2017 | Chateau L'if | Chateau L'if

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Plump cherry fruit and graphite on the nose, with hints of baking spices and cedar. Plush, silky fruit on the palate. There is good matière here, both in fruit and tannins. Mouth-coating but ripe tannins blend with brambly fruit. Smoky and rich, with a density seldom found in this vintage, yet everything comes together in balance. Long finish, good potential.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Blended of 91% Merlot with 9% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 L'If is deep garnet-purple in color, featuring beautiful crushed red cherries and black raspberries on the nose with underlying black plums, baking spices and roses notes plus a waft of Sichuan pepper. Medium-bodied with wonderfully elegant tannins and beautiful freshness, it has well-sustained mid-palate fruit and a long, earth-laced finish.

• James Suckling: This is really perfumed with tar, licorice, blackberries and stone. Some gunmetal. This has ultra fine tannins with a tightly wound mouth feel that gives a long, precise finish. The flavors are focused and wonderful.

Producer Information

Jacques Thienpont recently acquired six hectares of vines in Saint-Emilion, near the prestigious vineyards of Troplong Mondot and Château Valandraud, owned by Jean-Luc Thunevin. This is a rightful return to his family history, as the Thienponts – originally wine merchants in Etikhove (near Ghent in Flanders) from 1842 onwards – bought Château Troplong Mondot in Saint-Emilion in 1921. However, Georges Thienpont was forced to sell it again ten years later at the height of the crisis, and subsequently bought Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol which is now run by his nephew Alexandre.

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