2017 Le Pin
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Le Pin gained tremendously in élevage. Ripe, racy sumptuous to its core, Le Pin is super expressive today. Sweet floral notes and a kiss of French oak perk up the dark red cherry fruit in a Pomerol endowed with notable textural resonance. As always, Le Pin is a wine of real personality and character. The 2017 spent 18 months in French oak, 50% new.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Decanter
More reviews and scores
Made from 100% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Le Pin opens a little closed and broody, slowly unfurling to offer notes of baked plums, Black Forest cake and raspberry pie with touches of iron ore, crushed rocks, roses and star anise plus a waft of cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers the most jaw-dropping, exquisitely ripe tannins with amazingly seamless freshness and layer upon layer of red and black fruits, finishing with incredible energy and depth. WOW!
The 2017 Le Pin was bottled in March 2019 according to Fiona Morrison MW and co-proprietor. It has a clean and precise bouquet with perfumed black cherry and bilberry fruit, crushed iris petals and light iodine aromas. This feels very elegant and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. It has a gentle texture with a fine bead of acidity that keeps this Pomerol balanced on tiptoes. Fresh and energetic with judicious touches of cedar and cracked black pepper towards the finish. Excellent.
The usual 100% Merlot from this tiny vineyard that borders Vieux Chateau Certain, brought up all in new oak, the deep purple-hued 2017 Chateau Le Pin offers a sexy, full-bodied, exuberant style that's loaded with personality and is unquestionably up with the top handful of wines in the vintage. A massive nose of creme de cassis, toasted spice, caramel, graphite, and white chocolate emerges from the glass and, as always, this cuvee is extroverted and exotic, with tons of personality. This sexy, exotic Pomerol has beautiful depth of fruit, no hard edges, and a rocking finish. You'd be excused for drinking bottles today, it's that good, yet it will be even better with 7-8 years of bottle age and should cruise for 20-25 years in cool cellars.
About the producer
Owned by Jacques Thienpont, Le Pin is, without doubt, one of the most famous names in wine. One of the three great names of Pomerol, alongside Pétrus and Ch. Lafleur, it is one of the rarest, most expensive and finest wines in Bordeaux – if not the world.