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Tasting Notes
Bursting with aromas of sweet blackberries, cherries, licorice and spices, the 2020 L'If is medium to full-bodied, bright and youthfully structured, with a pretty core of fruit, chalky tannins and a mouthwatering finish. In recent years, this property has begun to find an identity of its own, the bulk of whose holdings lie next to Troplong-Mondot, a property the Thienpont family owned for a decade in the 20th century.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jane Anson, Decanter
More reviews and scores
This is one of the most structured L’Ifs I have had with currants and cherries, and chalk and salt undertones. Full and muscular. Long, long finish. The tannins and fruit go on and on. Give it three or four years to soften.
Austere on the opening beats, then a ton of enjoyable berry fruits. As it settles in, it delivers fine tannins with intense and sappy hawthorn, crushed stone and tobacco leaf character backing them up. Great balance, some austerity, and a tiptoeing through the palate that speaks of its clay-limestone soils. Fiona and Jacques Thienpont are the owners here, with winemaking from their nephew Cyrille Thienpont. 50% new oak. A yield of 34hl/ha.
84% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Rich and ripe with damson and dark-fruit notes. Full and broad across the palate but backed and driven by very fine tannins. Texturally smooth, the chalky freshness and point of acidity on the finish pulling it all together.
About the producer

Known for his tiny, iconic Pomerol estate Le Pin, Jacques Thienpont purchased this estate in Saint-Emilion in 2010. Giving it the name L’If (the yew tree), the property – positioned close to Troplong Mondot – is rapidly becoming as sought-after as its sibling.