2018 Château La Fleur-Cardinale, Grand Cru St-Emilion

2018 Château La Fleur-Cardinale, Grand Cru St-Emilion

Critic score
93.25/100 info

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Wine details

  • Region & country
    Saint-Emilion, Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
  • Colour
    Red
  • Sweetness
    Dry
  • Style
    Still
  • Unit Volume
    Bottle (75cl.)

Tasting notes

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Fleur Cardinale features pronounced baked blueberries, stewed black plums and blackberry preserves scents with touches of bay leaves, moss-covered bark and forest floor. Full-bodied and laden with black fruit preserves sparked by earth and dried herbs, it has a solid backbone of ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long. Barrel aging is expected to be for 12-14 months in 100% new oak barrels. The tentative blend is 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019)
(91—93)/100

After a tough 2017 in terms of frost, Fleur Cardinale returns to a more normal blend this year and has produced a very beautiful wine. This is, as ever with this cooler terroir over to the west of St-Emilion, a little bigger than some, with well defined tannins and a fairly masculine feel. Give it time in the glass and the rich, ripe brambly fruits come spilling over, full of juice and promise. The tannins are equally full of life and overall this is extremely appealing. It has settled in already at this early stage, and will age well.

Jane Anson, Decanter (April 2019)
(94)/100

This is really linear and tight for this winery and shows seriousness and polish. Medium-to full-bodied and a tight, compact palate. Very fresh and long, too. I can see a change to more linear and precise wines here.

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2019)
(94—95)/100

The 2018 Fleur Cardinale is gorgeous. Supple, racy and wonderfully persistent, the 2018 is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Blackberry jam, cloves, chocolate, new leather, licorice and sweet spice all build in a sumptuous, voluptuous Saint-Émilion loaded with class and potential. The question now is really how the 2018 will develop in élevage. Past vintages have been impressive en primeur but then suffered from too much oak during aging. Hopefully that won't be the case here, as the 2018 is really terrific. In the early going, the 2018 does feel a bit less extracted than in the past, and that is certainly a positive development. The blend is 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (April 2019)
(91—94)/100
Château La Fleur-Cardinale

La Fleur-Cardinale was named after the two racehorses of its first owner Jean-Louis Obissier, in 1975. Although vines were grown here in the 19th century, nothing of note was produced until Jean-Louis took the reins. He sold to Florence and Dominique Asséo’s family in 2001 who have been at the helm ever since. This family estate is now run together with their children and the help of neighbour and oenologist Jean-Luc Thunevin, owner of Château Valandraud. Notable changes have been made since they took over including a new winery and a complete vineyard overhaul. These changes earned them Grand Cru Classé status in 2006. More recently La Fleur-Cardinale has embraced more eco-responsible changes, converting to 100% organic farming and using eco-friendly labels made from sugar cane, hemp and linen fibre alongside renewable vegetable based inks and lighter glass bottles. No gold foil or varnish is used.

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