Pale, mid rusty-ruby. Sweet liqueur on the palate with a slightly dusty nose. Very sweet start and fully developed with attractive dusty, biscuit (sweet tea biscuit) aromas. Very fresh with more depth than any other 1978 red bordeaux I can remember, but no excess of alcohol. Jewelly texture and freshness and great opulence but in a fresh idiom. Wonderfully complete even if not the headiest, densest Pétrus. Very, very long. Reminds me I must publish tasting notes from a Latour and Pétrus tasting at Christie's a while back....

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Looks rather mature, with hints of garnet on the rim, but the aromas of tobacco, truffles and earth are decadent. Full-bodied, with rich, opulent flavors and a lovely ripe finish. Like an autumn day. Will improve.--Petrus vertical.

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I intentionally paired the Petrus with a 2000 Kirwan Margaux (which is clearly on the young side...do I hear "infanticide"?). Both bottles were opened at the same time. The Petrus is a "gentlemen", very smooth with no trace of tannin. It's not as fragrant on the nose as I expected, but the long finish made up for it. I'm very bad with those winey descriptions, so I'll spare you that. It can be drank on its own without food (may be a little bit of baguette to clear the palette between sips). The Kirwan still has a lot of tannin and can stand a lot more aging. The Kirwan opened up quite a bit with about 30-45 minutes of breathing (and swirling) and is excellent with the 4 different kinds of beef we had. Saved the Petrus for more sipping after dinner is over.