Wine Advisor
L'If 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Chateau l'If, Jacques Thienpont's sister property to Le Pin, is pure Merlot picked on 19 and 20 October at 40 hectoliters per hectare and matured in 50% new oak, the remainder one year old. It delivers 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.38. It has a rich and opulent bouquet with crème de cassis and blueberry fruit, a little racy at first, but it seems to calm down in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky texture and very well judged acidity. There is a little more body compared to the 2015 l'If, a bit more density with layers of black cherry and blueberry towards the long, very fresh finish. The 2015 l'If was great, but the 2016 could be even better.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 L'If, 100% Merlot in this vintage, is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. The allure the 2016 showed as a young barrel sample has been replaced with huge structure and prominent yet well balanced tannins that both give the wine its strong-voiced personality. Readers should be prepared to be patient with the 2016, as it is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. Even so, the 2016 is super-impressive in the early going, not to mention a fabulous wine in the making. Cyrille Thienpont gave the 2016 14 months in French oak, 50% new.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 L’If offers blackberry, cedar and mint aromas on a nose that needs time to coalesce, but eventually reveals harmony and focus. The new oak is very well assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, and pliant in the mouth, delivering gentle grip toward the creamy-textured finish. This is an extremely impressive wine from <em>l’équipe</em> Le Pin. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 L’If eschews the Cabernet Franc vines, since they did not perform as well as expected, according to co-proprietor Fiona Morrison. This is matured in 50% new and 50% one-year-old oak for 12 to 16 months. It has a lovely blackberry, wild hedgerow and crushed stone aroma that is very focused and quite delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy tannin and fairly citric in style. Not deep, but fresh and well-balanced, leading to a structured saline finish. Quite a cerebral L’If that deserves a couple of years in bottle.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 L'If is a little shy to begin, opening out to show a beautiful red and black plums, kirsch and rose-laced personality, plus hints of tobacco and wild sage. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers beautifully ripe, satiny tannins and wonderful freshness supporting the elegant, perfumed fruits through the long finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 L'If is a total knock-out. Dark and intense, yet also translucent, L'If captures the interplay of richness and freshness that makes 2016 such a compelling vintage. A rush of dark red and purplish-hued fruits, leather, licorice, cherry jam, lavender and rose petal give the wine notable complexity to match its layered, exquisitely beautiful personality. In 2016, L'If is 100% Merlot, as some of the Cabernet Franc holdings are redeveloped while others did not produce a crop of high enough quality to be used in the wine. Tasted two times.
About the Producer
It should perhaps come as no surprise then that Jacques, assured in his success at Le Pin, should look around for a new challenge. It may have been that he would have liked to expand his little vineyard in Pomerol, and indeed he has purchased a few rows of vines over the years. But suitable plots are hard to come by, not every parcel he purchases makes the grade anyway (especially parcels acquired on a “well, if you want that vineyard, you have to buy this one too” basis). And of course these days, this is even more expensive than it was back in the 1970s; land now changes hands at a much greater price than the ‘mere’ million francs he once paid. There is an obvious solution of course; look elsewhere in Bordeaux, where parcels of land come up for sale more often than once in a blue moon, and when they do the price tag is less eye-watering. Normally on the right bank this means Castillon, or one of the satellite appellations. To Jacques, it meant St Emilion. It was in 2010 that Jacques Thienpont decided to look beyond the borders of Pomerol for a new vineyard venture, and it was not long before he came across Château Le Haut-Plantey, a small property for sale on the plateau of St Emilion, in the Mondot secteur. Having looked through older editions of Cocks et Féret back as far as the first edition, in 1850, I can find no trace of this estate, or indeed of Château La Bouygue as it was also once known. What I have discovered, however, is that the property enjoys an enviable location, sitting just beneath the gardens of Château Troplong-Mondot, a short distance down the road from Château Bellisle-Mondotte. Jacques clearly thought the position to be good as a deal was done, and he soon found himself the proprietor of a vineyard of a decent size, complete with a few tired-looking but perfectly functional buildings. He named the new estate L’If, if being French for yew (there’s a tree theme here, as pin is French for pine), although I don’t believe there is a yew tree on the domaine (perhaps one will arrive soon). That was the easy part though. He had a lot of work on his hands if the estate was to produce something of the level of quality Jacques was hoping for. (6/8/15, updated 11/12/16)
