Le Pin 2021

Le Pin is proof that sometimes the most unassuming properties have an unbelievable amount of untapped potential.  

Who could have possibly imagined that an unclassified Pomerol estate with a dilapidated farmhouse, one hectare of vines and a single pine tree would become one of the most expensive producers not just in Bordeaux, but in the entire world?  For most estates to achieve that level of greatness it takes centuries, yet Jacques Thienpont managed to elevate Le Pin’s status in just 30 years.  Anybody who is familiar with this producer understands that Le Pin is a cult wine with a microscopic case production and to experience it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Yet with all the praise aside – the glowing reviews from Robert Parker, the fanfare, and the accolades the core values of this estate are simply about making great wine.  

The history of the Le Pin really dates back to 1924, where it was used for grape growing.  It was in 1979 when things changed and Jacques Thienpont purchased it for one million francs.  The cellars were in horrible states of disarray and the farmhouse was dilapidated.  Jacques Thienpont didn’t have a terrible amount of money to invest in Le Pin.  He purchased one stainless steel tank and really focused on cultivating the perfect grapes and using minimal intervention in the viticultural process.  The 1 hectare vineyard is planted with almost 100 percent Merlot, though there are a few scattered Cabernet Franc vines that are co-planted among the vines.  These Cabernet Franc vines never make it into the grand vin at Le Pin, they are sold off to other producers.  Essentially, Le Pin can be described as 100% Merlot, just like Château Petrus.  

The 1982 vintage was a gamechanger for the estate.  Robert Parker tasted this wine and found it completely remarkable.  He wrote a descriptive, detailed and glowing review about this Cinderella of a property and the estate’s fortunes transformed overnight.  A wine that was once priced at 100 Euros would later fetch the unparalleled price point of several thousands.  The reason for its dramatic price appreciation? Production is small – only about 1,500 bottles per year.  Demand, on the other hand, is ever increasing following the last three decades of rapid creation of paper wealth.  One would be lucky to find a bottle with impeccable provenance on the market today.

Most casual Bordeaux drinkers will not be able to taste Le Pin.  So that begs the burning question… What does it taste like?  Allow us to paint a picture for you.  The wine is made of Merlot and has a lightness that is almost like a Pinot Noir, with a suppleness that embarces the palate, medium to full body, rich, fat and meaty.  The nose has a very intense floral quality that rages about in the glass.  Though the wine is powerful, it is ethereal and light with a very long finish.  Many who have tasted Le Pin compare the wine to something they would find in Burgundy.  Perhaps this is why Le Pin is called the Romanée-Conti of Bordeaux.

"I tasted the 2021 Le Pin several times this spring, and on every occasion the wine showed brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, exotic spices, vine smoke and carnal nuances, it's medium to full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, with a velvety attack, supple tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Seamless and impressively concentrated, it demonstrates how precocious, well-drained sites such as Le Pin came into their own in the 2021 growing season. As usual, it's 100% Merlot, and this year it checks in at 13.4% alcohol."- William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/29/2022), Ratings: 94-97

"The 2021 Le Pin was picked from 25 September to 4 October at a respectable 35hL/ha. Jacques Thienpont remarked how Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont had tended the vineyard so well throughout the year and for the first time they oversaw the vinification and the current élevage. It has a beautifully-defined bouquet, less ostentatious than recent vintages, unfurling with quite mineral-rich red and black fruit. The palate follows in a similar vein, a Le Pin imbued with a sense of athleticism, no excess fat, framed by fine tannins and a laser-focused finish. The terroir really shines through in 2021 perhaps more than in other feted vintages. Wonderful. This has 13.4% alcohol." - Neal Martin, Vinous (5/12/2022), Ratings: 94-96

"Always 100% Merlot from a tiny parcel of clay and gravelly soils, the 2021 Château Le Pin offers up a textbook Le Pin nose of ripe red and blue fruits as well as toast, crème brûlée, spice, and exotic flowers. It's one of the sexiest, most opulent, and seamless wines in the vintage and is medium-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and great overall balance." - Jeb Dunnuck (6/2/2022), Ratings: 93-95