Château Fleur Cardinale 2019

• Domaine: Château Fleur Cardinale
• Appellation: Saint-Emilion
• Classification: Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
• Importer: Laguna Cellar

Located next to one of Saint-Emilion's top properties, Premier Grand Cru Classé Château Valandraud, Château Fleur Cardinale is a hidden gem of Saint-Emilion.

Winemaker's Notes: How the end-of-September rain saved the vintage

"2019 was a year of extremes. While on May 4th we lost 1.5 hectares to spring frost, a few weeks later the vines were faced with very high temperatures, followed by several weeks without a drop of rain. And yet, the vines went through the summer without the slightest concern, staying in perfect health and with impeccable mineral balances. The main explanation for this was the capacity of our clay-limestone soils to retain water and redistribute it to the vines as and when necessary. But it was also due to the fact that rainfall in July and August was in the end satisfactory, with two wet spells that brought 58mm then 28mm of rain.

By mid-September, phenolic ripeness was not quite complete, and we needed another spell of rain to finish it off. Our prayers were answered on the 22nd and 25thSeptember, and then on the 1st October, with rainfall of 32mm, 13mm and 11m respectively. These downpours succeeded in kick-starting the completion of the ripening process.

As a result of the rains, phenolic ripeness in the grapes advanced quickly in several areas of the vineyard all at the same time. The harvesting began on 2nd October and required great reactivity on our behalf to pick the grapes and get the fruit into vat at the peak of its ripeness."

Tasting Notes

"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." - James Suckling, Rating: 95-96