L'If 2019

The 2019 L'If is the sort of wine I would like to spend hours with. There is just too much to it. At times the 2019 is opulent and quite racy, and yet in other moments its the underlying minerality and tension in the wine that are most evident. Black cherry, herb, incense, licorice and mocha gradually open over time. The 25% Cabernet Franc comes through nicely, both in the wine's aromatic profile and overall structure. L'If is a wine to buy and cellar for a decade or more. I loved it. Drink 2029-2049.

The 2019 L'If has turned out beautifully, bursting from the glass with aromas of sweet wild berries, plums and cherries mingled with notions of violets, raw cocoa, rose petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and concentrated, it's deep and enveloping, with lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. This gets my nod as the finest L'If to date. Drink Date 2021 - 2045

The 2019 L'If has an almost Left Bank nose with copious graphite scents percolating through the black fruit, very focused and energetic. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, finely tuned, ripe and sensual with ample freshness on the cedar and mineral infused finish. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2025-2050.

Blackberry and cherry aromas with some walnuts. Crushed stone, dried seaweed and forest fruit, too. It’s medium-bodied with firm, fine and chewy tannin and a salty finish. Some smokiness. Reserved and closed, yet structured. Try after 2026.

A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 L'If is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is quite closed to begin, needing a lot of swirling to bring out notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries, and licorice, with hints of roses and raspberries. The medium to full-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and perfumed.

Tasted blind. Deep, glowing crimson. Lots of richness of fruit plus marked acid and tannin that are not yet integrated. Youthful but ambitious. Sandpaper tannins on the end. 14.5%
Drink 2027– 2044

The 2019 Château L'If is brilliant stuff that has everything you could want from a great wine – richness, opulence, elegance, and complexity. Based largely on Merlot, it reveals a dense purple hue as well a great bouquet of ripe black cherries, redcurrants, smoky tobacco, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, pure, elegant, and wonderfully concentrated, it has enough tannins to warrant 4-5 years in the cellar and will be a 25+-year wine.