Chateau L'If 2016 by Jacques Thienpont

- DIESES WEINGUT GEHÖRT JACQUES THIENPONT VON CHATEAU LE PIN!

- 98 Punkte JAMES SUCKLING: "This is a compact cylinder of ripe and fresh fruit with currant, fresh-herb and dry-earth character on the palate. So solid. Full-bodied yet refined and checked in every way. Well-defined, formed and perfect. Just a hint of volcanic salt and iron. Contemplate this one. Try after 2026."

- 96+ Punkte VINOUS, 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."

- 94 Punkte Robert Parkers WINE ADVOCATE, 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."

- WINESPECTATOR, James Molesworth: "Very solidly built, with a beam of cassis and blackberry puree flavors driving through, carried by well-embedded racy acidity and laced with subtle anise and singed juniper accents. Drink now through 2033. 500 cases made."

- 94 Punkte VINOUS, 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."

- FALSTAFF, Peter Moser: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, fester Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, Intensive Nuancen von Weichseln, schwarze Beeren, zart floral, feines Brombeerkonfit, Orangenzesten. Mittlere Komplexität, rotbeerig, gute Frische, integrierte Tannine, mineralisch-salzig, animierender Nachhall."

- 94 Punkte DECANTER, Jane Anson: "This has a deft ripple of acidity which keeps you on your toes all the way through this wine. From the Le Pin stable, it is just as seductive as you would imagine, with soft, ripe damson fruits and barely-there tannins that caress the palate. They have 5ha located by Troplong Mondot, 2ha by La Segue, and a further 1ha right on the limestone plateau. 100% Merlot, they finished picking this wine on 20th October as the soils are so late ripening. Aged in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2025 – 2040"

- Rene Gabriels BORDEAUX TOTAL, Andre Kunz: "Kunz Fassprobe 17: (100% Merlot, 40 hl/ha, 14.5% vol. Alkohol) Feingliedriges, frisches, seidenes Bouquet, Himbeeren, Vanillepuder, Balsaholz, zart Lakritze. Eleganter, feiner, süsser Gaumen mit kräftiger, süsser Frucht, viel feinem Tannin, kräftiger, süsser Aromatik, dichtverwobener, feiner Struktur, langer, duftiger Abgang."

- Neal Martin in Robert Parkers WINE ADVOCATE "L'If was intended to be a more affordable alternative to Le Pin. However, they made a mistake and made a wonderful Saint Emilion that inevitably, with the Thienpont connection, became an overnight success."