Chateau Le Pin 1993

This micro-estate is easy to criticize given the absurd prices (- per case!) the 500 or so cases fetch in the auction markets. Le Pin is one of the most exotic, concentrated, flashy wines of Bordeaux, but when it is selling at six times the price of wines such as Clinet, La Conseillante, L'Evangile, and La Fleur de Gay, readers are justified in thinking that some wine buyers have lost their sense of reality. The 1993 reveals the evolved dark plum/garnet color of Le Pin, as well as an exotic, kinky, oaky, herb, coffee, jammy, black-cherry-scented nose. The exaggerated aromatics are followed by a not-surprisingly decadent, delicious, low acid, medium-bodied wine crammed with fruit. Those of us who can remember as children gorging ourselves on lavishly rich banana splits, hot fudge sundaes, etc., will no doubt appreciate that in wine terms, this is what Le Pin offers.