Le Pin
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Certain wines - often the ones we can easily call the very best wines - transcend region and can be talked about as entities unto themselves. Regardless of vintage, regardless of appellation, those in the know speak more about vintages of those bottles completely aside from any of the neighboring estates. Such is the case with the true unicorn of Pomerol, Le Pin. Not a "Chateau", per se, what sets Le Pin apart from many within Pomerol is that the vines are planted to gravel and sand, rather than clay. This generates an otherworldly aromatic profile from Merlot, but also elevates the palate and gives an ethereal lift to the wine. Yes, decadence; yes, longevity; yes, hedonistic. But - most of all - yes to singularity, almost a Romanee-Conti within Bordeaux.
Owned since 1979 by Jacques Thienpont, Le Pin is a far cry from the sheer mass of first-growths like Lafite or Latour. The vineyard today takes up all of two hectares, smaller than many a garden. Soils here differ from much of Pomerol, also, in that there is a great influence of sand and gravel, juxtaposing the clay-dominant soils Pomerol is more famous for. This is one of the main points in what makes this wine so special.
When Jacques acquired the plot of land, he became the very first to produce a self-bottled wine from the vines, as it had previously been sold entirely in bulk. The vines had reached tremendously deep due to the previous owner's not irrigating or adding fertilizer. In truth, they had been lying almost dormant in their energy, waiting for someone to understand the true nature of what they could become.
After small expansions from the original 1.25 hectares during the 80s, Jacuqes acquired additional old vines from a bordering vineyard plot to complete the two hectares. The fruit of these vines ripen quite early, owing to the heat of the soils, which contain a great deal of iron oxide. Fermentations largely occur in stainless steel before aging in new oak barrels.
Diana Garcia Berrouet took over for Jacques in the 2022 vintage, and has a keen eye for the continued development of the property, while maintaining the high aims for excellence Jacques established almost half a century ago.
