Château Le Pin 2016

The properties on the right bank of the Garonne are often microscopic compared to their cousins in the Médoc. And yet the wines that they produce are capable of inspiring passions across the globe! Le Pin is one of these, despite its reputation being relatively recent. In 1979 the Thienpont family, who also own Vieux Château Certan, acquired a small vineyard of just one hectare, which until then had been rented to a winegrower by the owner, Madame Laubie. Six years later, the family acquired a second hectare. Instead of absorbing this little vineyard into the 14 hectares belonging to Vieux Château Certan, the owners decided to produce a separate wine, given the characteristics of the terroir. Consisting of deep gravel mixed with a little clay, the subsoil was formed of the famous hard, iron-rich clay that contributed to the success of the legendary Petrus. Furthermore, like Petrus, the vineyard is planted almost entirely with Merlot. The wine is vinified in stainless steel vats and then aged for 18 to 24 months in oak barrels that are entirely renewed every year. Le Pin is among the frontrunners of Bordeaux wine properties regarding the management of malolactic fermentation in new oak barrels, a delicate procedure that requires constant attention.