x
  • Country ranking ?

    411
  • Producer ranking ?

    13
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Butternut Squash and Cheddar Strata

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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Wine Information

Château Le Pin


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.


Soil: gravel and clay with a little sand

Production area: 5 ha

Grape varieties: Merlot almost 100% (some Cabernet Franc)

Average age of vines: 32 years

Harvest method:hand picked

Winemaking: fermented in stainless steel before being matured in 200% new oak barriques for between 14 and 18 months

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2005
3 089€ +3.3% 2 990€ +8.5% 2 755€ -7.6% 2 981€ +22.6% 2 432€ +16.5% 2 087€ -20.7% 2 633€ +121.3% 1 190€

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 and Ruby red

ending

Long, Extensive and Flavorful

flavors

Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Licorice, Cherry, Plum and Voluptuous

nose

Intense, Opulent, Complex and Ripe

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Concentrated, Complex, Balanced, Youthful, Full-bodied, Firm, Ripe, Rich and Silky tannins

Verdict

Full-bodied

Written Notes

The 1998 Le Pin had a surprisingly regal and refined nose that was subtle yet long. The palate was super sweet and kinky, more refined. It definitely kissed me rather than shook my hand. Completely different in style than the ’99, the 1998 had ‘incredible tobacco and cigar box’ per Bipin, but was thinner than I expected, although I could see hints of the future in this shy wine. Bipin also questioned whether it was ‘a little vegetal?’ It was Ed’s favorite of the flight.
  • 93p
Decanted three hours. A deep, purple wine showing no sign of age. A rich, inviting nose of roasted nuts, black cherries and vanilla. Full-bodied, fleshy and opulent entry with fruitcake, ripe black fruits and cherry-like flavours, but it was not really giving much away yet. Firm, velvety-textured with layers of concentration and well-integrated tannins. Good acidity carried through into a sensational, fat and long finish. Well balanced wine with a high level of dense tannin. This might be as good as Le Pin 1982 in the near future. Starting to drink well now, but outstanding in 5 to 15 years.
  • 96p
Good looking normal size bottle. Colour is ruby red and deep. On the nose it is intense, youthful, complex, rich, generous, ripe and opulent. The taste is rich, full, vigor, ripe, fat, firm, with silky tannins, and average in acidity, full-bodied, with balanced, complex, well-structured, concentrated structure and youthful. On the palate it is layered and has blackberry, blackcurrant, floral, meaty, licorice, plum, smoky, spice, violet and toasty flavours. The finish is long, extensive, flavorful and spicy. This wine is a mouthfilling. Perfectly stored bottles are still very worthy and will last well for another 10-15 years and decant at least 2h before tasting.
- (Tasting note created by Tb's AI)
  • 95p

A youthful, powerful Le Pin that is exuberant on the nose and the palate. Lovely spices and dark berry fruit mingle with cedar and cocoa on the nose while on the palate the sumptuous, plush tannins provide velvety texture and backbone to an amazing wine with great potential to age and evolve. The wine is youthful but can be enjoyed now for those who prefer the vigor and exuberance of young wines. Should age well for several decades.

99 points

  • 99p
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Information

Origin

Pomerol, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Excellent

Fake factory

Serious

Glass time

2h
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