This extravagantly perfumed wine has great juicy, ripe fruits. The tannic structure is almost secondary in the welter of ripe fruits, but it is enough to promise aging. Acidity and rich fruitiness partner each other to give a wine that is both fresh and powerful. Drink from 2020.

100% merlot. 11.5 hectare estate on blue clay soils with a high iron content. Vines average 45 years in age with yields of 35 hl/ha. Aged in 50% new oak. Opaque with a clay-like tint. Blackberry liqueur and cassis fruit flavors seasoned with fresh brewed espresso and a hint of iron. A licorice mineral element kicks in on the mid-palate. This merlot is truly world class with acid and fruit in balance and its greatest virtue being its spectacularly seamless palate. Drinkable now yet this is Petrus' most tannic vintage on record. It's a truly confounding effort and I'm not sure what to make of it. One thing is for sure it lacks the structure of the 2010 and 2009. The estate director suggests that the 2011 will be aligned with the 2001 and will develop nicely in bottle. Approachable in its youth enjoy over the following 20 years. 65% of the production of this iconic estate went into the Petrus bottling this year.

This is tight and firm, with blueberry and blackberry character, and hints of sweet tobacco. Some wet earth, too. Black olives. Full body and very tight, with ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Powerful and muscular. Try after 2023.

A dense ruby/purple-tinged color and restrained but intriguing aromas of kirsch, raspberry jam, wood spice, and mulberries are found in this full-bodied Petrus. An undeniable success in 2011, it is rich, layered and pure with light to moderate tannin, but seems slightly less muscular and tannic compared to its stablemate, Trotanoy. Forget it for a few years and drink it over the following 25 years. Made from 100% Merlot, it tips the scales at 13.5% alcohol. In short, it is typically open-knit and already showing very well. This is quite opulent. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2011 Petrus has plenty of fruit on the nose, elegant and floral, redcurrant and raspberry fruit, a touch of crushed stone and pressed rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a rich and quite extravagant style of the finish, lightly spiced with a rounded, velvety-smooth and quite dense finish. Maybe it just conveys a little more winemaking that the terroir at the moment? Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting. -- Neal Martin

This sports sweet spice, bitter cherry and light briar notes, with lively, pebbly tannins guiding the finish. Slightly high-pitched notes of blood orange and red currant fill in as well. Delivers range and length, yet lacks the depth of the top wines in this vintage. Best from 2015 through 2025. – JM