2025 Le Pin (Pomerol)

The 2025 Le Pin is a wild, exotic beauty. Deeply layered spice overtones and a kiss of French oak lead into a core of vibrant dark-fleshed fruit. In this tasting, Le Pin comes across as a bit heavy and monolithic, largely because of yields that were just 20 hectoliters per hectare. I am sure those who can taste Le Pin will adore it, but personally, I prefer the greater tension and energy of its sibling, L`If, a much more contemporary wine that also costs about 1/20th the price. Expect the 2025 Le Pin to be rare (only ten barrels produced) and very pricey. The big news at Le Pin is that the estate has added a choice parcel measuring about one hectare planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that formerly belonged to L`Evangile. That will increase Le Pin`s planted surface area from two to three hectares (plus another 0.7 hectares that are being redeveloped). Sadly, this is the last vintage made by Guillaume Thienpont. 95-97 points

Picked in just two days, with hand sorting to eliminate any raisined berries, the 2025 Le Pin exhibits aromas of sweet cherries and raspberries along with hints of espresso roast, incense and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, rich and layered, it`s velvety, fleshy and enveloping, retaining its flamboyant personality but also displaying the unusual concentration of the vintage. 94-96 points

Luscious, plush fruits, layered and textured, olive pit, bilberry, blackberry, concentrated yet bright and vivid, a more sculpted Le Pin compared to its normal lush curves, concentrated and powerful, with a huge future ahead of it. 65% new oak. 3.79 pH. Harvest September 5 to 10. 96 points

The 2025 Le Pin was picked in two passes through the vines on September 5 and 10 at just 20 hl/ha due to the small berry size, matured in two-thirds new oak and one-third one-year-old (Seguin Moreau and Taransaud). The younger vines that were stressed were not used in the blend. It takes time to unfold on the nose, with red berry fruit, black truffle and veins of graphite. The oak is very discretely used here. The palate is medium-bodied with velvety tannins, fine depth, though this is more a linear, vertical Le Pin rather than the more flamboyant 2022. A tingle of white and black pepper, a dab of licorice towards the finish that lingers temptingly. I suspect this will demand three to five years to really show its mettle. 95-97 points