L'If, St Emilion, 2019
"The vintage’s weather conditions prompted nature to offer up particularly concentrated fruit with hugely fresh aromas. L’If 2019 with its significant proportion of Cabernet Franc (25%) boasts a dense, silky structure and is reasonably classical in style.” - Jacques Thienpont Terroir: limestone-clay plateau and hillside over an asteriated limestone rock subsoil. Clay hillside over Agenais molasses subsoil. Limestone-clay hillside over Fronsac molasses subsoil. Area: 8 ha (7 ha in production in 2019). Average age of vines: 40 years. Production: approx. 7,500 bottles. Cultivation practices: tilling, natural and seeded grass cover. Vineyard renewal programme: replanting individual massal selection vines at a higher density. Numerous interventions by hand (disbudding, leaf thinning, crop thinning etc.). Maturation: 12 to 16 months (50% in new barrels, 50% second-fill). 2019 blend: • 75% Merlot (harvested 23rd September to 4th October) • 25% Cabernet Franc (8th October).
critic reviews
A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 L'If is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is quite closed to begin, needing a lot of swirling to bring out notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries, and licorice, with hints of roses and raspberries. The medium to full-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and perfumed.
The 2019 L'If has an almost Left Bank nose with copious graphite scents percolating through the black fruit, very focused and energetic. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, finely tuned, ripe and sensual with ample freshness on the cedar and mineral infused finish. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
The 2019 L'If has turned out beautifully, bursting from the glass with aromas of sweet wild berries, plums and cherries mingled with notions of violets, raw cocoa, rose petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and concentrated, it's deep and enveloping, with lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. This gets my nod as the finest L'If to date.