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This outstanding little 2.7-hectare estate in the heart of Pomerol with a production of just 1,200 bottles needs little introduction. Spectacular floral and berry scent, with 65% new oak, this is deliciously graceful and silky. Pure, fresh loganberry and boysenberry, coffee bean and dark bitter chocolate, liquorice and spice; in fact, a bit of everything! Sweet and plush, but also bright and energetic, the character of toasty vanilla oak gives a lovely, lasting warmth on the finish. Wonderful.
This outstanding little 2.7-hectare estate in the heart of Pomerol with a production of just 1,200 bottles needs little introduction. Spectacular floral and berry scent, with 65% new oak, this is deliciously graceful and silky. Pure, fresh loganberry and boysenberry, coffee bean and dark bitter chocolate, liquorice and spice; in fact, a bit of everything! Sweet and plush, but also bright and energetic, the character of toasty vanilla oak gives a lovely, lasting warmth on the finish. Wonderful.
The 2022 Le Pin was picked 6 to 17 September at 29hL/ha, pure Merlot as usual matured in 65% new oak. It has a quasi-Burgundian bouquet, extremely pure and floral, fleeting glimpses of blueberry and blackcurrant, very perfumed in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a concentrated, verging on viscous opening that delivers a payload of gorgeous, mineral-rich black fruit. Wonderful balance, velvety in texture, it leans toward a more opulent Le Pin. This disguises the backbone of this wine that should ensure it matures over many years. Seriously fine, though I would take Jacques Thienpont's comparison to the 1945 or 1947 Le Pin with a big pinch of salt. Drink 2032-2060
The 2022 Le Pin is a very pretty, sexy wine. The richness of the year is evident in the wine's super-ripe profile and textural feel. Blackberry jam, spice, apricot, black tea, new leather, chocolate and a kiss of French oak build in a sumptuous, potent Pomerol. The 2022 will need time to be at its best. To be sure, extreme heat and drought do not present the most optimal conditions for an early-ripening variety such as Merlot, especially on gravel. The 2022 is a decidedly exotic Le Pin and a wine that will thrill hedonists.
The 2022 Le Pin is racy and nicely textured, but it also comes across as somewhat closed. I suspect a sulfur addition three weeks before tasting explains much of the wine's reticence. There is almost certainly more to the 2022 than this tasting suggests. Needless to say, I am very curious to taste this again down the line. Drink 2032-2052.
The elegance and harmony of the 2022 Le Pin took me aback. Harvest began at this small estate on September 6th, proceeding bit by bit until all 10 blocks were picked, and the resulting wine is maturing in 65% new oak. Wafting from the glass with aromas of minty blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of licorice, spices and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, bright and fleshy, with a sensual, seamless profile and terrific integration at such an early stage. It's one of the finest vintages at this address in the last decade or more.
Such is the ripeness and richness of the vintage but the wine remains so fresh and balanced. Medium-bodied with subtle and juicy tannins. It's a little fuller-bodied than the perfect 2020 but it is just as weightless and gorgeous. Cashmere texture throughout. Only 65% new wood.
Apparently, Jacques Thienpont joked that he might not make a wine this year, given the challenges they encountered throughout the summer, and in the end, he was shocked at just how complete and enticing the final wine is. Considering the extreme conditions, they managed superbly well, and from the ten micro-plots within the 2ha vineyard, six were deemed of high enough quality to make Le Pin. Of course, it was human intervention that ensured a brilliant wine resulted from a testing vintage. This is a peculiarly hedonistic and perfumed Le Pin with spices infiltrating every taste bud, followed immediately by waves of silky black fruit. This is a rich wine, and the tannins are structured and prod, but they are not drying or coarse. By contrast, the tannins make this an even more enticing and moreish wine. While I reserve the right to change my mind, I think that while this wine certainly has the battery pack to live for a very long time, I would bet that it will be at its most expressive and alluring earlier in its life rather than later.
Very deep, glowing crimson. Slightly reticent nose. Sweet and smooth and with an undertow of juicy, candied tobacco leaves! Long and pure. It’s difficult to see the tannins but apparently the IPT (tannin level by analysis) is sufficiently high, thanks to the thick skins, which also promoted colour extraction. Long and deceptively drinkable! 14.4% Drink 2026 – 2045
As always, the 2022 Château Le Pin is 100% Merlot, but the amount of new oak has been pulled back substantially in the past few vintages, and the 2022 is still resting in just 65% new oak. This Burgundian styled Merlot reveals a healthy ruby/purple hue as well as a beautiful bouquet of spiced red and black fruits, background oak, dried flowers, and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied, restrained, incredibly elegant, and balanced, with fine tannins, it's another remarkable, singular wine from this château.
Delivers the plush texture of Le Pin, with rippling cassis and blueberry fruits, bitter slabs of chocolate, slate, crushed rocks. The extreme ripeness of the year seems effortless at a property that knows how to capture your attention, and how to draw velvety tannins around intensely spiced fruits. A slow build through the palate, need to take your time to explores the depths of this wine, give it time. Expertly structured and intense. Harvest September 6 to 17, here yield 29hl/h, 3.77ph, 65% new oak. Potential upscore in bottle.
The small sub-region of Pomerol is situated north-east of the industrious city of Libourne. Pomerol's soils are predominately iron-rich clay with a smattering of gravel that produce wines with extraordinary power and depth. As a result of this clay-dominance, it has the highest percentage of Merlot planted in all of Bordeaux. Certain châteaux are produced exclusively from this grape, but most incorporate smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as well. Despite its hefty (if not exclusive) proportion of Merlot, many people think of wines from this region as separate entities. As one wine aficionado stated recently, "It's not Merlot. It's Pomerol." Despite the region's small size, Pomerol contains some of the world's most sought after (and expensive) wines including Pétrus, Le Pin, Lafleur, l'Evangile and Vieux Château Certan. Unlike other Bordelais subregions, there is no system of classification. The châteaux are traded on reputation alone.
