Aromas of tobacco, dark chocolate, dried herbs and tar. The palate is medium-bodied, showing ethereal fruit and polished tannins, with an elegant, seamless texture that gently unfolds across the palate. Elegance is key, and it will evolve toward an even more delicate expression. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.
From Jacques Thienpont and a true superstar in the vintage, the 2016 Le Pin comes from a tiny vineyard of old vine Merlot and is raised all in new barrels. One of those magical wines that marries power with elegance perfectly, its saturated purple color is followed by a thrilling array of sweet kirsch, crème de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and Asian spices. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness and depth as well as an incredible mid-palate, it stays ethereal and elegant, with flawless tannins, awesome purity, and a blockbuster of a finish. The sexiest, kinkiest, most opulent wine in the vintage? I’d say yes. Do your best to hide bottles for 4-6 years, count yourself very lucky, and drink bottles over the following 3+ decades.
TWI
99pts
The Wine Independent
The 2016 Le Pin has a great nose of sweet strawberries, truffles, earth, mushrooms, burned, crunchy casks and soft scents of vanilla. It is a very convincing glass of wine, soft, round and subtle with a wonderful finesse and a fresh, deep and opulent fruit reservoir. It is so elegant, vibrant, impressive and finely structured and is one of the most convincing wines of the 2016 vintage. It can actually be sipped at this stage but should be even better in 5-7 years.
The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Le Pin is still very closed, revealing glimpses of preserved plums, blackberry pie and raspberry compote plus suggestions of potpourri, star anise, tobacco, fenugreek and stewed tea plus a waft of hoisin. The medium-bodied palate is opulent, rich and plush with layers of black and red fruit preserves and loads of exotic spice accents, finishing very long and very decadent. 98+
I tasted through a blend of five barrels, but they may not be the final ones. There is significant gravel in the Le Pin soils, so they suffered a little from the heat, but the Merlot still has incredible finesse and elegance. The astonishing thing is the grilled, smoked damson and ripe wild blackberry and hawthorn perfume that rises out of the glass effortlessly. This wine is deft, elegant, and rich. A naturally low yield of 28hl/ha due to the drought, with a pH of 3.72.
This provides a pure, almost distilled note of raspberry ganache from start to finish, fleshy in feel, with a light brambly accent adding subtle, pulsating energy throughout. Black tea detail, a hint of warm gravel and mouthwatering black licorice nuances fill in through the finish, which has a beguiling feel. Best from 2022 through 2038.
The 2016 Le Pin has a sensual bouquet with red cherries, raspberry, violet and glycerine scents. Fine delineation, a little more hedonistic than its Pomerol peers. The palate is medium-bodied with plush tannins, a silver thread of acidity, caressing and lush, with quite a bold and concentrated, primal finish. Seductive. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On tasting in London.
