LE PIN: BRIEF HISTORY OF A GREAT WINE
The French region of Bordeaux has always been heralded as a land of great wines, the most renowned, most expensive and appreciated worldwide. With a past dating back thousands of years, Château Margaux, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Haut-Brion and Château Latour have forged the history of fine wines.
The first official classification of French wines was introduced by Napoleon III at the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris, where the most expensive wines were classified as Premier Grand Cru. This denomination, still adopted today, classifies the quality and also the prestige of a wine. Last year, the Liv-ex, now the main reference index of the wine industry, proposed a reclassification based on the trend of the market in the last five vintages of Bordeaux wines. Various producers of this region, excluded from the 1855 and subsequent classifications would certainly be, at current prices, First Growths such as Château Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Lafleur, Petrus and, above all, Le Pin. The history of Le Pin, not a “Château” per se, is the most recent, dating back to 1979 when Madame Laubie, whose family had owned the plot since 1924, sold the one-hectare vineyard to the Belgian family Thienpont who owned the neighbouring Vieux Château Certan. The estate, located on the Right Bank of France’s Gironde estuary in the heart of the Pomerol appellation close to the village of Catusseau, now extends for 2.7 hectares, some of which added subsequently to the holding.
The terroir of Le Pin is clay with gravel and sandy soil with deposits of iron oxide, with a grape variety of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, the vines averaging 32 years. Until 1978, the grapes were sold or blended to produce other fine but undistinguished Pomerol wines. Things started to change in 1979 when the well-known Thienpont family, headed by Leon Thienpont, bought the property for one million French francs, a lot of money in those days. At the time of the sale, the Le Pin cellars were in poor condition. The chai was little more than a shed used to store gardening tools. The house was dilapidated and in need of urgent repair. Alexandre, Leon’s son, took up residence at the estate and re-organized the property. Initially, it was thought that the vines would become part of Vieux Chateau Certan but this idea was soon discarded and Le Pin, which takes its name from a lone pine that grew close to the cellar, was born.
The company is currently managed by a cousin Jacques Thienpont, assisted by oenologist Dany Rolland, wife of Michel Rolland, a renowned and also controversial figure in the world of wine. Le Pin was probably the first Château in the entire region to adopt malolactic fermentation in barrel, more or less by accident. In their early years, they did not have enough tanks to hold all the wine for fermentation. So, out of necessity, following alcoholic fermentation, they moved the wine to barrel as an experiment for malolactic fermentation and it worked. The cellar was a simple, small, cool, cement room able to hold only a few rows of barrels. For these reasons, many consider Le Pin to be the predecessor of garage wines, a definition rejected by many, including the proprietors. The debut vintage of Le Pin was aged in used, French oak barrels, passed down from Vieux Chateau Certan, and sold for 100 French francs per bottle. The price was much lower than that of Vieux Chateau Certan at that time and, even at such a low price, buyers for it were hard to find. However, things changed very rapidly due, above all, to Robert Parker who played a major role in Le Pin’s rise to fame. Prior to the 1982 vintage, not many people outside of Pomerol had heard of Le Pin.
Robert Parker’s initial review of Le Pin was, to say the least, lukewarm. However, in time the 1982 Le Pin began to develop and Robert Parker changed his mind. His enthusiasm and praise for the 1982 Le Pin vintage caused collectors all over the world to seek it out. In view of its high quality and the fact that only around 8000 bottles a year were produced, it was only a matter of time before Le Pin was priced as a luxury item. Following initial purchase of Le Pin, Jacques Thienpont continued to expand the estate, adding a few choice rows of vines and selected holdings in the heart of the Pomerol plateau, acquiring more land in 1985 and in the first decade of the 21st century. The addition of a single, stainless 50 hectolitre steel vat was his idea. Until a short while ago, the cellar and château were rather humble for such an important wine. However, in 2010, Jacques started to construct a new château and wine making facility. The new winery, designed by the well-known Belgian architects, Robbrecht & Daem, was completed in 2012, just in time to work on the 2011 vintage at Le Pin. The small, understated winery includes 7 temperature controlled, stainless steel vats. The new building also comprises an underground cellar to accommodate the 30 to 40 barrels necessary to age two different vintages at a time. Over the years, since it was founded, even as release prices from the estate continue to rise, Le Pin has proven time and time again to be among the best, if not the best investment for collectors. The best vintages of Le Pin are: 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1990, 1989, 1985 and 1982, while the entire production was declassified in 2003 as the owner considered that the vintage was not worthy of being sold as Le Pin. Le Pin is an exotic style Bordeaux wine. Concentrated with ripe fruit, the opulent, almost overripe kirsch, black cherry, plum, coconut and citrus scents are unique. Today, this wine produced at an unusually small estate is one of the most expensive wines in the world. Although its first vintage was only a few decades ago, it has become a legend and is already the reference for modern Pomerol wines. Le Pin is a constant p resence at international wine auctions and is considered to be the new wine to be collected.
BY Luisa Bianconi
The first official classification of French wines was introduced by Napoleon III at the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris, where the most expensive wines were classified as Premier Grand Cru. This denomination, still adopted today, classifies the quality and also the prestige of a wine. Last year, the Liv-ex, now the main reference index of the wine industry, proposed a reclassification based on the trend of the market in the last five vintages of Bordeaux wines. Various producers of this region, excluded from the 1855 and subsequent classifications would certainly be, at current prices, First Growths such as Château Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Lafleur, Petrus and, above all, Le Pin. The history of Le Pin, not a “Château” per se, is the most recent, dating back to 1979 when Madame Laubie, whose family had owned the plot since 1924, sold the one-hectare vineyard to the Belgian family Thienpont who owned the neighbouring Vieux Château Certan. The estate, located on the Right Bank of France’s Gironde estuary in the heart of the Pomerol appellation close to the village of Catusseau, now extends for 2.7 hectares, some of which added subsequently to the holding.
The terroir of Le Pin is clay with gravel and sandy soil with deposits of iron oxide, with a grape variety of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, the vines averaging 32 years. Until 1978, the grapes were sold or blended to produce other fine but undistinguished Pomerol wines. Things started to change in 1979 when the well-known Thienpont family, headed by Leon Thienpont, bought the property for one million French francs, a lot of money in those days. At the time of the sale, the Le Pin cellars were in poor condition. The chai was little more than a shed used to store gardening tools. The house was dilapidated and in need of urgent repair. Alexandre, Leon’s son, took up residence at the estate and re-organized the property. Initially, it was thought that the vines would become part of Vieux Chateau Certan but this idea was soon discarded and Le Pin, which takes its name from a lone pine that grew close to the cellar, was born.
The company is currently managed by a cousin Jacques Thienpont, assisted by oenologist Dany Rolland, wife of Michel Rolland, a renowned and also controversial figure in the world of wine. Le Pin was probably the first Château in the entire region to adopt malolactic fermentation in barrel, more or less by accident. In their early years, they did not have enough tanks to hold all the wine for fermentation. So, out of necessity, following alcoholic fermentation, they moved the wine to barrel as an experiment for malolactic fermentation and it worked. The cellar was a simple, small, cool, cement room able to hold only a few rows of barrels. For these reasons, many consider Le Pin to be the predecessor of garage wines, a definition rejected by many, including the proprietors. The debut vintage of Le Pin was aged in used, French oak barrels, passed down from Vieux Chateau Certan, and sold for 100 French francs per bottle. The price was much lower than that of Vieux Chateau Certan at that time and, even at such a low price, buyers for it were hard to find. However, things changed very rapidly due, above all, to Robert Parker who played a major role in Le Pin’s rise to fame. Prior to the 1982 vintage, not many people outside of Pomerol had heard of Le Pin.
Robert Parker’s initial review of Le Pin was, to say the least, lukewarm. However, in time the 1982 Le Pin began to develop and Robert Parker changed his mind. His enthusiasm and praise for the 1982 Le Pin vintage caused collectors all over the world to seek it out. In view of its high quality and the fact that only around 8000 bottles a year were produced, it was only a matter of time before Le Pin was priced as a luxury item. Following initial purchase of Le Pin, Jacques Thienpont continued to expand the estate, adding a few choice rows of vines and selected holdings in the heart of the Pomerol plateau, acquiring more land in 1985 and in the first decade of the 21st century. The addition of a single, stainless 50 hectolitre steel vat was his idea. Until a short while ago, the cellar and château were rather humble for such an important wine. However, in 2010, Jacques started to construct a new château and wine making facility. The new winery, designed by the well-known Belgian architects, Robbrecht & Daem, was completed in 2012, just in time to work on the 2011 vintage at Le Pin. The small, understated winery includes 7 temperature controlled, stainless steel vats. The new building also comprises an underground cellar to accommodate the 30 to 40 barrels necessary to age two different vintages at a time. Over the years, since it was founded, even as release prices from the estate continue to rise, Le Pin has proven time and time again to be among the best, if not the best investment for collectors. The best vintages of Le Pin are: 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1990, 1989, 1985 and 1982, while the entire production was declassified in 2003 as the owner considered that the vintage was not worthy of being sold as Le Pin. Le Pin is an exotic style Bordeaux wine. Concentrated with ripe fruit, the opulent, almost overripe kirsch, black cherry, plum, coconut and citrus scents are unique. Today, this wine produced at an unusually small estate is one of the most expensive wines in the world. Although its first vintage was only a few decades ago, it has become a legend and is already the reference for modern Pomerol wines. Le Pin is a constant p resence at international wine auctions and is considered to be the new wine to be collected.
BY Luisa Bianconi