Le Pin, Pomerol 2015

I am lost for words to describe this young wine, but it’s like walking into the best flower shop in Paris. Flowers galore with dark fruits as well. Full-bodied, very tannic and exotic. Amazing muscle and finesse at the same time. Phenomenal wine. This is half a normal harvest. Greatest ever, clearly. Wait until 2026.

The 2015 Le Pin has a medium to deep garnet color and it needs a little swirling before it bursts into a spray of scents of beautiful black raspberries, warm plums, and Indian spices, followed by hints of rose oil, Ceylon tea, cast iron pan, and cardamom. Full-bodied, the palate is so very plush and decadent, delivering layer upon layer of black fruits and exotic spices with seamless acidity to enliven, finishing with persistent mineral and earth notes. It’s a bit more closed and tighter than many 2015s, developing oh-so-slowly, but will be well worth the wait.

Lush, opulent waves of fully ripe fruits wash over you with an approaching-maturity Le Pin, and this is one to strap in to for the full sensory experience. White pepper and sage spice, fresh figs and crushed raspberries, layers of cocoa bean and tobacco, with a sharper mandarin peel and slate finish. Gorgeous, a benchmark in this tasting.

The 2015 Château Le Pin showed beautifully, with an elegant, almost Burgundian style in its weight and texture. Darker raspberries, ripe cherries, spicy wood, tobacco, and loamy earth are followed by a beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, balanced red that’s surprisingly accessible and open, and probably on a faster evolutionary track than the 2016. It's a brilliant, seamless, incredibly seductive Pomerol to enjoy over the coming 15-20 years.

The 2015 Le Pin is a vintage that has been a bit variable over the years. Now, at ten years old, it has a delightful raspberry- and strawberry-scented bouquet. However, as I asserted before, this is not the most complex showing that Jacques Thienpont has overseen, something that is exposed by juxtaposition against its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with a savory entry, supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a meaty tincture emerging toward the placid finish. It doesn't want to create a fuss. This drinks well, though there are better Le Pins from that decade. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index.