Wine Advisor
Le Pin 1996
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1996 Le Pin has softened since I first tasted it. In January, it was extremely open-knit, with a dark ruby color, and evolved notes of roasted coffee, melted chocolate, exotic coconut scents, and jammy black cherry fruit. Round, soft, supple-textured, and medium-bodied, this is one of the most flamboyant yet evolved wines of the vintage. Will it firm up now that it has been bottled? There is very little production of the 1996 Le Pin since only one-third of the harvest made it into the final blend. Anticipated maturity: now-2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted from a half-bottle with Jacqcues Thienpont, the 1996 Le Pin was served against the 1986 and, to be honest, this particular example was put in the shade by the older wine. Visibly more mature on the rim, the nose is not quite as cohesive as the 1986 with mulberry, leather, fig and tertiary aromas. The palate has good weight, which is commendable given that this was not a Right Bank vintage, but the tannins feel just a little coarse and it certainly did not offer the same degree of precision as the 1986 Le Pin. Maybe there are better bottles out there, but I would be inclined to drink mine (if I had any) over the next 5-10 years. Tasted June 2016.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Moderate ruby colour. Beautiful perfumed nose. Jammy cherry fruits - great depth and complexity. Feminine and elegant. Velvety tannins but at the moment it lacks joie de vivre. Needs time as this is just beginning to close down. Tasted July 1999.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Only one-third of the harvest made it into the 1996 Le Pin, so this vintage will be even more impossible to find than usual. The wine exhibits an even denser, more saturated ruby/purple color than the 1995, as well as an exotic, unformed but flamboyant vanillin, pain grille, smoke, and jammy black cherry-scented nose. Ripe, dense, and atypically fleshy for a 1996 Pomerol, this is a sexy, medium-bodied, concentrated wine that should firm up before bottling and age nicely. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2015.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Billionaires who are having trouble finding authentic bottles of Le Pin will not be pleased to learn that the normal production of 600+ cases has been cut in 1996 to 350 cases! A reduced crop size, as well as the strict selection necessitated by the September rains have resulted in a minuscule quantity. The 1996 is a beautiful wine, and I would not be surprised to see the score rise after it has had more time in barrel. In addition to an impressive dark purple color, the 1996 exhibits Le Pin's tell-tale, exotic, pain grillee, lavishly ripe, jammy nose, full-bodied, chewy, low acid, sweet, luxurious flavors, an unctuous texture, and a heady finish. Already delicious, this wine will age well for 15+ years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Like many 1996 Pomerols, there is a certain austerity to the tannins, and the wines are not as generous and voluminous as they would be from a great right bank vintage like 1998 or 2000. Nevertheless, this is a top-notch example, more structured than usual, but still has the exotic notes of melted chocolate, roasted espresso, a hint of coconut, and a plethora of jammy black fruits. Relatively supple, even for the vintage, this flamboyant, medium-bodied wine shows superb ripeness, purity, and overall balance with a bit of dry tannin in the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. Last tasted, 5/02.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bipin Desai’s Le Pin vertical in Los Angeles. A smaller crop: a paltry 360 cases to grace the world. It has a deep garnet core with a tawny/deep brick rim. The nose has a softness to it, some sous-bois aromas coming through and with gentle swirling touches of mint and then with extended aeration, some dried coconut. The palate is medium-bodied, well defined with fine tannins, just a little greenness in the middle, notes of black cherries and a little Doris plum. Quite foursquare towards the finish with some leafy, tobacco notes right on the finish. Not a top-tier Le Pin, but my style of “classic” Pomerol that would partner cuisine with aplomb. Drink now-2016. Tasted November 2008.
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.
1985(1)1986(1)1988(1)1989(1)1990(1)1991(4)1993(1)1994(2)1995(2)
Package Size
1 x 75cl3 x 1.5L
