2022 was an enormously exciting vintage to taste en primeur; it comfortably ranks with 2016, 2010 and 2005 as among the best Bordeaux vintages of the last two decades. The 2022 vintage of Jacques Thienpont's Castillon wine L'Hetre was not released at the time of the 2022 en primeur campaign, but it's here now. While recent vintages of Jacques's Pomerol Le Pin have gone for £2,000/bottle (ex taxes), at only £19/bottle in bond, 2022 L'Hetre ranks as rather more of a value propostion; and yet, the levels of care that go into looking after vines on top Castillon terroir make this very impressive.
It was the quality of the terroir at this high point in Castillon that attracted Jacques in the first place. The vines for L'Hetre are planted in clay-limestone soils laid over a hard limestone bedrock. These are ideal for an era of rising temperatures, and a hot year like 2022; 'the soil keeps the roots of the vines cool, so the wines are fresh'.
Jacques acquired the property the 2016, and has been working on improvements ever since. He named it L'Hetre ('the beech') to continue his 'family tree' motif of estates: Le Pin ('the pine'), L'If ('the yew'). It feels natural for a region like Castillon, ringed by forests. On a day-to-day basis, L'Hetre is managed by Jacques' nephew Maxime. When Maxime balked at the price of some top-end farm equipment, Jacques counselled him: 'spare no expense in the vineyard and the wine will pay you back, many times'. Maxime listened. /NT
