le Pin - Pomerol 2011

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 02/05/2014

Caramelized fruit, coffee bean, espresso, black cherry liqueur, licorice and spice aromas jump from the glass of this dark ruby/plum-colored wine. Concentrated and silky-textured, this full-bodied, voluptuous wine is a brilliant example of the 2011 vintage. Give it 2-4 more years in the bottle and enjoy it over the next 15 or more.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

par James Suckling le 19/02/2014

This is extremely bright and exotic, with crushed berries, flowers, orange peel and strawberries. Full body with a super-refined tannin structure and gorgeous, subtle chocolate, coffee and orange peel with red fruits. You want to drink it now, but better in 2016.      

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

par James Molesworth le 11/02/2014

Solidly built, with seamless layers of fig, currant and boysenberry pâte de fruit forming the bulk of the wine, while alluring black tea and ganache notes fill in the background. Big and broad, offering a caressing feel and ample fruit. Best from 2016 through 2030.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

par James Molesworth le 01/01/2014

Solidly built, with seamless layers of fig, currant and boysenberry pâte de fruit forming the bulk of the wine, while alluring black tea and ganache notes fill in the background. Big and broad, offering a caressing feel and ample fruit. Best from 2016 through 2030.

La Revue du Vin de France

15,5-17,5 / 20

le 31/05/2012

L'assemblage définitf n'est pas encore réalisé, mais l'échantillon associant plusieurs barriques donne une bonne image du résultat final. S'il n'égale pas le robuste 2010, Le Pin 2011 a gagné en précision et en élégance. Le nouveau chai ultra moderne n'y est sans doute pas étranger. 100% fûts neufs et 100% merlot, comme à l'accoutumée.

Le Point

16,5 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 17/05/2012

Résine, pin, cèdre, papier d'arménie, bouche fines, élégante, tendre, bien fruitée, une petite note fumée en finale, fruité, fin et doux, gourmand. O= 2017 G= 15 ans

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91-94 / 100

par Ian D'Agata le 12/05/2012

(100% merlot, harvested on September 12 and 13; 3.7 pH; 35 h/h; 13.3% alcohol): Opaque ruby-purple. Brooding nose hints at very pure cassis, violet and milk chocolate. Dense, rich and serious, with deep cassis and mineral flavors firmed by noble tannins. Very long and pure on the aftertaste. Considering the amount of gravel in the soil here, Le Pin has done a standout job in 2011. This is the year the estate inaugurated its small new chai designed by Belgian architect Paul Robbrecht, with seven stainless steel vats ranging between 15 and 45 hectoliters in capacity. Jacques Thienpont told me that this will allow for greater precision in harvesting the property's various parcels.

Decanter.com

17,5 / 20

le 30/04/2012

Restrained and elegant in style. Great purity of fruit, a silky texture and tannins and a very long finish. Somewhat in the mould of the 2006 and 2008? Drink 2020-2030.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2012

Coming in at 13.3% natural alcohol, this 2011 is a blockbuster Pomerol revealing loads of black currant, kirsch, and raspberry fruit intermixed with hints of licorice, spring flowers and spicy, smoky oak. As always, there is an exoticism to this dense purple-colored offering, and its opulence and flamboyance are hard to resist. This stunningly proportioned, flamboyant Pomerol is somewhat atypical for the vintage. It should drink well for 15+ years. The Thienpont family, the proprietors of Le Pin, picked their Merlot on September 12-13. The tiny crop was a result of difficulty during flowering, a few days of extreme heat at the end of June, and the overall drought conditions that have persisted through March, 2012.

TAST

17-18 / 20

par Bettane & Desseauve le 30/04/2012

Grande couleur profonde, fruit noir et pivoine, allonge subtile, gras et ample, dans un registre raffiné, élégance fruitée et finement épicée. Belle ampleur, avec une prise de bois plutôt présente.

WeinWisser

19 / 20

par René Gabriel le 30/04/2012

2019-2044

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-95 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 27/04/2012

Boysenberry, chocolate, earth and plum scents open to a fresh, spicy, supple-textured, flashy style of Pomerol ending with a silky, opulent red and black plum finish. 94-95 Pts

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

par Neal Martin le 27/04/2012

The Le Pin 2011 was picked on 12th and 13th September at 35hl/ha and it has 13.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. More importantly, it is the first vintage to be vinified at Jacques Thienpont’ new winery facility equipped with 15 to 45 hectolitre stainless steel vats. It has a wonderful purity on the nose that reminds me of a fine Burgundy! It has very pure small red cherries and a touch of strawberry with amazing precision and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a strict entry. It is slightly pinched at the moment, a saline touch on the entry with a touch of black olive. Compared to other vintages that I have tasted at this stage, it is a little disjointed and showing some hardness towards the finish. I think this Le Pin was not showing its best on the day and that others may find a little more from it. I will seek to re-taste this at a later moment. Tasted April 2012

Jancis Robinson

18 / 20

par Julia Harding MW le 23/04/2012

Drink 2018-2030 First vintage in the new, neat and architecturally simple but elegant cellar, all sun-reflecting limestone and reassuring oak doors, attractive angles within and without. Just in time for the 2011 vintage. Harvested 12-13 September (early ripeness on gravel allowing retention of freshness, says Fiona Morrison MW, aka Mrs Jacques Thienpont). Yield 35 hl/ha. Pumping over only in the early part of fermentation, again to retain freshness, then the wine was left alone. Deep rich black cherry colour. Gently toasty nose, essentially red fruited and just a little perfumed. Fine, seemingly gentle tannins. Marked by scented freshness, making it hard not to make some reference to burgundy, though the tannins are denser. As with so many in 2011, alcohol was almost 1% lower than in 2010, changing the balance and increasing the wine's approachability. (JH) 13.3%

Asian Palate

93-94 / 100

par Jeannie Cho Lee MW le 20/04/2012

This is a full bodied, gentle, sophisticated wine. Typical of Le Pin, it is restrained, classy with lovely length and finesse. Flavours range from violets to blackberries, fresh Chinese red dates and cassis. There are tobacco and spice notes with caressing flavours and the tannins are velvety, ripe and the finish very long.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

par James Molesworth le 10/04/2012

Delivers dark, captivating black tea, fig and plum notes, with nicely rounded flesh and a long, smoldering feel. The tannins sneak up slowly but are prevalent in the end, with a loamy hint emerging steadily through the finish, which opens slowly and forcefully. This is very solid and among the top wines of the vintage. Tasted non-blind.—J.M

Jamessuckling.com

92-93 / 100

par James Suckling le 01/04/2012

Gorgeous nose of blueberries and flowers such as roses. Full-bodied, with racy tannins and citrus acidity. Minerally too. This is firm and lanky for Le Pin. Normally a little more voluptuous but not an easy vintage for Merlot. It was picked the 9th and 10th of September. Pure Merlot.