95-96
Suckling: "A serious and saline red with blue fruit, cloves, iodine and black licorice. Oyster shells, too. Medium to full bodied with fine, firm tannins that run the length of the wine. Focused. 79% merlot and 21% cabernet franc."
94-96
Galloni: "The 2021 L'If is super-impressive right out of the gate. A high percentage of Cabernet Franc (21%) along with the introduction of 400-liter barrels yields an If that is marked by a striking interplay of richness and breadth allied to a palpable sense of energy. Dark cherry, cloves, leather, crushed rocks, rose petal and blood orange are some of the myriad aromas and flavors that develop with a little coaxing. The 2021 is a deeply intriguing wine. I can't wait to see how it ages."
18,5
Weinwisser: "79 % Merlot, 21 % CF, pH 3.61, 13.5 Vol.-%. Komplexes rotbeeriges Bouquet, Johannisbeersaft, getrockneter Thymian, heller Tabak, Szechuan-Pfeffer und Fliedernoten. Am straffen Gaumen mit weicher Textur, fein körnig leicht salziges Extrakt im durchtrainierten Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, dunkles Graphit und fein spröde Adstringenz."
93-95
Dunnuck: "From the team at Le Pin, the 2021 Château L'If comes from an 8-hectare parcel near Troplong Mondot that was planted in 2010. A blend of 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc resting in 50% new barrels, it has a medium-bodied, elegant, yet concentrated profile as well as notes of ripe cherries, darker raspberries, chalky minerality, and spring flowers. The tannins here are top-notch, and it has good mid-palate depth and a great finish. A gem of a wine, it can be hard to find in the market, but it's worth tracking down."
93-95
Neal Martin: "The 2021 L'If was picked October 2–16 and sees a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc (21%), as new plantings from a massal selection from Pavie-Macquin enter the Grand Vin. For the first time, I think L'If matches Le Pin pound for pound. Exuberant yet well-defined red fruit soars from the glass along with touches of shell, subtle estuarine aromas and so forth. The palate is medium-bodied with perhaps a little more concentration than is forementioned stablemate, hints of blue fruit and iodine emerging toward the finish. The Cabernet really adds something to the blend here, and it will be fascinating to watch this evolve. (13.5% alcohol)."
92-94+
Wine Advocate: "A blend of 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 L'If shows considerable potential, and if it evolves as well as I suspect it will during élevage, it may make my score seem conservative. Offering up aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with loamy soil, black truffles and sweet forest floor, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless, with velvety tannins and a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a long, saline finish."
93
Decanter: "Fragrant black cherries with dark chocolate, smells so beautifully scented with juniper, plum and damson. Bright and characterful, sleek and suave on the palate, fresh and fruity, filling the mouth with mouthwatering juice. I love the minerality - saline, iodine, graphite, wet stone and pencil lead flavours with a chalky feel. It has an expansive but gentle character in the mouth, not massively weighty but a good push of flavour. A touch of austerity comes into play but this maintains direction with tension and clarity. Well worked and graceful, if a little compact right now. Lots of promise."
