wine details
reviews
Antonio Galloni Vinous 94-96/100The 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. Drinking Window: 2030-2048
The Wine Advocate 95-96/100
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.
Jane Anson 93/100
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.
James Suckling 96-97/100
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.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW 94-96/100
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.
Neal Martin Vinous 93-95/100
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.