L'If 2023 (3.0L)

96-97 JS / 94-96 WI / 94-96 VM / 93-95 WA

What strikes you about this wine is the center-palate and the purity of cool fruit notes, such as brambleberry and orange peel. Medium body. Whole and layered with ultra-fine tannins leading to a silky texture and persistent finish. - James Suckling

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. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2023 L’If is unusually floral and refined for a wine that has, in the past, been darker and more ample in structure. Cedar, tobacco, crushed flowers and mint add lift and aromatic presence. Silky tannins create an impression of finesse. The 2023 represents the first year of vinification in the new cellar outfitted with cement vats. Overall, though, this wine feels like a new chapter for L'If. The vibrancy and energy here are palpable. Tasted two times. -- Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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, it’s 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. - Wine Advocate, Yohan Castaing

Vibrancy and luscious fruit, there is juice here but it feels sinewy, bound up in the structure and tannins, has a feeling of energy, salinity, it's mouthwatering and determined to make you smile. 50% new oak, harvest September 18 to October 2. First year with the new cellar, 40hl/h yield, no mildew issues here, 50% new oak for ageing. 3.37ph, - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Coming from vines near Troplong Mondot and based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 L'If will spend 12-16 months in 50% new French oak, and it's the first vintage made in the new cellar. Ripe black cherry and juicy blackberry fruit as well as ample floral and chalky minerality all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a lively, incredibly elegant mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It's another terrific wine from the talented Cyril Thienpont. The 2023 hit 14.1% alcohol with a pH of 3.37. - Jeb Dunnuck