The If - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018 4df5d4d9d819b397555d03cedf085f48

Vinous

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 L’If is matured in 50% new oak and 50% one-year old wood, picked between 1 and 8 October. It has a very pure and sensual bouquet with dark cherries, bergamot, a touch of hoisin developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a lovely saline note with a vibrant and quite persistent finish. This is already showing commendable cohesion. A touch of spice develops with aeration. Excellent.

WeinWisser

19 / 20

the5/7/2019

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Full-bodied, lifted, juicy and graceful, the wine rolls over your palate like spun silk. The fruit shows a beautiful purity and vivacity. The cherries, boysenberries, spice and plums continue to resonate in the finish long after the wine has left the glass. With the addition of more Cabernet Franc in the blend and now that the vines are coming into their own, the wine has taken on more elegance and finesse in its style. Made from blending 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.55.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 L'If is blended of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc, to be aged 12-16 months in barriques, 50% new. The wine has a pH of 3.55 and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it gives up a beautiful perfume of baked raspberries, mulberries and Black Forest cake with hints of fragrant soil, rose hip tea and dusty soil. Full-bodied, rich and jam-packed with generous red and black fruits framed by velvety tannins, it has wonderful savory chocolate and licorice accents and a long, spicy finish.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2019

A streamlined style, with alluring cassis, raspberry and plum sauce flavors, carried by a velvety structure. Accessible in feel, but the fruit is enticing and the length is notable, suggesting this will fill out even more.