Château Fleur Cardinale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2022 i trækasse

Wine Words & Video Tape

Deep and dark; some ripe fruit and jam; red fruits and lifted; sweet and perfumed palate; seductive and texture; satiny; soft and easy: attractive and sweet ripe fruit on the palate; really lush and decadent.

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2022 Château Fleur Cardinale is a blend of 78% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, vinified with a cold pre-fermentation maceration and raised for 12-14 months in 72% new French oak, 18% one-year-old barrels, 7% large foudres, and 3% amphora. It's a full-bodied, layered Saint-Émilion exhibiting dark berries, graphite, crushed stone, and truffly earth-like nuances on the nose. This ripe, yet flawlessly balanced Saint-Emilion has moderate acidity, silky tannins, and a seamless, polished texture. A slightly modern-styled expression, it’s nevertheless lush, opulent, and utterly compelling, showing both depth and finesse.

Tastingbook.com

Izak Litwar, Great Bordeaux Wines

Intense and lush, creamy black cherries, dark chocolate, sappy, vibrant, great complexity, structure, and a long and persistent finish. Caroline and Ludovic Decoster deserve much praise for constantly improving the quality of the property. They are true rock star vignerons! Impressive for the vintage. 95-96p.

Izak Litwar, Great Bordeaux Wines

Terre de Vins

Vert de Vin Magazine

The nose is powerful, elegant, straightforward and precise—showing great finesse within its intensity—offering freshness and fine balance. It reveals notes of Boysen blackberry, fleshy blackcurrant and, more subtly, roasted raspberry, alongside hints of ripe small red fruits, pepper, and touches of a strong sense of place (local biotope/terroir). Accents of pepper reappear, joined by a subtle almost “infusion-like” nuance, cornflower, a discreet touch of almond, floral/violet notes, and spices.
On the palate, the wine is fruity, elegant and refined, with minerality, freshness, tension and precision. It shows a certain juiciness, lovely energy, a discreet noble varietal character that adds freshness, an airy quality despite its power, delicacy, and a fine, powerful, straightforward texture. The palate expresses notes of fleshy, juicy blackberry, fresh wild small black berries, and more lightly infusion/maceration, combined with touches of fresh/roasted raspberry, star anise, cardamom, tonka bean, cornflower, fine sappy nuances, a subtle hint of smoke, graphite, and toasted hazelnut/sweet spices. The tannins are supple, elegant, precise and refined. A fine touch of pleasant bitterness lingers on the finish. A very beautiful wine—precise, elegant, refined, harmonious and “fine.” Congratulations!

James Suckling

Spiced cherries, cedar, white pepper and dark mushrooms on the nose. Almost full-bodied on the palate, with ripe, dusty, caressing tannins that are evenly packed. Juicy, long and complete. Really well balanced and already appealing, but better after 2026.

Antonio Galloni

The 2022 Fleur Cardinale is pure and total sensuality. Silky and nicely layered, this medium-bodied Saint-Émilion is a delight. Elegant tannins complement a core of dark-toned fruit. Lavender, espresso, licorice, dried herbs and menthol lead into the long, sustained finish.

Bettane et Desseauve

Silky tannins, fleshy and juicy, with an admirable progression and a lively finish that sweeps everything in its path.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

Luscious layers of chocolate-drenched plums, black cherries, licorice, espresso, spice, and smoke are all over your palate here. This hedonistic expression is at its best here, with lift, length, and a bite of chalk in the finish. The blend is 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. All that extra Cabernet really makes a difference adding more freshness, complexity, and individuality here. In fact, I would like to some in the vineyard over the years.

Jean-Marc Quarin

Falstaff

Deep dark ruby garnet, inky, with an opaque core, violet reflections, and a delicate lightening at the rim. Reserved at first, with fine noble wood nuances, black forest berries, dark cherries, underlaid by a tobacco-spice note. Complex on the palate, sweet cherries and ripe plums, a finely balanced arc of acidity, dark nougat, lingering finish, and confident ageing potential.

Alexandre Ma

Markus del Monego MW