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2022 Château L'If, Grand Cru Saint-Emilion
Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc from their two vineyard sites. Intense with limestone character with mineral notes mingling with all the other rich, black fruit flavours. Salty and full of crushed oyster shell sensations on the finish. Crunchy black fruit texture with some violets and aromatic blue fruit. Well integrated spice, with pepper, licorice and clove. A brilliant wine from Jacques Thienpont and his team, a more than worthy stablemate of Le Pin.
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Buying in bond means the wine is stored in a bonded warehouse and no duty or VAT has been paid—ideal for storage or resale.
Duty paid means taxes are included and the wine is ready for home delivery and drinking.
Duty paid means taxes are included and the wine is ready for home delivery and drinking.
- Case of 6 x 75cl0in basket
- 75cl Bottle0in basket
Wine specification
- ProducerChateau L’If
- ColourRed Wine
- SweetnessDry
- Region & CountryRight Bank, Bordeaux, France
- ABV14%
- MaturityYoung 2029 – 2055
- StyleStill Wine
Product Description
Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc from their two vineyard sites. Intense with limestone character with mineral notes mingling with all the other rich, black fruit flavours. Salty and full of crushed oyster shell sensations on the finish. Crunchy black fruit texture with some violets and aromatic blue fruit. Well integrated spice, with pepper, licorice and clove. A brilliant wine from Jacques Thienpont and his team, a more than worthy stablemate of Le Pin.
Critic Scores
93/100 – Jane Anson, janeanson.com
08/05/2023
Deep plum colour with violet reflections, and this is full of limestone intensity and grip, with fragrant floral aromatics. Bitter edge of black chocolate, fennel and aniseed, cassis fruits, real purity of character. Cyril Thienpont winemaker. Owned by the Thienponts since 2010. Harvest September 14 to 26. 50% new oak. 35hl/h yield. 3.52ph. New barrel cellar from 2023 vintage, 4,000l Stockinger barrels. 50% new oak.
94-96/100 – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
01/05/2023
Coming from the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2022 Château L'If is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 50% new oak. This is a mineral-bomb, delivering ample black raspberry fruit and floral nuances, full-bodied richness, a layered, ripe, textured mouthfeel, and outstanding length. Harvested from September 14-26, with an alcohol level of 14.3% and a pH of 3.52, it's an utterly classic Saint-Emilion that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have 20-25 years of overall longevity. This might be the finest vintage I've tasted.
93-95/100 – William Kelley, Wine Advocate , Issue #266
28/04/2023
Aromas of raspberries, cherries, spices and bay leaf introduce the 2022 L'If, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine that's taut and vibrant, built around lively acids and fine, chalky tannins. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the decision to halve the volume of pump-overs have delivered a suave Saint-Émilion, even in this structured vintage.
93-95/100 – Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
01/04/2023
The 2022 L’If is a powerhouse. An exotic mélange of blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, cloves and menthol saturates the palate, all backed up by huge, imposing tannins. This brooding, virile Saint-Émilion packs a huge punch. It will be interesting to see if this softens with élevage. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.