L'If

L'If, St Emilion, 2018

Name: L'If, St Emilion
Brand: L'If
Price: 575.12 GBP

93/100

The Wine Independent

92/100

Vinous

Available Vintages

all 2011 2013 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

delivery

in bond

portfolio

2018
75cl
DP
£171.85
2018
6x75cl
DP
£1,031.12

Broking

2018
6x75cl
DP
£575.12

Justerini & Brooks Tasting note

Alas, L'If is a tiny production, just 7000 bottles of the wonderful 2018 are in the cellar. 50% of the vineyard has been replanted, much of which is not yet used in the blend. Jacques explained that a soft hand was required. Skins were naturally very thick so he did no pigeage. 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak, the L'If 2018 is the most accomplished effort we have tasted to date. There is a noticeable shift both here and at Le Pin towards a more serious, structured style. The exuberance and outrageously aromatic style of old has been parked, the 2017s and 2018s are more classical and arguably better placed for aging. The fruit is detailed and fine with super intensity and energy. Seductive raspberries and loganberries wash over the palate in waves of gloriously velvety fruit. We were impressed by the deftness of tannins - they have been beautifully handled and frame the fruit perfectly. A very impressive L'If.

delivery information

GUARANTEED PROVENANCE

Provenance in fine wine

When it comes to purchasing wine, provenance is of upmost importance. A wine’s history – where it’s sourced from and how it’s been stored – can have an enormous influence on the eventual enjoyment it provides. At Justerini & Brooks, we can trace nearly every case back to the domaine, estate or Château it originally came from; we ship from over 200 wine producers throughout the world.

Wines not bought directly from the vineyard are either sourced from trusted suppliers, with whom we share the same philosophy and rigour in buying, or from our own network of Cellarers customers. These customers’ wines are stored in optimal conditions in Octavian Corsham and, in the vast majority of cases, have been stored by us since the wine was first shipped. We do not purchase wine from auctions.

We feel it is equally important to for our customers that the case they buy and leave in storage with us is exactly the same case they subsequently have delivered. This may sound obvious and straightforward, yet we are one of very few merchants to have taken measures to ensure this.

We have created a system where every case is independent, thereby ensuring a trail of ownership and peace of mind for every customer.

The Journey

Justerinis ensures that every case of wine stored with Cellarers (Wines) Ltd has a unique identifier and customer’s name, almost unheard of in the industry as it is expensive to administer. These details are printed and placed on every case which is logged and recorded under your account name and kept in the world’s most renowned storage facility, Octavian Corsham.

This information is sent from our systems to the warehouse every day to ensure the trail of ownership is verified and upheld.

While customer reserves are stored in Corsham, our physical stocks are kept in Hoddesdon, further providing a geographical separation between customers’ wines with Cellarers and Justerinis’ own stock.

Further Reassurance

Cellarers (Wines) Ltd is a legally separate limited company from Justerini & Brooks which currently holds approximately £450 million worth of customer reserves. It is fully insured to catastrophic loss. Many merchants will state that wine in their care is fully insured, but in reality this is on an individual case basis with insufficient cover for total loss as this is prohibitively expensive. The cover provided by Octavian and Justerini & Brooks is unmatched.

Cellarers (Wines) Ltd is audited by PwC every year.

Critic Reviews

93/100

Lisa Perrotti-Brown,

The Wine Independent

L’If 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It starts off a little oaky, melding into scents of warm plums, black cherry compote, and licorice, with touches of dried mint and iron ore. Full-bodied, firm and with lovely tension, it has loads of mineral sparks on the finish.

drinking window 2023 - 2038

date of review 02/2023

92/100

Neal Martin,

Vinous

The 2018 L’If, which sees 50% new oak and 50% one-year-old wood, has a disarmingly lovely bouquet that veers more toward red fruit than black, offering raspberry and wild strawberry, <em>hoisin</em> and light marmalade aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and quite saline on the entry, with good tension from beginning to end. Harmonious and almost understated toward the finish, it leaves light white pepper and sage notes on the aftertaste. This is an excellent L’If that should give 12–15 years of drinking pleasure.

drinking window 2023 - 2035

date of review 03/2021

product details

Specifications

Country:

Region:

Appellation:

Producer:

style:

Grape Variety:

abv:

14%

allergen information

This product may contain sulphites. Full allergen information is available upon request, please call our Customer Relations Team on +44 (0)20 7484 6430.