L'If, St Emilion, 2023
After a decade restructuring the L’If vineyards, the final piece of the jigsaw has been added, a brand-new vat room. This is no longer a "garagiste" operation, Jacques has lots of new concrete and steel tanks at his disposal to allow plot by plot vinification. One immediately senses the extra precision in the wine with initial notes of flowers, tobacco, cedar, over hedgerow fruit and minerals. Very bright, crisp fruit, with a real sense of purity and drive, some sapidity and a lovely grip from the chalky, limestone tannins. Noble flavours and a beguiling perfume - a very successful L'If. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc with a low pH of 3.37 (Jacques explained that this limestone terroir always has much higher acidity than Le Pin).
critic reviews
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 L'If sashays out of the glass with flamboyant notes of kirsch, juicy plums, and mulberries followed by hints of rosebud tea, underbrush, dark chocolate, and aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with red and black berry flavors, framed by firm fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and fragrant. This is beautiful! The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
The 2023 L'If was picked from September 18 to 27 for the Merlot. The Cabernet Franc was picked on October 2. The wine aged for 12 to 16 months in 50% new oak, the first time in the new cellar in concrete vats instead of stainless steel. It has quite an exuberant bouquet with ripe red cherry and wild strawberry fruit, a hint of blood orange and iris flower. It is very focused and beautifully defined, the limestone terroir percolating through. The palate is medium-bodied with the Cabernet Franc shaping the entry—a little peppery in style. The tannins are quite strict at the moment (which came as some surprise to the Thienponts), framing the dark berry and graphite-tinged fruit. Linear toward the finish, reflecting the slightly cooler growing season, this is a very fine, cerebral L'If.
The 2023 L'If, crafted by Cyrille Thiepont and originating from vines owned by Jacques Thienpont, unveils a dark bouquet of licorice, dark wild berries, pencil lead, coniferous forest, spices and oak. Medium to full-bodied, creamy and unctuous, its rich and concentrated with a fleshy core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, culminating in a long, mineral, chalky finish. This is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.