1982 Le Pin
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1982 Le Pin is a wine that I have tasted only twice before, once in Los Angeles and the other in Hong Kong. Now here in London, compared to the 1982 Petrus and Lafleur, it is astonishing how different it comes across. It boasts an astonishing rich and exotic bouquet, which is akin to checking into a five-star hotel. You find your penthouse suite a little ostentatious but to hell with it...the luxury! You are almost overwhelmed by the sensual aromas of kirsch, blueberry, crème de cassis and camphor all beautifully defined. The palate is the richest of the three 'big' Pomerol by some stretch, laden with glycerine, velvety in texture with rounded blueberry and blackberry intermingling with ferrous notes on the long finish. Is it a typical Pomerol? Not at all. However, it is a stunning wine after 34-years and you have to admire the audacity of Jacques Thienpont's creation, a wine that did so much to put not just Le Pin, but Pomerol on the map. (NM)
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Probably not a perfect wine for the classicist, this flamboyant, exotic, lavishly rich, concentrated, low acid fruit bomb exhibits remarkable aromatic complexity (espresso roast, roasted herbs, caramel, chocolate, and oodles of sweet plum, fig, and berry fruit). It is very jammy and incredibly low in acidity, but it is still intact, and the dense plum/garnet color is just beginning to show some lightening at the edge. This is another 1982 that I thought would have one, possibly two feet in the grave at age 27, but lo and behold, it is still going strong. Release price: ($400.00/case)
Thick, deep and sweet. Big, rich and so sweet it almost has coconut flavours. Very succulent texture. Not fine, but certainly attention-grabbing. (JR)
A legendary wine. It's so exotic and very, very ripe, with chocolate, berry and light cream character on the nose that follows through to the palate. It's full-bodied, big, rich and seductive. So voluptuous. Velvety and round. Super-exciting. Drink or hold.--Le Pin non-blind vertical. Drink now. James Suckling,Wine Spectator2008
About the producer
Owned by Jacques Thienpont, Le Pin is, without doubt, one of the most famous names in wine. One of the three great names of Pomerol, alongside Pétrus and Ch. Lafleur, it is one of the rarest, most expensive and finest wines in Bordeaux – if not the world.