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Tasting Notes
This is an exotic, generous Le Pin – a real contrast to the more restrained profile of 2021. The nose is heady – with incense, sweet plum fruit, cardamom and florals swirling together. These intoxicating, open aromas contrast with the palate, which is tight and concentrated, with compact tannins and a deep core of dark berries. A wine of serious structure and density, this will need time to unwind – but there’s a fresh, mineral finish that balances the wine’s intensity.
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William Kelley, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
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Quite floral in nature, it is the vivacious nature, sensuality, and freshness in the fruits that stand out. Picture, velvety-textured, black plums with dark chocolate, saffron, orange peel, cumin and black raspberries that caress and paint your palate with layers of fruit. There is a sublime sense of purity, paired with elegance and vivacity that sticks with you in the precise finish for close to 60 seconds. Produced from 100% Merlot, 14.4% ABV, 3.77 pH, the harvest took place September 6 - September 17. Yields were only 29 hectoliters per hectare.
As always, the 2022 Château Le Pin is 100% Merlot, but the amount of new oak has been pulled back substantially in the past few vintages, and the 2022 is still resting in just 65% new oak. This Burgundian styled Merlot reveals a healthy ruby/purple hue as well as a beautiful bouquet of spiced red and black fruits, background oak, dried flowers, and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied, restrained, incredibly elegant, and balanced, with fine tannins, it's another remarkable, singular wine from this château.
On deep gravel and sand. They were finally given authorisation to irrigate in August but this was a bit late ‘so I’m not sure it did anything’, according to Jacques Thienpont. Their younger, 10-year-old vines did suffer a little although there was no sunburn. Fruit from the replaced vines in the old rows also suffered a bit and they didn’t include that in the final blend. After harvest the foliage was apparently and unusually in perfect shape until mid November. 29 hl/ha cf average yield of 25! Guillaume Thienpont, son of Vieux Château Certan’s Alexandre, has been responsible for vinification since 2015/2016 overlooked by Uncle Jacques who says, ‘before 2015 the climate was different and we could rely on our own yeast. Now with higher sugars so we have to add powerful yeast. I’m not used to that. Guillaume does a longer cuvaison than I did. Merlot on sand and gravel is a difficult combination in hot, dry weather.’ Picked 6 to 17 September. 100% Merlot. 65% new barrels. Very deep, glowing crimson. Slightly reticent nose. Sweet and smooth and with an undertow of juicy, candied tobacco leaves! Long and pure. It’s difficult to see the tannins but apparently the IPT (tannin level by analysis) is sufficiently high, thanks to the thick skins, which also promoted colour extraction. Long and deceptively drinkable!
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About the producer
Château Le Pin is, without doubt, one of the most famous names in wine. A vinous icon and one of the three great names of Pomerol alongside Pétrus and Château Lafleur. Today it is one of the rarest, most expensive and finest red wines of Bordeaux – if not the world.