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.
James Suckling, May 2022

The 2021 L'If is super-impressive right out of the gate. A high percentage of Cabernet Franc (21%) along with the introduction of 400-liter barrels yields an If that is marked by a striking interplay of richness and breadth allied to a palpable sense of energy. Dark cherry, cloves, leather, crushed rocks, rose petal and blood orange are some of the myriad aromas and flavors that develop with a little coaxing. The 2021 is a deeply intriguing wine. I can't wait to see how it ages. Tasted two times.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022

Pure, deep, rich plum and black cherry fruit, white flowers, limestone notes. Extremely rich but immedately lifted with fresh acidity, super velvety texture, which comes through when the richness fades, leaving you with white stone mineralty and a gentle citrus note.
April 2022

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) Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2022

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.
William Kelley, April 2022

Cyrille Thienpont is in charge here, and he has teased out attractive blueberry fruits, along with graphite, pencil lead and gunsmoke. Chalky tannins reflect the clay-limestone soils, this is full of pleasure, even while austerity is gripping the finish. Highest percentage of Cabernet Franc to date, after including recent plantings. 50% new oak. Harvest October 2 to 16.
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, May 2022

Smoky, dark-fruit notes with a hint of morello cherry. Juicy, sweet and aromatic on the palate, the tannins fine. Tightens on the finish to give a bit of length. Shows dynamism. Promising. (JL) 13.5%
Drink 2028 – 2038
Jancisrobinson.com, May 2022