l'If 2014

St Emilion

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Tasting Notes

The 2014 L’If has a dense, sultry nose at first, touches of salted liquorice infusing the black, almost tarry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet but firm tannin, a core of ripe, almost sorbet-fresh fruit, orange rind tincturing the finish. I find this actually improves in the glass, developing more sappiness with time although I would have liked more persistency on the aftertaste. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Score: 92

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2020-2036 01 March 2018

The 2014 l'If has a pretty bouquet, quite intense with hints of licorice infusing the bright and vivid black cherry and blueberry fruit. With time, there is an intriguing melted tar scent. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin. This l'If seems to have tightened up since I tasted it from barrel, yet it retains impressive focus and energy, long and tender in the mouth with that licorice touch returning on the finish. Excellent, but give this three or four years in bottle.

Score: 92

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2019-2032 31 March 2017

The Château L’If 2014, the Saint Emilion estate that Jacques Thienpont and Fiona Morrison MW bought in 2010, is a blend of 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc picked between 9 and 17 October, aged in 50% new oak and 50% one-year old. The nose offers up enticing licorice scents: detailed, vivacious and fresh with plenty of black fruit mixed with black olive. The palate is tightly wound with chalky tannin, that licorice note continuing through to the finish that is linear and crisp. This is an splendid Saint Emilion unapologetically elegant in style, one that as Jacques himself quipped, is the kind of bottle you finish. This is a very impressive Saint Emilion...in fact, comparing them side-by-side it might be just as good as Le Pin!

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2032 01 April 2015

The purity and complexity of fruit on the nose are really exceptional with blackberries, cloves, nutmeg and stones. Flowers, too! Full-bodied, yet bright and reserved with everything compacted in the center palate. Acidity is delicious. A superb wine. Give it time to open and show everything, but it’s so wonderful now. Try in 2022.

Score: 98

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 13 February 2017

A full-bodied wine but showing so much in finesse and beauty. It slowly builds on the palate to give an crescendo of subtle fruit and fine tannins. Subtle undertones of oyster shell and iodine. Unique. This only has 9% cabernet franc. Rest is merlot.

Score: 94 - 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 27 March 2015

Very fleshy, but not at all bombastic, this glides gently, with slowly intensifying cherry, bitter plum and blackberry flavors. The finish lets a smoldering tobacco note weave through, balanced by a well-embedded chalky spine. A wine of restrained power. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Tasted non-blind.

Score: 92 - 95

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2015