2023 L'If St Emilion - 6x75cl
06C3IFIF6PK _ 2023 - L'If St Emilion - 6x75cl
  • Colour Red
  • Producer Château l'If
  • Region St Emilion
  • Drinking 2028 - 2045
  • Case size 6x75cl
  • Available En Primeur

2023 - L'If St Emilion - 6x75cl

  • Colour Red
  • Producer Château l'If
  • Region St Emilion
  • Drinking 2028 - 2045
  • Case size 6x75cl
  • Available En Primeur
Case price: £650 – £720
This wine has not been released yet. Contact your account manager or wine@goedhuis.com to express your interest.
Please note: These wines are lying abroad until shipping and can only be purchased In Bond. If you are an existing Private Reserves customer, the wine will be automatically transferred on arrival. Otherwise, you will be contacted on arrival in the UK to arrange delivery, In Bond storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse.
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Pricing

  • IN BOND prices exclude UK Duty and VAT. Wines can be purchased In Bond for storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse, or for export to non-EU countries. Duty and VAT must be paid before delivery can take place.

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Additional Information

  • Duty Paid wines have been removed from Bond and cannot subsequently be returned to Bond.  VAT is payable on Duty Paid wines. These wines must remain Duty Paid but can be purchased as such for storage subject to VAT.

  • En Primeur wines can only be purchased In Bond. On arrival in the UK these wines can either be stored In Bond in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse or delivered directly to you. When you decide to take delivery, Duty and VAT at the prevailing rate become payable.

  • Neal Martin, April 2024, Score: 93-95

    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. Drink 2027-2043.

  • Wine Advocate, April 2024, Score: 93-95

    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. Drink 2025-2045

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2024, Score: 94-96

    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. Drink 2030-2048.

  • James Suckling, April 2024, Score: 96-97

    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.

  • Goedhuis Waddesdon, April 2024, Score: 93-95

    The fruits of all the Thienpont family’s work both in the vineyard and now with the new winery, (neighbouring Troplong Mondot) shine through in this classy St Emilion. The beauty of their carefully moulded Merlot (80%) is invigorated by an enticing purity and freshness from the Cabernet Franc. A beautifully composed array of red and dark fruits, the tannins have a fineness to them but remain present. It lingers beautifully in the memory long after tasting. A very lovely wine.

Producer

Château l'If

Region

St Emilion

South of Pomerol lies the medieval, perched village of St Emilion. Surrounding St Emilion are vines that produce round, rich and often hedonistic wines. Despite a myriad of soil types, two main ones dominate - the gravelly, limestone slopes that delve down to the valley from the plateau and the valley itself which is comprised of limestone, gravel, clay and sand. Despite St Emilion's popularity today, it was not until the 1980s to early 1990s that attention was brought to this region. Robert Parker, the famous wine critic, began reviewing their Merlot-dominated wines and giving them hefty scores. The rest is history as they say. Similar to the Médoc, there is a classification system in place which dates from 1955 and outlines several levels of quality. These include its regional appellation of St Emilion, St Emilion Grand Cru, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé and St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is further divided into "A" (Ausone and Cheval Blanc) and "B" (including Angélus, Canon, Figeac and a handful of others). To ensure better accuracy, the classification is redone every 10 years enabling certain châteaux to be upgraded or downgraded depending on on the quality of their more recent vintages.

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