2023 L'If
2023 is the first vintage of Le Pin’s sibling property to be fermented in the new cellar. The new facility, complete with concrete fermentation vats, has allowed Cyrille Thienpont to craft a L’If of enhanced focus, precision and vivid fruit. Sensitive and light-handed winemaking plays to the strengths of the vintage, and the limestone terroir has given the wine a spine of minerality and saline crunch.
This is a very fine, cerebral L’If
– Neal Martin / Vinous
Released below the current market price of recent vintages, and with strong scores from the important critics, the Thienpont family have once again shown themselves to be savyy wine merchants as well as talented winemakers.
Since acquiring the property in 2010 Jacques Thienpont has lavished attention on this fine, hilltop terroir. L’If has now emerged from the considerable shadow of Le Pin and is amongst the brightest stars of Saint Emilion’s renaissance. Lifted and terroir-driven, in the contemporary style, L’If’s personality is defined by limestone-derived tension and the spice and scent of Cabernet Franc – in distinction to the decadence of Le Pin’s 100% Merlot.
Between the fine vintage and the new winery, 2023 resets the quuality benchmark for L’If as Cyrille to hits new heights of precision and finesse. Do let us know if you would like to add a case or two to your 2023 purchases.
With very best wishes,
Matthew Hemming MW
THE OFFER
Offered subject to final confirmation. Available in 2026.
| L’If 2023 SGD $1,050 ($1,144.50 inc GST) per case (6*75cl OWC) SGD $1,060 ($1,155.40 inc GST) per case mags (3*150cl OWC)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. Tasted two times. 94-96pts – Antonio Galloni 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. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 L’If sashays out of the glass with flamboyant notes of kirsch, juicy plums, and mulberries followed by hints of rosebud tea, underbrush, dark chocolate, and aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with red and black berry flavors, framed by firm fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and fragrant. This is beautiful! The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 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.
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Terms & Conditions of 2023 En Primeur Purchase in Singapore
* All items offered under bond, ex-Singapore (inclusive of freight from Bordeaux)
* Government duties are not inclusive & will apply at the time of physical availability.
* 2% discount will be given for Cheque/TT/PayNow payments.
* Purchases are to be transacted in case multiples as offered, change of bottle formats subject to extra charges.
* Payment is immediate upon confirmation of order/s. Order/s confirmed are non-refundable &/or exchangeable.
* 2% administrative charge [subject to prevailing GST] will be levied for amendment(s) [Duty paid to Bond or vice versa] on confirmed orders. Alterations are not allowed for confirmed order(s) after two years from the date of invoice.
* ETA 2026
* All wines offered subject to remaining unsold
