Le Pin

In the glass

Aroma: black cherry, plum, violet, mocha, vanilla, cedar, cassis

Palate: ripe plum, dark chocolate, leather, spice, graphite, fleshy texture

Micro-estate garagiste Pomerol with supremely hedonistic Merlot character: mocha-laced plum and violet aromatics, a voluptuous, fleshy palate, and remarkable concentration from just 400-600 cases per year.

What it pairs with

• Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic
  The plush Merlot fruit and vanilla oak frame the sweet lamb fat beautifully; herbal rosemary echoes cedar notes.
• Duck breast with fig sauce
  Sweet dried fruit and dark cherry in the wine are a natural counterpart to rich poultry and fruity accompaniments.
• Truffle pasta with aged butter
  The earthy luxury of truffle and richness of butter are matched by the wine's mocha depth and full body.
• Aged hard cow's-milk cheese (Beaufort, Gruyere)
  Nutty crystalline cheese amplifies the wine's cedar and spice while the tannins stay integrated.

How to serve Le Pin

Allow 95 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and decant. Open 90 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
2. Serve at 16-18°C. Cellar temperature (16-18°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a large Bordeaux-style glass. The bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, Duck breast with fig sauce, Truffle pasta with aged butter. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Le Pin was purchased from bankruptcy in 1979 by Jacques Thienpont (cousin of the Thienpont family at Vieux Chateau Certan) for a modest sum. Robert Parker's strong endorsement of the 1982 vintage drove demand sharply higher; secondary-market prices for Le Pin have remained among the highest of any Pomerol since. The 2003 entire vintage was declassified by the estate. Jacques's son Axel Thienpont manages the property today.

1. 1979: First vintage produced by Jacques Thienpont
2. 1982: Parker acclaim launches Le Pin's cult status
3. 2003: Entire vintage declassified due to extreme heat

Facts

Producer

Le Pin · visiting guide

Grapes

Merlot (100%)

Classification

Pomerol AOC

Oak

18 months in 100% new French oak barrels; malolactic fermentation in barrel

ABV

14.0%

Production

6,000 bottles

Price

€3500-6000 at retail

Drinking window

10-30 from vintage

First vintage

1979

Frequently asked about Le Pin

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