Le Pin 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.

The 2015 Le Pin, which was bottled in May 2017, has a lot of flair on the nose with sumptuous red berry fruit, cranberry and raspberry laced with rose petal and light confit-like aromas that I remarked upon from barrel. (Incidentally, a second bottle was a little spicier on the nose.) The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannin, fleshy and charming with a silky smooth texture. It is not as cerebral as the Vieux Château Certan and yet it offers greater opulence and volume, the last third with wonderful veins of white pepper and pain d’épice. There is a lot of Pomerol here to enjoy. Anticipated maturity: 2021 - 2045.

I have not had a Le Pin like this since the 1980s. It is so large and velvety textured yet remains agile and electric. The aromas are complex and complete with orange peel, chocolate and plum. Full and dense with an endless finish. Infinitely polished. The sweetness of fruit is impressive yet the wine remains fresh and dry. A new benchmark for Le Pin? Only 20 barrels made.