Le Pin Pomerol 2016

100 points James Suckling: "I am spellbound by the aromas of crushed blackberries, licorice, black tea and violets. It’s full-bodied yet so intense and linear. Powerful tannins with superb polish and focus give an amazing texture. Complex and fascinating flavors of hazelnuts and dark fruit. The balance and strength is uncanny. Perfect wine. Very direct and superb. Try after 2025. (1/21/19)"

99+ points Ivar Bjurner (The Wine Independent): "The 2016 Le Pin has a great nose of sweet strawberries, truffles, earth, mushrooms, burned, crunchy casks and soft scents of vanilla. It is a very convincing glass of wine, soft, round and subtle with a wonderful finesse and a fresh, deep and opulent fruit reservoir. It is so elegant, vibrant, impressive and finely structured and is one of the most convincing wines of the 2016 vintage. It can actually be sipped at this stage but should be even better in 5-7 years. Drink: 2027-2066. (Jan 2026)"

99 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Le Pin is an extraordinarily beautiful vivid wine. Seamless, racy and voluptuous in the glass, the 2016 is a flat-out stunner. Nothing in particular stands out because all of the elements are in perfect balance. A wine of captivating, transcendental beauty, Le Pin has it all. Rose petal, red cherry, mint, blood orange and wild flowers all build in the glass, but it is the wine's breathtaking finesse and elegance that stand out most. What a gorgeous, arrestingly beautiful wine this is. Drink: 2026-2051. (Jan 2019)"

99 points Jeb Dunnuck: "From Jacques Thienpont and a true superstar in the vintage, the 2016 Le Pin comes from a tiny vineyard of old vine Merlot and is raised all in new barrels. One of those magical wines that marries power with elegance perfectly, its saturated purple color is followed by a thrilling array of sweet kirsch, crème de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and Asian spices. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness and depth as well as an incredible mid-palate, it stays ethereal and elegant, with flawless tannins, awesome purity, and a blockbuster of a finish. The sexiest, kinkiest, most opulent wine in the vintage? I’d say yes. Do your best to hide bottles for 4-6 years, count yourself very lucky, and drink bottles over the following 3+ decades. Drink: 2023-2053. (2/28/19)"

99 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "Produced from 100% Merlot, the wine offers citrus, roses, plum, cocoa and wild cherries as soon as your nose draws close to the glass. Silky, sweet, polished, this is not a wine of density. It is a wine of purity, refinement, complexity, elegance, opulence and with time, it may border on decadence. The harvest took place from October 4 to October 8. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.72. (Apr 2017)"

98+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Le Pin is still very closed, revealing glimpses of preserved plums, blackberry pie and raspberry compote plus suggestions of potpourri, star anise, tobacco, fenugreek and stewed tea plus a waft of hoisin. The medium-bodied palate is opulent, rich and plush with layers of black and red fruit preserves and loads of exotic spice accents, finishing very long and very decadent. Drink: 2022-2070. (Nov 2018)"

98 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2016 Le Pin has a very elegant, refined bouquet of pure brambly red fruit, rose petal and crushed stone aromas that unfurl beautifully in the glass; the oak is very well integrated. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Fresh and lithe, with a vibrant, structured finish. This was already one of Jacques Thienpont’s best vintages in recent years, but you know what? It might be getting even better. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drink: 2024-2050. (Aug 2020)"

98 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "I tasted through a blend of five barrels, but they may not be the final ones. There is significant gravel in the Le Pin soils, so they suffered a little from the heat, but the Merlot still has incredible finesse and elegance. The astonishing thing is the grilled, smoked damson and ripe wild blackberry and hawthorn perfume that rises out of the glass effortlessly. This wine is deft, elegant, and rich. A naturally low yield of 28hl/ha due to the drought, with a pH of 3.72. Drinking Window: 2027-2050. (4/2/17)"