7 Alternatives to Petrus, the World’s Most Expensive Bordeaux

Bordeaux has long been recognized as one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world — and for good reason. The French locale practically introduced the world to fine wine, with Napoleon III’s 1855 Classification of Bordeaux (which is still in place today) establishing the sector and serving as a reference point for wine classification worldwide. While revolutionary, the 1855 Classification only included Sauternes and Bordeaux’s Left Bank, where Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends dominate. It did not include Bordeaux’s Right Bank, where one will find Pomerol, the smallest and most elite fine-wine subregion in Bordeaux.

Pomerol is home to several of the region’s most expensive wines, none of which fetch a prettier penny than Petrus, an iconic 100 percent Merlot Bordeaux harvested from vines averaging 40 to 45 years old. (It’s worth noting that before 2010, a small percentage of Cabernet Franc was added to the blend in select vintages.) The minuscule estate dates back to the 1830s and sits at the highest point of the Pomerol plateau, allowing for natural drainage of the 11.5 hectare (just over 28 acre) vineyard. The vineyard itself rests atop a bed of iron-rich blue clay soil, which allows for supreme water retention and spectacular concentration of dark fruit and earthy flavors.

To harness this even further, Petrus implements a technique called green harvesting, which naturally decreases crop yields and increases the quality of the fruit remaining on the vine. As such, Petrus has some of the lowest yields in Bordeaux, with just 2,500 to 3,000 cases produced annually, a stat reflected in its price. On average, bottles go for over $4,000, though some at Sotheby’s have been auctioned off for almost $10K a pop.

Currently owned by the Moueix family, Petrus might be the crown jewel of Pomerol, but there are plenty of other producers from both Bordeaux and beyond offering beautiful expressions that can certainly hold their own against the illustrious heavyweight — and some of them do so at a much more accessible price point. So without further ado, here are seven standout alternatives to Petrus, the world’s most prestigious Pomerol.

Château La Grave à Pomerol Trigant de Boisset

Château La Grave is a roughly 20-acre estate located on the western side of Pomerol that dates back to the 19th century. The name of the winery is a reference to the vineyard’s soil type, which is predominantly made up of pure gravel. This Pomerol is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Merlot always dominates, but exact proportions of each grape vary depending on vintage. The wine is said to waft aromas of black cherry, chocolate, and florals that translate onto the palate where they’re joined by juicy acidity and luxurious tannins. It’s on the more affordable side of what the AOC has to offer, coming in at an average price of just $55.

Château Lafleur-Gazin Pomerol

Similarly located in northern Pomerol is Château Lafleur-Gazin, an estate that’s actually slightly smaller than Petrus. The 8.5-hectare (21-acre) vineyard is planted with 85 percent Merlot and 15 percent Cabernet Franc, though it’s the former that stars in this single-varietal bottling. All of the fruit used for production is harvested from vines with an average age of 30 years that grow in a mixture of gravel, clay, and silt soils. The resulting wine is one that’s ready to drink in its youth, with blueberry, tobacco, and cedar aromas followed by a palate delivering earthy blue and red-fruit notes. With smooth, velvety tannins and refreshing acidity, this $70 bottle punches well above its weight class.

Château Angélus Le Carillon d’Angelus

Bordering Pomerol directly to the east is Saint-Émilion, another world-renowned Bordeaux AOC that’s been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Like Pomerol, Saint-Émilion specializes in Merlot-based blends, with some of the best coming from Château Angélus. While some bottlings from the winery retail for hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, Le Carillon d’Angelus is generally one of its more affordable options with an average price around $120. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc used for production are both harvested from a Saint-Émilion Premiere Grand Cru Classé A vineyard, the highest classification in the AOC. The wine is described as elegant and refined, with notes of cherry, plum, licorice, and spice that can easily age for several decades.

Château La Fleur-Petrus Pomerol

Located between the historic Château Petrus and Château La Fleur, Château La Fleur-Petrus is owned and operated by the same family that owns Petrus. The estate currently spans just over 46 acres of vineyard where vines grow in a combination of gravel and deep clay soils. In addition to blending a small percentage of Cabernet Franc into the Merlot-based wine, Château La Fleur-Petrus Pomerol also sees a touch of Petit Verdot join the mix, which offers a hint of spice on the finish. The average retail price of Château La Fleur-Petrus Pomerol sits right around $270, which certainly isn’t pocket change, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to Petrus’s sticker price.

Château Trotanoy Pomerol

Also owned by the Moueix family, Pomerol’s Château Trotanoy gets its name from the concentrated mixture of gravel and clay the estate’s vineyards rest atop. The soil combination is notoriously challenging to manage, as it dries out to a texture nearly as hard as concrete. So the estate was named Trotanoy after the French term trop d’ennui, which roughly translates to “too annoying” or “too tedious.” Even so, the château has demonstrated that cultivation is well worth it, with this Pomerol presenting notes of juicy black fruit, baking spices, and tobacco. With average prices hovering around $300, it isn’t a cheap wine by any means, but it can be viewed as such when you compare it to the eye-watering price of Petrus.

Castello di Ama L’Apparita

Not all Pomerol alternatives have to come from Bordeaux — some of the best ones aren’t even from France. Hailing from Tuscany, this 100 percent Merlot from Castello di Ama was the first single-varietal Merlot produced in the region, hitting the market in 1985. Seven years later, the 1987 vintage of L’Apparita actually beat Pétrus 1988 at a Merlot tasting hosted by the Académie du Vin. Castello di Ama L’Apparita has been described as deep and intense, with a full-bodied structure offering notes of bright red fruit, black olives, and minerals. Each bottle retails for around $240 and demonstrates tremendous aging potential.

Vérité La Muse

Sonoma’s Vérité was established in 1998 by Jess Jackson of Jackson Family Wines and French vigneron Pierre Seillan, who spent two decades working in Bordeaux before relocating to California. The project aims to bridge Bordeaux’s famous blends with the legendary terroir of Sonoma County, and La Muse certainly demonstrates the winemakers’ success. The wine was specifically inspired by Pomerol expressions and is thus predominantly composed of Merlot, with small amounts of Malbec or Cabernet Franc blended in. Aromas of five spice, chocolate fudge, and espresso are said to greet the nose before a highly structured palate arrives with robust tannins and red fruit notes. At around $420 a bottle, it’s definitely the priciest example on this list, but it’s a stunning, more affordable stand-in for the $4,000 Petrus.

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