| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
One of the most famous and hard-to-find wines of Bordeaux thanks to the tiny production (of 100% Merlot from 2.5 hectares of vines) and consistently fabulous quality. Jacques Thienpont established Le Pin in 1979 and his sumptuous, silky Pomerol is always intense yet un-forced, smooth and fine.
The yield in 2024 was 29 hl/ha which means a production of around 4,000 bottles. 100% Merlot, 65% new oak, 35% second year oak.
Deep garnet-purple colored. Erupts from the glass with powerful notes of red currant jelly, fresh blackberries, and Morello cherries, followed by hints of iris, tar, wild sage, and iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is filled with evocative red and black berry flavors, supported by firm, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.
100% Merlot. Aging in French oak barrels, 65% new. pH 3.72.
The 2024 Le Pin is showing nicely, offering up aromas of sweet red berries, orange marmalade, cigar box and loamy soil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sweet and fleshy palate that's layered and expressive, with a sweet core of fruit and an aromatic finish. This attained 13% alcohol without chaptalization and is being matured in 65% new oak.
Bright purple-edged ruby in the glass. Seductive wood char, plums, cherries and rose come through on the nose. The palate is silky, with a gentle structure and gloss synonymous with this property. The fruit sits in high tones, with very powdery tannins melting into notes of red cherry, plum and roasted strawberries. A gentle cashmere structure endures to the finish, which has an almost Burgundian sweetness and lift.
This is like the amazing 1994 (a unicorn of the vintage) or the 1990, but more modern and precise. Medium-bodied with a fine, compacted texture, this shows green-olive tapenade and cedar. The tannins are so refined, running the length of the wine. In the 1980s, they used to say this was Burgundy- or pinot-like. It is, and in such a good way. Brings a nice smile to my face. Pure merlot. Only 13 barrels made.
Vivid ruby plum, and here the fragrance is centred around dark fruits, cassis, bilberry, rose petals. Love the density and the texture, and the slow slow build. A more serious Le Pin than some years, exceptional quality in the vintage, and will age with finesse. The retro olfaction comes curling in with gunsmoke and graphite. The deep gravels of Le Pin came into play for sure in this vintage, helping reach these ripeness levels, and this is a potential upscore in bottle. 65% new oak, harvest 20 to 29 September. 3.72pH, 29 hl/ha.
