The 2005 Fleur Cardinale was the winning bottle in the August installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I decanted the wine briefly and served with a tri tip roast on a cool Summer night in Seattle.
Chateau Fleur Cardinale was purchased by Dominique and Florence Decoster in 2001. The 24.5 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Fleur Cardinale is planted to 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Fleur Cardinale is located next door to Valandraud and Rol Valentin.
Bright crimson in color. 14% ABV. Spellbinding nose of black fruits, leather and graphite. Full bodied with concentration, power and dark fruit in spades. Currants, cassis, plums and tobacco on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. This wine was a darling of the ’05 Bordeaux value crowd and has without question rewarded those who purchased. I’ll open my last bottle in 2025.
My rating: 94 points.
Fleur Cardinale is one of the very best values on the Right Bank. The 2018 version is available for $50. Based on the showing of the 2005 I will be on the look out for the ’16 and ’18.