Château Le Pin is a mini chateau in the Pomerol appellation on the right bank of the
Bordeaux region. It is considered a cult estate and is highly sought-after by wine
collectors. Its tiny production, averaging just 600-700 cases a year, commands even
higher prices than Château Petrus, making it one of the most expensive wines in
Bordeaux!
Madame Laubie and her family had owned this small vineyard since 1924, but sold it in
1979 to the Belgian Mr. Jacques Thienpont. At that time, the vineyard covered just one
hectare. Today, the vineyard covers 2.7 hectares. The name derives from the two pine
trees that grow on the estate, near the winery. The vineyard is planted almost
exclusively with Merlot, with just a touch of Cabernet Franc, and the average age of the
vines is almost 40 years.
In 2003, no Le Pin was produced due to the heatwave. The wines are extremely lush,
concentrated and sometimes “”exotic””, and are drinkable very early on. All grapes are
hand-picked and aged in new oak for 14 to 18 months.
A new high-tech winery was inaugurated in 2011. They even produce a second wine
called “”Trilogie”” in even smaller quantities. The price of this second wine easily exceeds
that of most other Pomerols produced, averaging €400 a bottle. Although Le Pin doesn’t
have a long history, they have produced some exceptional wines, especially over the
last two decades.