Once again, Le Pin is the leading candidate for the sexiest, kinkiest, most exotic wine of the vintage. Aromas and flavors of overripe black fruits intermixed with coconut, vanilla, toast, and espresso beans are present. Fleshy and succulent, with low acidity, ripe tannin, and a pure, seductive personality, it will be at its finest between 2005-2020.

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of bitter cherry, roast coffee, dark chocolate and tobacco. Fairly dense and thick, but still youthfully tight; a bit heavy for this wine at this stage. Flavors of bitter cherry, dark chocolate and spicy oak. Finishes long and firmly tannic. A second barrel showed a more perfumed, Burgundian nose; hints of herbs and tobacco leaf on the palate; and less obvious sweetness but more complexity. Will this have the concentration for outstanding? Carrying just 12.2% alcohol, but then these stressed vines rarely produce freakishly high grape sugars.

My notes were starting to wane, and shockingly so did the last two wines. The 2001 Le Pin was spicy and fresh, possessing that flowery, exotic style, with a hint more wood than the 2002. I didn't like the '01 at all after the '02; it was thinner and simple.

Honey and sweet red fruits. Like a great Pinot Noir. Superfine. Silky and seductive. La Tâche of Pomerol this year. Score range: 95-100