Sharing Alike: Petrus 1947 - 2015

 BY NEAL MARTIN | SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

News that the family of Jean-François and Jean Moueix sold 20% of Petrus to Colombian-born billionaire Alejandro Santo Domingo, whose fortune derives from beverage giant “Anheuser-Busch InBev”, sent shockwaves across the world, not just through wine media, but ricocheting through mainstream newspapers and editorials. That attests Petrus’ crown jewel status, not least in France, where only Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is afforded comparable reverence. Even the poor souls with no interest in wine, the masses that could never afford Petrus, subconsciously recognize the name as representing some kind of pinnacle. Try it. My own friends, with no vinous knowledge, seem aware of its status if I mention that two syllable name.

I wonder how Santo Domingo was introduced to this Pomerol cru? When and where, with whom and what vintage. Mine? The Square in London around 1998 courtesy of a munificent fine wine merchant. I vividly recollect the sommelier barely able to contain his excitement decanting the 1967, its unmistakable, almost refulgent label catching the eye of neighboring tables. I could feel their prickle of envy. That 1967 did not disappoint and my reverence was duly enhanced. Since that debut I have been privileged with numerous vintages both young and old, visited the property countless times and even lunched with pickers during one harvest. And of course, I composed an exhaustive chapter on Petrus, the lynchpin of my Pomerol opus, which in case you are wondering, does sit on Santo Domingo’s bookshelf.

Just some of the bottles of Petrus assembled for a memorable dinner at Épure restaurant in Hong Kong

Its stature is not solely down to the wine. It partly derives from history. The late 19th century Cocks & Féret guides bestowed Petrus top ranking, not that anyone beyond Libourne particularly cared for Pomerol, perceived as a backwater of easy-drinking fare back in its primordial days. Mme. Edmond Loubat was having none of that. Having cannily acquired shares throughout the 1920s, the grandiloquent grande dame was convinced her beloved Petrus was equal to those preening aristocratic First Growths and pricing her wine in accordance with the esteem it deserved. All she needed was an entrepreneur with connections, guile and chutzpah to join her cause. Enter the young and ambitious Jean-Pierre Moueix who began exclusively distributing Petrus overseas, not least in the United States, where it became JFK’s tipple of choice. Yet, Petrus did not attain global acclaim until much later. Christian Moueix once told me that in the early seventies he would occasionally stand outside the winery distributing postcards to encourage passers-by to drop in. Moueix was such a brilliant ambassador that many, including myself, assumed he was proprietor, instead of elder brother Jean-François, who prefers to remain out of the limelight. But Christian Moueix was instrumental in putting Petrus up on the world stage and sealing its iconic status. And that would have been impossible without his wingman Jean-Claude Berrouet, the winemaker-cum-alchemist that oversaw every vintage of Petrus from the sensational 1964, literally crafted on his first day on the job, until the 2007 vintage, whereafter the baton passed to his son, Olivier Berrouet.