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Wine Description
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.
Vintage 2022
Bordeaux 2022 vintage will stay in the memory of the world of wine as the exceptional vintage which kept a lot of surprises. The year started well with bud break at a normal date, so the frost in early April did not too much damage. The flowering started in mid-May and in optimal conditions. June brought stormy rains which were able to partially reconstitute de water reserves of the soil, however hail fell locally with sometimes very important damages. The fruit set took place a hydric limited context, which determines the small size of the berries. Veraison begun in mid-July in hot and dry conditions. August was hot however it kept a contrast of day and night temperatures, therefore the conditions for ripening the grapes were perfect. The white wines were harvested at a historically early date already in August. Also the reds were harvested very early at the beginning of September. Good news for the noble sweet wines: botrytis developed thanks to rain in early October and resulted in wines of great purity.