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Le Pin

In a scene reminscent of the 1978 movie Convoy, our procession of vehicles began to move out of the grounds of Cheval-Blanc. Only in this convoy there was no Kris Kristofferson, no Ali McGraw. In their place, in one car, myself and two others, with Richard Bampfield MW at the wheel. In another, Guy Woodward, Decanter magazine's editor. In another, a buyer for a famous UK store, and at the head Jean-Christophe Mau, owner of two Bordeaux chateaux, with a friend of his in the passenger seat. The small convoy set off, the pace perhaps best described as a trickle rather than anything more exciting. There was no tooting of horns, or clouds of exhaust smoke from an assembly of custom-painted big rigs. Instead, French hire cars - mostly Peugeots, I think - whined their way amongst the vines, following the trail of dust thrown up by Mau's sleek Audi estate. Le Pin was just a few minutes away, and unlike so many that have tried and failed to locate the tiny property, we actually knew the way there. Take a left, then a right, then right again. Or something like that. It seemed so simple. So we were surprised, then, to see Jean-Christophe power his car down a narrow lane, vines bursting in on either side, in what seemed like totally the wrong direction.

In our thoroughly British car we stiffened our resolve; after all, a visit to Le Pin was at stake here. There was a requirement for fortitude. We stuck to our original plan, and took a left, and then a right, and then a right again. I think. Whatever the exact sequence of turns was, barely a few minutes later we had arrived at the small, somewhat tumble-down house that is home to the internationally renowned Le Pin. And there was Jean-Christophe and his colleague, casually meandering alongside the house, having already parked up their car. It seems that even if you have sufficient topographical knowledge to locate Le Pin - and that is no easy task, as many lose their way, driving round and round in seemingly ever-decreasing circles - there is still somebody who can get there quicker than you. We were competent, but Jean-Christophe Mau was on another level. Perhaps literally; is there a secret pass underneath the Pomerol vines, I wondered, with access restricted to Bordeaux proprietors, entry and exit controlled by retinal scanners mounted on an overhead gantry? Such thoughts faded as I surveyed the small garden at Le Pin. Villandry this is not. How does a small house with flaking render, a pine tree or two at the front and little more than a patch of mud at the back gain such a worldwide reputation?

Le Pin and the Thienpont Family

To consider the answer to this question we should look back at Le Pin's history. Unlike many other properties in Bordeaux, it is not a long story; it begins in 1924 with the acquisition of the vineyard by a Madame Laubie. It was not yet Le Pin as we know it; the wines were sold as generic Pomerol, and this remained the situation until the elderly lady's death in 1979. During her time there was little income and no investment, which goes some way to explaining the state of the house today, and perhaps also contributes, in part at least, to the current quality of the wines. With her passing the property, with a little over 1 hectare of vines, was acquired by the Thienpont family who are obviously already well-known in the region. Georges Thienpont, for instance, acquired nearby Vieux Chateau Certan in 1924, passing the estate on with time to son Léon, and then to the next generation Alexandre. Georges had no small number of children however; he is responsible for establishing what might be seen as a viticultural dynasty. There was another Georges, whose son Nicolas has also established a fine reputation with the management of several properties including Larcis-Ducasse and Pavie-Macquin. Then there was Gérard, who ran the family wine business in Belgium, and there was also Marcel. This latter son is of most interest to us here. Not only was he central to the purchase of what would become Le Pin, but his sons also followed in his footsteps. The first, Luc, was owner of Labégorce-Zédé until its sale to Hubert Perrodo in 2005. The latter, Jacques (pictured above) today runs Le Pin.

The only significant expansion of the Le Pin vineyard came with the purchase of a small lot of adjacent vines. Writing in Grands Vins, Clive Coates tells us that these belonged to the local blacksmith, but writing in Wine Journal - now part of Parker's wine-writing empire - Neal Martin tells us that this was a vegetable patch belonging to a local widow. When I visited the domaine, I was sure I was told that they once belonged to the local postman. The only sane conclusion in my mind is that they once belonged to the widow of a man who delivered the post in the morning and spent his afternoon shoeing horses. Whatever the origin of the vines, however, another hectare was added in the early 1980s, although like Le Pin per se there had been little investment and this new addition required extensive replanting. Nevertheless, the wine was reputedly of very good quality, and it sold, although not at an exorbitant price. Le Pin is something of an accidental superstar, and it is only with the passage of time, thanks to excellent quality combined with scarcity, and comparisons with first growths, Petrus and the like, that the price has really rocketed towards the stratosphere.

The Vines and Wines of Le Pin

The vineyard at Le Pin sits behind the house (pictured right) and its muddy garden, the vines rooted in gravelly soil which has seen little of the fertilisation that has been fashionable during the 20th Century. Thus Madame Laubie, through her thrifty approach to viticulture, has left Jacques Thienpont with a vineyard full of healthy but not nutritionally rich soil, with old vines that yield between 30 and 35 hl/ha. The vines include 8% Cabernet Franc but are otherwise all Merlot, and the wine itself is 100% Merlot. Once harvested by hand, the wine is fermented in the stainless steel vats that lie just past the entrance to the small cellar. Beyond that there is a barrel room, which is small but adequate; two vintages will generally occupy no more than 70 barrels. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in wood, naturally 100% new, and then rests for perhaps 18 months before egg-white fining and bottling, only being disturbed when racked every three months. The quantity produced is small, 500-700 cases, and it was not surprising in view of the tiny output and high price to see many six-bottle cases stacked up alongside the fermentation vats when I visited.

Le Pin, most people report, was named for the solitary pine tree that stands adjacent to the property. I find this rather difficult to reconcile with the sight of at least two such pine trees outside the house, which suggest to me that Les Pins would have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, Le Pin it was named, and the first vintage bottled by the Thienpont family was labelled so back in 1979. On my visit in early 2008 I was able to taste Le Pin's 27th and 28th vintages (there was no 2003), the 2006 and 2007, as I casually leaned against a small stack of cases of the 2005 vintage, the value of which exceeded - and I am not exaggerating - the amount I owe on my mortgage. And this brings us to my opinion of the wine. For many tasters, the temptation to compare Le Pin with Petrus or even Vieux Chateau Certan - the latter due to the Thienpont connection, no doubt - is too great, but I have never understood why. They are completely different wines. Le Pin should surely be considered in its own right; would a profile of Haut-Brion be incomplete without a blow-by-blow comparison with Latour, Lafite, Mouton and Margaux?

Acknowledging this, however, like so many of us I can not wax lyrically about the vintages of Le Pin I have consumed, or those that are stacked up in my cellar. My experience is limited, sufficiently limited for me to wonder about the value of a dedicated profile. But on the other hand, the wines were so impressive, seductive, rich and yet balanced, that the occasion certainly warrants marking in some way. The 2006 was very fine indeed, but the quality was still high in 2007, when the vintage was considerably more difficult - although I think of all the Bordeaux appellations, St Emilion and Pomerol were slightly better off than others. The taste lingers on the palate even now. This might not be the beverage of choice for Kris Kristofferson to celebrate the downfall of Sheriff 'Dirty Lyle' Lyle Wallace, but I think it might just be mine. (13/6/08)

Contact details:
Address: 33500 Pomerol
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 51 33 99
Fax: +33 (0) 5 57 31 09 66

Le Pin - Tasting Notes

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Le Pin (Pomerol) 2008: This was a blend created before my eyes by Jacques Thienpont from three barrels, the first two being Le Pin proper, the third giving just a small addition of press wine. So it is merely a representation of 2008 Le Pin rather than the finished wine. The aromatics are fine, perfumed damsons, with a crystalline character like many other wines of this vintage. Ripe and concentrated on the palate, beautifully precise concentration, elegant and well delineated, with pure, floral, damson fruit. Fine and yet velvety tannins, this has a fine and very long style. Greatness is assured. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 18.5-19.5+/20 (April 2009)

Le Pin (Pomerol) 2007: Even Le Pin could not escape the effects of the vintage; August here was as wet as everywhere else. There was a saignée of about 10% of the must. Despite this volumes were higher than expected, with the wine filling about 36 barrels rather than the anticipated 27. The wine itself has rich and deep fruit on the nose, presented in a svelte, pure, dark fashion, along with a layer of that creamy oak. The palate has a similarly pure character, with a silky composition and an elegant style. Pure fruit, with rising tannins in the midpalate, this wine is structured but deeply characterful. The tannins are exquisitely integrated though, and there is a great harmony throughout. Excellent potential here. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (April 2008)

Le Pin (Pomerol) 2006: This was a sample of the final blend, taken from tank, approximately one month before bottling was due. The nose offers a beautiful perfume, with fine damson and plum fruit purity with notes of vanilla, pepper and spice. The palate is svelte, rounded, with silky tannins perfectly covered by the fruit. Overall this is very harmonious in its composition, and it seems remarkably approachable, despite its embryonic nature and the underlying structure. It certainly has a little more punch than the 2007, which I tasted first, finishing up in a firm, tannic finish. This is potentially excellent. From a Bordeaux 2006 assessment. 18-19+/20 (April 2008)