Fleur Cardinale 2019

St Emilion, Grand Cru Classé

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Tasting Notes

A consistently impressive Saint-Emilion, the 2019 Château Fleur Cardinale shows the vintage beautifully, with a medium to full-bodied, elegant style as well as classic darker cherry and mulberry fruits, notes of dried herbs, loamy earth, and incense, supple yet present tannins, and a great finish. It's one classy, balanced 2019 to drink over the coming two decades.

Score: 94

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2022-2042 11 April 2022

Stunning stuff, the 2019 Château Fleur Cardinale might be the finest vintage of this wine I've tasted. Deep purple-hued, with awesome notes of ripe red and black currants, tobacco, chocolate, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a plush, seamless texture, polished tannins, and a great finish. This is a killer 2019 that shows the class, balance, and purity of the vintage while backing it up with depth and richness. Tasted twice.

Score: 93 - 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 11 June 2020

The 2019 Fleur Cardinale derives from a late-ripening site on the north-facing side of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau. Revealing aromas of jammy cherries, spices, dark chocolate and mocha, it's full-bodied, broad and velvety, with powdery tannins and a generous core of lively fruit, concluding with a chalky finish. This is a fleshy, front-loaded wine in a contemporary style that will please consumers who favor power and richness, but which will leave purists wondering if less might be more.

Score: 92

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021 - 2039 07 April 2022

The 2019 Fleur Cardinale has a pretty bouquet of vivacious red berry fruit, raspberry and cranberry, touches of tobacco and cedar emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied, harmonious and poised, with fine-grained tannins, nicely judged acidity and a delicate touch of salinity on the finish. This is an excellent Fleur Cardinale.

Score: 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2048 01 February 2022

The 2019 Fleur Cardinale has a very composed bouquet, perhaps more so than its sibling, Croix Cardinale. It offers black cherries, black olive and light cassis aromas, all nicely integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit mixed with graphite and cedar, almost Left Bank like towards the structured finish. Excellent.

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2048 16 June 2020

The 2019 Fleur Cardinale has a very composed bouquet, perhaps more so than its sibling, Croix Cardinale. It offers black cherries, black olive and light cassis aromas, all nicely integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit mixed with graphite and cedar, almost Left Bank like towards the structured finish. Excellent.

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2048 01 June 2020

The 2019 Fleur Cardinale is a real head-turner. Lush and voluptuous in the glass, the 2019 offers up copious dark fruit, along with hints of chocolate, spice, new leather, menthol and licorice. There is no shortage or richness or lushness. While the 2019 is certainly a very, very good wine it is not quite as expressive as it was in barrel. Tasted two times.

Score: 94

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2034 01 February 2022

The 2019 Fleur Cardinale is ripe, bold and luscious, with striking depth and resonance. Inky dark fruit, graphite, lavender, spice, menthol and blueberry jam all race out of the glass. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2019 has terrific freshness and vibrancy. In 2019, the blend is 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted two times.

Score: 93 - 95

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux 01 June 2020

Beautiful clarity of crushed red berries with dried flowers and sliced oyster mushrooms on the nose. Full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins and juicy fruit. Chocolate and walnut character comes through, together with hints of vanilla bean. Beautifully curated. 76% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 4% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2025.

Score: 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2025+ 01 December 2021

This is a wine that has a broad brush of tannins that give energy and subtle texture to the palate. Beautiful blue fruit and terracotta. Really fine-grained tannins. Beautiful, sweet fruit at the finish. One of the best I have had from here. Really want to drink it. 76% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 4% cabernet sauvignon.

Score: 95 - 96

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 20 May 2020

Though barely getting going at two years old, you already see what a great wine this is. Juicy plum and damson fruits, shot through with richly textured raspberry coulis, all kissed by smoky oak without going over the top. A deft mix of tension and balance. One of my real stars of the vintage in St Emilion, and an upscore from En Primeur. 100% new oak, with every case sold seeing one tree planted, with the hope of planting 10,000 trees in total.

Score: 95

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2027-2045 03 November 2021

Always one of the bigger more powerful St Emilions, and this has plenty of estate signature. Excellent presence, it heads downwards, carving out a space for itself and settling in for the long haul. Clear oak character but not overdone, and has the glamour and sense of fun that I love about this property. Clear spice also, sage and rosemary alongside liquorice and black chocolate. Well handled, definitely a bigger-framed wine but delivered with confidence and appeal - you're going to want to try this. Tasted twice, three weeks apart. 100% new oak. A yield of 44hl/ha. Every case sold this year will see one tree planted, with the hope of planting 10,000 trees.

Score: 94

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2027 - 2042 01 June 2020

Deep purple-black in color, the 2019 Fleur Cardinale exudes opulent scents of cinnamon stick, star anise, plum preserves and chocolate-covered cherries with a seducing undercurrent of lilacs, mulberries, allspice and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is already tantalizingly delicious, revealing layer upon layer of black fruits, exotic spices and earthy sparks, finishing with great freshness and depth. This year's blend is 76% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Score: 93 - 95

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020