French newspaper Les Echos said valued Petrus at one billion euros.
The day-to-day agricultural and winemaking stewardship remains firmly inside the established Pomerol circle. Olivier Berrouet has made the wine as technical director since 2008, having succeeded his father Jean-Claude Berrouet, who directed cellar vinification from 1964 for more than four decades. The estate operates under an uncompromising focus on singular vineyard expression, crafting roughly 30,000 bottles annually from roughly 11 hectares of land.
Madame Loubat and the rise of Pomerol
The modern identity of Petrus traces directly to Madame Edmond Loubat, a local hotelier from Libourne who began acquiring shares in the property in 1925. By 1945, Madame Loubat had gained sole proprietorship of the entire estate. At the time, Pomerol lived in the shadow of the 1855 Medoc classification, which left Right Bank producers without official tier rankings. Madame Loubat was determined that her wine deserved to be priced equal to the great crus.
In 1945 the Libourne negociant Jean-Pierre Moueix acquired exclusive selling rights to Petrus, and the wine was introduced to the United States. In 1947, Madame Loubat presented two magnums of the 1938 to the Lord Mayor of London for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth. On her death in 1961 the estate was divided between a niece and a nephew, with a share left to Jean-Pierre Moueix, and in 1964 Moueix bought the nephew's shares.
The blue clay terroir and Merlot supremacy
Petrus occupies the highest elevation on the Pomerol plateau, resting on an exceptional geological formation known as the buttonhole of blue clay. This geological layer, dense with smectite clay dating back forty million years, retains water efficiently throughout dry summer heat.
While neighbouring Right Bank estates frequently blend Merlot with Cabernet Franc, modern Petrus is vinified almost entirely from Merlot. Cabernet Franc served as a minor component in select older vintages but has been absent in recent years. This pure varietal discipline, paired with rigorous green harvesting and sorting, yields a wine of power and velvety texture. The 2018 holds a critic average of 99.3 and the 2022 holds 98.4 in our dataset.
Scarcity and secondary market mechanics
The absence of an official Pomerol classification has never hindered the commercial momentum of Petrus. Because production is restricted to roughly 30,000 bottles per year, global supply cannot meet institutional and private collector demand. A standard Medoc First Growth produces three to five times that volume, creating severe structural scarcity for Pomerol collectors.
The vintage chart on this site sets out asks, trades and critic averages for each year, dated to the same extract. The 1989 holds 100.0 and last traded at £2,833 a bottle in June 2026.
Provenance, counterfeiting, and cellar longevity
Because Petrus trades at thousands of pounds per bottle, it remains one of the most counterfeited wines in international commerce. Secondary buyers demand immaculate storage history, unblemished labels, and verified merchant provenance.
Collectors pay these prices because pristine bottles demonstrate remarkable longevity. For the 1990, which holds 98.4 and a window of 2014 to 2054, merchants ask £4,098 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated). The 2019 is offered at £2,991 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated), with a window of 2028 to 2082. The stewardship of the Moueix family keeps Petrus at the pinnacle of fine wine collecting.
Common questions
Is Petrus an official Chateau in the Bordeaux classification?
No. Pomerol has no official classification system, and the estate has never included the word chateau on its label. It is known simply as Petrus.
Who owns the majority of Petrus today?
The Moueix family holds majority ownership through Jean-Francois Moueix and his family, with Colombian-American investor Alejandro Santo Domingo owning a twenty percent minority stake.
How many bottles of Petrus are made each year?
Petrus produces roughly 30,000 bottles in a standard vintage from its roughly 11 hectares of vineyard, making it far scarcer than Left Bank First Growths.
What is the typical price for a bottle of Petrus?
Across our dataset, merchants ask a median of £4,255 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated) across 12 priced vintages. The vintage chart on this site shows every figure dated to the same extract.
Who makes the wine at Petrus?
Olivier Berrouet has served as winemaker and technical director since 2008. He succeeded his father Jean-Claude Berrouet, who oversaw production from 1964 for more than four decades.
Sources
- Decanter: Chateau Petrus stake sold to US-Colombian billionaire, checked 2026-09-29
- Wikipedia: Petrus (wine), 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.