2022 Château L'If, Grand Cru Saint-Emilion

Deep plum colour with violet reflections, and this is full of limestone intensity and grip, with fragrant floral aromatics. Bitter edge of black chocolate, fennel and aniseed, cassis fruits, real purity of character. Cyril Thienpont winemaker. Owned by the Thienponts since 2010. Harvest September 14 to 26. 50% new oak. 35hl/h yield. 3.52ph. New barrel cellar from 2023 vintage, 4,000l Stockinger barrels. 50% new oak.

Coming from the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2022 Château L'If is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 50% new oak. This is a mineral-bomb, delivering ample black raspberry fruit and floral nuances, full-bodied richness, a layered, ripe, textured mouthfeel, and outstanding length. Harvested from September 14-26, with an alcohol level of 14.3% and a pH of 3.52, it's an utterly classic Saint-Emilion that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have 20-25 years of overall longevity. This might be the finest vintage I've tasted.

Aromas of raspberries, cherries, spices and bay leaf introduce the 2022 L'If, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine that's taut and vibrant, built around lively acids and fine, chalky tannins. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the decision to halve the volume of pump-overs have delivered a suave Saint-Émilion, even in this structured vintage.

The 2022 L’If is a powerhouse. An exotic mélange of blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, cloves and menthol saturates the palate, all backed up by huge, imposing tannins. This brooding, virile Saint-Émilion packs a huge punch. It will be interesting to see if this softens with élevage. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.