L'If 2021

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.

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 its aforementioned 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)

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.

The 2021 L'If is a blend of 79% Merlot, harvested on 2, 6, 12 and 13 October, and 21% Cabernet Franc, harvested on 16 October. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs with lively notions of fresh blackberries, redcurrants, and boysenberries, plus suggestions of lavender, cardamom, pencil shavings, and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate has a fine-grained texture and lively acidity supporting the intense black fruits, finishing with a red berry lift. pH 3.61.2026-2036