A triumvirate of Pétrus 1952.
One of these three bottles is, as far as I can tell, a forgery. The other two are, as far as I can tell, genuine.
Which is the forgery…?
The Vandermeulen bottling on the right looks ok, despite the “Château” label. It’s “foxed” with damp stains, which is correct for an old bottle that’s been stored in a cool, damp cellar.
The red – rather than the usual grey-black – “1952” on the left-hand bottle can cause doubts but, as far as I know, it’s ok. I’ve seen this on bottles of Pétrus 1959 and 1960, for example.
Anyway, the “litigeuse” bottle…
• Vintage “1952” below “Grand Vin” instead of above “PETRVS” • Should “1er DES GRANDS CRUS” be there? I’ve seen it on 1940s Pétrus vintages up until 1949 and never for subsequent vintages
• No mention of “Mme EDMOND LOUBAT”, who owned Pétrus until her death in 1961, though her name remained on the label until (I think) 1972 • “APPELLATION CONTROLEE” at the bottom of the label: “POMEROL” is missing and there’s no circumflex in “CONTRÔLÉE” (please note that, unlike some people, I do not have an onanistic obsession with circumflexes and accents on labels)
Un grand merci to François Audouze, a collector of the highest integrity and knowledge, who tasted and photographed these wines.