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  • Country ranking ?

    1 000
  • Producer ranking ?

    28
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Enjoy without food

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

Château Le Pin, or simply Le Pin, is an unclassed Bordeaux wine from the appellation Pomerol. There has never been an official classification of Pomerol. Even so, Chateau Le Pin commands prices that put it at levels equal to the best wines of Bordeaux. The unusually small estate is located on the Right Bank of France’s Gironde estuary, and its wine is periodically one of the world's most expensive red wines. Le Pin was the first of the "garage wines" or microchateau that have become cult collector wines. These wines defy the traditional classifications.
 

Madame Laubie, whose family had owned the plot since 1924 sold the vineyard in 1979 to the Belgian Thienpont family for 1 million francs. Developed by Marcel and Gérard Thienpont on less than 2 hectares, wine was produced by microcuvée from a farmhouse basement. The property was given the name Le Pin by the Thienponts from a solitary pine tree that shades the property. By acquiring tiny adjoining plots of land, Jacques has doubled the size of Le Pin to five acres.

Occasionally the most expensive wine in the world, continually receiving high ratings from wine critics and produced in extremely small numbers, Le Pin bottles are a constant presence on the wine auction market. Le Pin produces just 600 to 700 cases each year.
Currently managed by Jacques Thienpont, additional tiny plots of land have been acquired. Some years no wine is produced.

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Vintage 1979

Bordeaux / The year 1979 partly repeated the 1978 vintage with a wet and cool spring, a hot summer, a cool and dry autumn. Dry whites did well this year while reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, struggled to reach full physiological maturity. Once again, Mouton was a disappointment. The right bank did better with Merlot. The best wine of the vintage is the first Le Pin ever produced. Other excellent wines worth mentioning are La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion. Haut-Brion was a bargain at 200 euros. Sauternes wines also turned out to be quite good, the best of which was Yquem.

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2015 2014 2010 2005 2000
5 100€ +14.6% 4 450€ +28.4% 3 465€ +30.5% 2 655€ +40.5% 1 890€ +285.7% 490€ +10.1% 445€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Deep, Ruby red and Healthy

ending

Medium, Lingering and Gentle

flavors

Plum, Leather, Earthy, Blackberry, Vanilla and Cigar-box

nose

Intense, Fresh, Pure and Ripe

recommend

Yes

taste

Balanced, Concentrated, Well-Integrated, Mature, Medium-bodied, Round, Harmonious, Focused and Silky tannins

Verdict

Transparent and Sophisticated

Written Notes

Moderately dark ruby colour with an orange hue. An intense spicy nose with roasted nuts, lovely ripe plums, fruitcake, and delicate floral aromas along with fascinating evolved leathery and earthy nuances. A lovely concetration on the palate – medium-bodied style with intense red fruit flavours, elegant but still firm tannic structure, and balancing acidity that escorts the lingering harmonious finish. This is a wine with finesse and opulence, which is beautifully exposed now after a decent bottle ageing. The wine is drinking perfectly now but will keep another fifteen years. One could say this wine opened a new chapter in the history of wines being the first so-called garage winery in the world. In 1979 the Belgic Thienpont family purchased 1.6 hectare plot after the death of former owner Madame Loubie whose family had possessed the estate since 1924. From this first vintage onwards the estate became known as Le Pin, named after a solitary pine tree standing on the property
  • 95p

Acetone, chemical, old confiture, not entirely passé, but wine's age is obvious. Arrival of Jacques Thienpont took place in March, so there was neither time to clean up in the vineyard and cellar, nor money to buy new barrels.

  • 82p
Good looking normal size bottle, in an good condition and has top-shoulder level. Colour is ruby red, and looking healthy, deep and full. On the nose it is fresh, ripe, tempting, round and charming. The taste is round, focused, elegant, perfumed, toasty, with silky tannins, medium-bodied, with well-integrated, balanced structure and mature. On the palate it is layered and has blackberry, cigar-box, plum, honey, leather, tropical fruits, perfumed, earthy and tobacco flavours. The finish is medium long, gentle, extensive, flavorful and pure. This wine is sophisticated, transparent and fine. Perfectly stored bottles are still very worthy and will last well for another 10-15 years and decant at least 1h before tasting. Good value for money.
- (Tasting note created by Tb's AI)
  • 94p
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Information

Origin

Pomerol, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Excellent

Fake factory

There is a possibility

Glass time

1h
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