1998 Le Pin (Ex Pomerol Ch Owner)
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Tasting notes
Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1998 Le Pin has always been a bit of a lush. The bouquet is sexy and very candied: crème de cassis, crushed violets, blueberries and incense. This is a seductive Pomerol that wants to skip small talk and go back to yours for coffee. The palate is sensual, velvety smooth, rounded and plush. It is like a slow-mo explosion of blue and black fruit, perhaps a little generous with the vanillary new oak although that is being subsumed as the wine ages. The 1998 Le Pin is the Mrs. Robinson of the vintage.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Muted, shaded colour. Brûlée edge – more comfortable and relaxed. Some might find this a bit sweet and plump and overdeveloped. Very evolved and hedonistic. Quite long. Delicate and nuanced. Strawberries. But already quite open. Almost too much. (JR)
A beautifully made, dark ruby/garnet/plum-colored wine, the 1998 Le Pin offers an exotic bouquet of coconut, kirsch liqueur, and jammy blackberries, all flamboyantly dosed with smoky new oak. It is dense, rich, and plush, with a good tannic framework. At one time, Le Pin was the most exotic wine from Bordeaux's right bank, but there is now considerable competition from all the new St.-Emilion upstarts. While this remains an outstanding, often compelling Pomerol, many far less expensive, equally prodigious alternatives have emerged. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.
What amazing aromas. It's like black truffle oil, with cedar and crushed blackberries as well as wet, decadent earth. Full-bodied, with ultraripe and velvety tannins. Goes on and on. Raisins, cappuccino, with mushrooms and meat. So long. A unique experience. I am speechless. '88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after. 450 cases made. James Suckling,Wine Spectator2009
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.