Wine Advisor
Le Pin 1991
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1991 Le Pin is comparatively lighter in hue. The nose is missing some vigor, and there is a conspicuous green element that becomes more tertiary with aeration. Perhaps it needs more definition? Nevertheless, there is fine lift. The palate is medium-bodied, stubbornly foursquare and linear. There is a fine line of acidity with a cedar- and cigar box-tinged finish that is just a bit "surly." This is a commendable wine given the vintage. Just 250 cases were made. Drink it now. Tasted at Bipin Desai’s Le Pin vertical in Los Angeles in November 2008. Tasting note taken from the Pomerol book by Neal Martin.
About the Producer
Le Pin is the most expensive wine in the world. Jacques Thienpont purchased the meagre 1.6 hectares of land for one million francs in 1979. The Thienpoints named their wine Le Pin after a solitary pine tree that shaded the property. By acquiring tiny adjoining plots of land, Jacques has doubled the size of Le Pin to five acres. The south-facing vineyard on a well-drained slope of gravel and sand is planted with Merlot (about 92%), and a small amount of Cabernet Franc. Le Pin's soil is a mixture of gravel and clay with a little sand and is exceptionally low yielding (between 30 to 35 hl/hc). The grapes are hand-harvested and are fermented in stainless steel before being matured in`200%` new oak barriques for between 14 and 18 months. Dany Rolland, wife of cult-oenologist Michel Rolland, is a consultant here. Le Pin produces just 600 to 700 cases each year (Lafite Rothschild produces approximately 29,000 cases of wine a year and and Pétrus about 4,000) and its rarity is one of the driving forces behind its high prices. Le Pin produces super-concentrated, decadent, lush and lavishly oaked wines - they can be drunk young but are best with 7-10 years of bottle ageing.
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