Château Fleur Cardinale

WHY BUY IT ?

  • A wine that has been promoted to the rank of Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé in the ranking of 2006
  • Great reputation of his oenologist consultant: Jean-Philippe Fort (cabinet Michel Rolland)
  • Jean-Luc Thunevin who consults the property considers the terroir as one of the best in Saint-Emilion
  • Wine produced in pure respect of the environment without herbicides
  • Very good scores for every vintage
  • Excellent value for a Grand Cru Classé
  • Château Fleur Cardinale has been a member since the summer of 2013 of the first association for the Environmental Management System (S.M.E.) of the Vin de Bordeaux certified ISO 14001
  • A property that listens to its market

Château Fleur Cardinale’s history begins with Florence Decoster, the current owner. Her idea of taking over a vineyard was born in 2000. At that time, her husband Dominique had just sold her porcelain business in Limoges. Charming by the places and the surrounding nature, they acquired the property in May 2001. Château Château Fleur Cardinale was promoted to the rank of Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé in 2006. Caroline Decoster, the daughter-in-law of Dominique and Florence, then joined in 2012 as head of communication and public relations. Finally, their son Ludovic completes the team in 2015 to ensure the continuity of the adventure initiated by his parents being today the technical manager of the property. Since the 2016 vintage, Château Fleur Cardinale is certified High Environmental Value.

Ideally located on a clay-limestone plateau at a culminating point of the appellation, the vineyard is located a few kilometers away from Saint-Emilion. The property covers 23.5 hectares and is dominated by Merlot dominance (75%), followed by Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). The type of culture with Fleur Cardinale is traditional, with stripping and thinning. Soils do not undergo chemical treatment, seedlings of various varieties are planted inter-rows. After a first sorting in the vineyard, the harvest is done manually, in small crates, to avoid the crushing of ripe berries. The grapes are double sorted manually, upstream and downstream of the de-stemmer, a requirement that significantly improves the quality of the grapes. The pumping-over is done by gravity to avoid “chewing” the musts and stressing the yeasts. Built with an ecological approach, the vat room, equipped with 27 small thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, allows a partial vinification, while the barrel cellar allows wine aging between 12 and 14 months in French oak barrels whose woods are from the most prestigious forests (Jupilles, Bertranges and Tronçay).

At the tasting, Fleur Cardinale presents a deep and dense dress, a powerful nose of ripe fruit, with floral notes. Feminine, the vintage charm with its noble and silky tannins. The finish is long and balanced, offering a great potential of guard.

Their Team

  • Owners: Famille DECOSTER
  • Managers: Florence et Dominique DECOSTER
  • Technical Manager : Ludovic DECOSTER
  • Communication & Public Relations : Caroline DECOSTER
  • Oenologist : Laboratoire ROLLAND
  • Culture Manager : Maxime MAISONNEUVE