Château Le Pin 2007
Chateau Le Pin, or simply Le Pin, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Pomerol. The unusually small estate is located on the Right Bank of France's Gironde estuary in the commune of Pomerol near the hamlet of Catusseau, Chateau Le Pin is frequently one of the world's most expensive red wines.
Madame Laubie, whose family had owned Chateau Le Pin since 1924 sold the one hectare vineyard in 1979 to the Belgian Jacques Thienpont for 1 million francs. The vineyards were developed by Jacques Thienpont whose family own the neighbouring Vieux Chateau Certan, and the wine at Chateau Le Pin was produced in tiny quantities from a farmhouse basement. The property was already called Le Pin from a solitary pine tree that grows near the winery. Today the estate comprises 2,7 hectares in one contiguous vineyard surrounding the winery. In 2011 a new winery, designed by the Belgian architectural practice Robbrecht en Daem architecten, was inaugurated using small microcuves and gravity to move Chateau Le Pin wine.
Chateau Le Pin is considered by some a predecessor of the "garage wines", although this idea is rejected by many, including by the proprietors, on the basis of the merits of the terroir, and the absence of extreme measures to compensate for mediocre grapes.
Chateau Le Pin occasionally the most expensive wine in the world, continually receiving high wine ratings from wine critics and produced in extremely small numbers, Chateau Le Pin bottles are a constant presence on the wine auction market.
The winery is currently managed by Jacques Thienpont, and additional tiny plots of land have been acquired. Chateau Le Pin is among the clients of the oenologist Dany Rolland, wife of Michel Rolland.
Vineyard
Surface area: 5 acres
Grape Varieties: 92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc
Average age of vines: 28 years
Density of plantation: 6,000 vines per hectare
Average yields: 34 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 600 per year
Plateau of maturity: 8 - 25 years
Château Le Pin 2007 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 88
Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Le Pin put in a rather odd showing. There was a slight metallic tincture on the nose that appeared to dissipate with aeration. Aromas of kirsch, over-ripe satsuma and gravel soon appear but never really coalesce. The palate is better with fine tannin and good depth, although the second half felt a little disjointed, and there was a slight vegetal note lingering on the finish. I have encountered good bottles of the 2007 Le Pin in the past, including a great bottle at Farr Vintners' blind 2007 tasting in March 2015. Here, it is outplayed by many of its Pomerol peers, which is why I leave a question mark against my score. Tasted February 2017.
Wine Spectator
Point Score: 90-93
Very typical Le Pin, with floral, cassis and light plum character. Full, yet refined, with lovely silky tannins and a long, long sweet fruit finish. Very pretty. Not many 2007s like this. The winemaker says that this has a deluxe caress and it does. Score range: 90-93
Stephen Tanzer - Stephen Tanzer
Point Score: 90
(12.5% alcohol) Bright, deep ruby-red. Captivating aromas of black raspberry, coffee, smoke, minerals and menthol. Juicy, silky and aromatic in the mouth, with a lovely light touch. Very elegantly styled wine if a bit youthfully tight and on the light side for this property. Finishes with hints of herbs and spices and noteworthy subtle length. I did not find the depth and dimension of a great year but I should note that many early tasters were more impressed by this wine than I was.