L’If: Vineyards
When Jacques Thienpont purchased Le Pin he did not go in alone; he was supported by his father Marcel and his uncle Léon. A similar arrangement exists with L’If, although here Jacques is the senior partner, and his junior associate is Cyrille Thienpont, the son of Nicolas Thienpont, Jacques’ cousin. He acts as manager for the estate, although both are directors of the newly formed SCEA Thienpont Mondotte.
Jacques Thienpont’s approach to winemaking is, considering the global reputation enjoyed by Le Pin, surprisingly artisanal and less than scientific. He has an artistic flair when it comes to the vinifications, and it comes as no surprise to hear that he believes, quite rightly I am sure, that great wine is made in the vineyard. “Understand your soil and your vines, and work to achieve the highest quality in the harvested fruit, and everything else will flow from there” he once told me over a primeurs sample of Le Pin. The first thing he did having acquired the vines was commission an extensive soil survey, one which involved not only an aerial survey but also drilling 26 two-metre-deep boreholes.
The domaine is 8 hectares in size, and thanks to the soil survey Jacques now has a detailed understanding of this terroir, dividing it into 14 parcels and amending the viticulture according to each parcel and its terroir.
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