If there is one word that is guaranteed to get fine wine investors' ears wiggling, it’s Petrus. Yet while it’s headline grabbing neighbour might get all the attention, there’s a lot to be said for Chateau La Fleur Petrus.

The property dates back to the 13th century when Edward I established the “Commanderie of Pomerol”. However, the vineyard’s historical roots date back to the 18th century, when the Arnaud family gave it the name La Fleur. The Arnauds were of course the then owners of Petrus at the time, so knew a thing or two about fine wine estate management. Jean-Pierre Moueix came onboard in 1950.

Part of the famed Moueix dynasty, Château La Fleur Petrus was the first vineyard bought by Moueix (the family now own 17, eight of which are Pomerol). With Moueix’s arrival came a savage ambition. Under the family’s steerage, the estate has grown from nine to 18.7 hectares, enormous by Pomerol’s standards. Plots have been purchased around the region, concentrating on acquiring land with the same soil, that will produce “a beautiful expression of gravelly Pomerol”. Harvests are manual, meaning great care is taken so that the fruit retains its full flavour. Predominantly a Merlot (91%), expect around 6% of Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot.

At a third of the price of its more compelling neighbour, La Fleur Petrus gives a lot of bang for its buck. Recent vintages have been excellent, with Edouard Mouiex citing 1998 and 2010 among his favourites. The chateau releases an average of 3,750 cases a year, but you’ll need to be quick if you want to get your hands on some. The holy grail of La Fleur Petrus is undoubtedly the post war 1948, selling for a whopping €7,140 (although how much this has to do with scarcity rather than quality we wonder?). This is almost double the selling price of Petrus for the same year.

Nearly all the stock is sold prior to it being available on the market, and the Mouiex promote drinking, rather than keeping, La Fleur Petrus, “there is no better way of building a brand than having people drink and talk about it across the globe,'' says Edouard. The latest vintage, 2018 is currently (Q1 2020) selling at an average of €200 a bottle, while Mouiex’s 2010 tipple is an average of €260, giving you an idea of what the uplift can be over that all important 10 year period. Aggregate scores are higher in recent years, consistently hitting the mid-low 90s since 2005.