| 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 2023 was 39 hl/ha and the alcohol is 14%. Jacques commented that it has "delicious minerality with fruity and persistent flavours. It has a superb balance between ripeness and aromatic freshness." This is the kind of vintage that he prefers.
The 2023 Le Pin wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet cherries and cassis mingled with hints of mint and rose petals, along with notions of pencil shavings and a touch of dark chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, pillowy and fleshy, it's rich but suave, with a seamless core of fruit framed by ripe, sweet tannins. Sensual and demonstrative, this will offer an especially broad drinking window. Drink 2027-2050
The 2023 Le Pin was bottled in early June after aging in two-thirds new oak with racking every four months, with no collage. “Nature gave us the balance,” remarked Guillaume Thienpont. It has a very well-defined and very pure bouquet that blossoms in the glass, black fruit, hints of dark chocolate manifesting with aeration. This is beautifully balanced, with a sensually creamy texture that just glides across the mouth. Very well-defined, lovely poise with impressive depth toward the finish, this a gorgeous Le Pin. Very persistent in the mouth, superb. [Interestingly, a decanted bottle demonstrated a tad more precision and race on the finish.] 2029-2050
Le Pin is its usual seductive self, with an exuberant nose of creamy, oily red fruit, baked vanilla and tonka bean. The palate is pure silk, with seamless tannins and more of that oily red fruit. It is almost burgundian in its seamless approachability. The fruit has a glossy sheen, coating and even subsuming the structure even at this early stage. There is a light smokiness and underlying energy, too. True to itself.
Glorious aromas of violets, black olives, bark, graphite, orange peel and menthol. Medium-bodied with incredible complexity and intensity. Flavors of dark berries and dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, rosemary and some spearmint, with touches of oak, chocolate, foie gras and slightly exotic fruit at the end. A contemporary masterpiece that transcends it origins. Pure merlot. Drink or hold.
Le Pin 2023 is 100% Merlot and it has a pH of 3.75. It is aging in 65% new oak barriques and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite shy and whispery to begin, offering glimpses at floral notions of wisteria and red roses, leading to spicy notes of cinnamon and clove, before opening out to a powerful core of wild blueberries, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries, with an underlying waft of forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is electric, delivering vibrating notes of black berries and purple flowers, framed by super-fine-grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing on a lingering, ferrous note. Magic!
Sinew, precision, stunning depths through the palate, less exuberant than some vintages of Le Pin and yet the texture is immediately arresting, with rich peony and iris aromatics, fleshy raspberry and damson fruits but also grip, orange peel, cigar box, tobacco leaf and a languorous stretch out through the palate. 65% new oak (2019 was the last year to be 100% new oak). Yields of 40hl/h, even with a touch of green harvesting, very unusual at Le Pin.
100% Merlot. 39 hl/ha. Cask sample.
Subtle red-berry fragrance. A refined and more discreet Le Pin this year. Sweet and smooth but light of touch and linear as well. No excess. Tannins well integrated. (JL) 14%
Drink 2031 – 2045
The 2023 Le Pin was picked between September 11 and 23 at 39hL/ha—four pickings according to age of vine and plot. It matured in 65% new oak (this figure has gradually reduced since the 2020 vintage). They had no mildew, due to the free-draining gravel soils, though the Thienponts saw more at L'If. I love this nose. This is so pure and refined, it seems to embrace and gently hug the senses, like your favorite aunt or uncle. It blossoms in the glass to reveal subtle crushed stone and graphite notes. The palate has unerring symmetry, finely chiseled tannins and a linear, penetrating finish that goes on and on. This is one of the best vintages of Le Pin I have tasted from barrel, more serious and more floral than some recent vintages.
The 2023 Le Pin is another strong effort for this small Pomerol winery, wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, violets, exotic spices and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, polished and suave, it's velvety and refined, with attractive purity of fruit, lively acids and a long, gently vanillin-inflected finish. It's the result of multiple harvests, starting with young vines, between September 11 and 23.
Shows the exotic nature of Le Pin with blackberries, milk chocolate and hints of spices, as well as coffee beans from the ripe seeds in the grapes. It's medium-bodied with focused and creamy tannins. Also plenty of nectarine and clementine character. This is so classic Le Pin at the finish. It lasts for minutes in your mouth. Silky and flavorful. 100% merlot magic.
