2020 Chateau Fleur Cardinale Grand Cru Saint Emilion

Château Fleur Cardinale has been around since the 18th century, but things really got interesting in 2001 when Dominique and Florence Decoster took over. Before venturing into wine, they were masters of fine porcelain and China in the Limoges region of France. But swapping ceramics for Cabernet? Genius move. With the guidance of Bordeaux legends Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud, they found their dream vineyard, nestled right next to Valandraud, Rol Valentin, and just a stone’s throw from Château Faugères. The terroir was prime, the potential was massive, and they wasted no time in transforming the estate.

If you’re wondering where the name Fleur Cardinale comes from, take a stroll through the property. The estate is surrounded by an explosion of roses and vibrant flowers, making it one of the most picturesque châteaux in Saint-Émilion. But don’t let the charming gardens fool you—what’s happening inside the winery is all precision, power, and serious winemaking chops. The Decosters completely renovated the facilities, introduced state-of-the-art techniques, and elevated their wines to Grand Cru Classé status by 2006.

The 23.5-hectare vineyard is planted to 75% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon—right in the sweet spot for creating wines with depth, elegance, and longevity. Some of the Merlot vines date back an astonishing 70 years, bringing incredible concentration and complexity. The vines sit on dark red clay over limestone soil in the Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse sector, where cooler, late-ripening conditions allow for extra hang time and maximum flavor development. This is one of the last estates in Saint-Émilion to complete harvesting each year, and trust us, the patience pays off.

2020 was an exceptional vintage that was awarded 98 points by Vinous Media, who said, “An exceptional vintage for Bordeaux, certainly the best in the 2018-2020 trilogy. Quality is exceptionally high among the great wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.”

The wine has a rich and crisp structure with ripe tannins, refined oak which melts into an explosion of fruit. It has the opulence and length of a Saint-Estèphe fine wine. Thanks to the appellation’s limestone-clay subsoils, its power is balanced out by a wonderful sensation of freshness.

Attractive aromas of blueberries and mulberries with graphite, dark licorice and crushed stones. Dark chocolate, too. Full-bodied. Impressive quality to the tannin structure that starts gently and glossy and continues to build, gaining power throughout the palate. Deep and dense with a velvety dark-fruited core. Really long, tense and persistent. 77% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. ~96 James Suckling

Deep garnet, purple reflections, opaque core, subtle brightening on the rim. Delicate tobacco and herbal savouriness, an underlay of dark wild berries, black cherries, fine nougat and fine oak notes; overall a rather shy bouquet. Complex, tightly meshed texture, fine fruit expression, supporting, ripe tannins, good freshness, mineral finish and a chocolaty aftertaste. Shows good length and certain ageing potential. ~95 Falstaff

Deeply colored, the wine struts its chocolate covered, black cherries, plums, licorice, flowers and espresso character with ease. Rich, full, lush and long, the layers of fruit express length, purity, balance and complexity, leaving with a long, supple-textured, fruit-packed finish. As I wrote when tasted in barrel, this is the best Fleur Cardinale I have tasted in a few years. The wine blends 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2024-2045. ~95 The Wine Cellar Insider

Composed of 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.57, the deep purple-black colored 2020 Fleur Cardinale bursts from the glass with powerful notes of crushed blackberries, stewed black plums and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of star anise, pencil shavings and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of softly textured, juicy black fruits, countered by fantastic tension, finishing with great length and loads of earthy layers. ~93-95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Vibrant and spicy showing notes of prunes, plums, wild violets and blackberries. Full bodied, elegant and long in the sip showing precision and kindess. Drink now or hold.~94 WinesCritic.com

The 2020 Fleur Cardinale is packed with dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, menthol and generous sweet oak. The 2020 has gained in body and complexity with élevage, exactly what is supposed to happen over time. Moreover, the 2020 has plenty of energy to balance its more exuberant leanings. ~93 Vinous Media

A solid step up, the Grand Vin 2020 Château Fleur Cardinale checks in as 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This 22.5-hectare estate has been in the Decoster family since 2000 and consists of mostly clay over limestone soils and is located in the Saint-Etienne de Lisse region of Saint-Emilion. From healthy yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, with malolactic fermentation in tank followed by 13 months in 90% new French oak, it has a juicy, pure, medium to full-bodied style that shows the classic, elegant style of the vintage beautifully. Offering lots of cassis-like fruit, notes of truffly earth, spring flowers, and violets, well-integrated acidity and tannins, and just a beautifully balanced mouthfeel, it's going to benefit from just 2-4 years of bottle age and will evolve nicely through 2040. It's another beautiful wine from this estate. ~93 Jeb Dunnuck

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