Chateau Le Pin owner Jacques Thienpont has bought a six-hectare vineyard in St-Emilion, close to highly-rated land owned by Troplong-Mondot and Valandraud.
He confirmed his acquisition of the plot, previously called Le Haut Plantey and La Bouygue, during an interview with Stephen Williams of The Antique Wine Company.
Thienpont’s plans for the parcel of Cabernet Franc and Merlot vines are as yet unclear, but said it will be ‘four or five years’ before the vineyard’s potential becomes clear.
‘The location is very good and we are in good company,’ he said.
Peter Sisseck, producer of Pingus in the Ribera del Duero, is also reported to have bought 5ha nearby.
Meanwhile, Thienpont is pressing ahead with plans for a new winery at Le Pin, most of which will be located underground, including an extensive cellar.
Joking that the site would house a swimming pool and a tennis court, he told Williams that the winery would be ‘modern, but classic at the same time, so not too modern’, with a small tower on one side.
The two pine trees from which Le Pin takes its name will be preserved, with the winery scheduled for completion in time for the 2011 vintage.
Bordeaux 2009: All the coverage
Written by Richard Woodard
