CHÂTEAU LE PIN
2022 Pomerol
A juicy, sensual character of almost fresh grapes pervades the tasting of this sample. The texture is extremely velvety in that ultimate style of Jacques Thienpont's tiny vineyard of 2 hectares and ten different plots. The fruit shows some high register aromatics than seem almost exotic and somewhat smoky, adding to this wine's undoubted seduction. Despite the thick layer of gravel that the roots must penetrate to reach cooler clay soil, the wine shows perfect freshness and balance and in no way seems to have suffered from the vintage conditions. A huge success! Rating: 98-100 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The elegance and harmony of the 2022 Le Pin took me aback. Harvest began at this small estate on September 6th, proceeding bit by bit until all 10 blocks were picked, and the resulting wine is maturing in 65% new oak. Wafting from the glass with aromas of minty blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of licorice, spices and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, bright and fleshy, with a sensual, seamless profile and terrific integration at such an early stage. It's one of the finest vintages at this address in the last decade or more. Rating: 96-99 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
The 2022 Le Pin was picked 6 to 17 September at 29hL/ha, pure Merlot as usual matured in 65% new oak. It has a quasi-Burgundian bouquet, extremely pure and floral, fleeting glimpses of blueberry and blackcurrant, very perfumed in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a concentrated, verging on viscous opening that delivers a payload of gorgeous, mineral-rich black fruit. Wonderful balance, velvety in texture, it leans toward a more opulent Le Pin. This disguises the backbone of this wine that should ensure it matures over many years. Seriously fine, though I would take Jacques Thienpont's comparison to the 1945 or 1947 Le Pin with a big pinch of salt. Drinking range: 2032 - 2060 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
100% Merlot. 65% new oak. 14.4% alc. 29 hl/ha. 3.77 pH. Harvested from 6 – 17 September Apparently, Jacques Thienpont joked that he might not make a wine this year, given the challenges they encountered throughout the summer, and in the end, he was shocked at just how complete and enticing the final wine is. Considering the extreme conditions, they managed superbly well, and from the ten micro-plots within the 2ha vineyard, six were deemed of high enough quality to make Le Pin. Of course, it was human intervention that ensured a brilliant wine resulted from a testing vintage. This is a peculiarly hedonistic and perfumed Le Pin with spices infiltrating every taste bud, followed immediately by waves of silky black fruit. This is a rich wine, and the tannins are structured and prod, but they are not drying or coarse. By contrast, the tannins make this an even more enticing and moreish wine. While I reserve the right to change my mind, I think that while this wine certainly has the battery pack to live for a very long time, I would bet that it will be at its most expressive and alluring earlier in its life rather than later. Rating: 19.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
Delivers the plush texture of Le Pin, with rippling cassis and blueberry fruits, bitter slabs of chocolate, slate, crushed rocks. The extreme ripeness of the year seems effortless at a property that knows how to capture your attention, and how to draw velvety tannins around intensely spiced fruits. A slow build through the palate, need to take your time to explores the depths of this wine, give it time. Expertly structured and intense. Harvest September 6 to 17, here yield 29hl/h, 3.77ph, 65% new oak. Potential upscore in bottle. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2023)
On deep gravel and sand. They were finally given authorisation to irrigate in August but this was a bit late ‘so I’m not sure it did anything’, according to Jacques Thienpont. Their younger, 10-year-old vines did suffer a little although there was no sunburn. Fruit from the replaced vines in the old rows also suffered a bit and they didn’t include that in the final blend. After harvest the foliage was apparently and unusually in perfect shape until mid November. 29 hl/ha cf average yield of 25! Guillaume Thienpont, son of Vieux Château Certan’s Alexandre, has been responsible for vinification since 2015/2016 overlooked by Uncle Jacques who says, ‘before 2015 the climate was different and we could rely on our own yeast. Now with higher sugars so we have to add powerful yeast. I’m not used to that. Guillaume does a longer cuvaison than I did. Merlot on sand and gravel is a difficult combination in hot, dry weather.’ Picked 6 to 17 September. 100% Merlot. 65% new barrels. Very deep, glowing crimson. Slightly reticent nose. Sweet and smooth and with an undertow of juicy, candied tobacco leaves! Long and pure. It’s difficult to see the tannins but apparently the IPT (tannin level by analysis) is sufficiently high, thanks to the thick skins, which also promoted colour extraction. Long and deceptively drinkable! 14.4% Drinking range: 2026 - 2045 Rating: 18 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
Such is the ripeness and richness of the vintage but the wine remains so fresh and balanced. Medium-bodied with subtle and juicy tannins. It's a little fuller-bodied than the perfect 2020 but it is just as weightless and gorgeous. Cashmere texture throughout. Only 65% new wood. Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Château Le Pin
Mme Loubie had owned a dilapidated house and a few vines, just north of Catusseau, for decades, selling the produce off to go into generic Pomerol blends. Little more than basic care had been taken of the vineyard, and most of the vines were rather old, whilst expensive insecticides and herbicides had been unaffordable. When Mme Loubie died in 1978, Jacques Thienpont spent the incredible sum of one million francs on the 1ha of vineyard and a tatty old house and chai. The first vintage of Le Pin was the 1979, aged in cast-off barrels from Vieux Château Certan. From 1981, Le Pin was aged in 100% new wood. 1982 was 1982, and the lavish praise heaped on Le Pin by Robert Parker (it’s a 100 point wine) and others propelled Le Pin into the big time. The original 1ha has slowly and surely been augmented by further adjoining purchases, taking the vineyard area up to 2.7ha. It is all the classic clay soil of the Pomerol plateau, with a high iron oxide content. Le Pin is always 100% Merlot. Le Pin is one of Bordeaux’s, indeed the world’s wine, icons with a reputation only matched by Petrus in Pomerol. Production is still tiny, and demand very high.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.