In 2024, Château Fleur Cardinale and Château Croix Cardinale were brought together under the name La Maison Cardinale

Château Croix Cardinale 2018 - Château Fleur Cardinale
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Château Croix Cardinale 2018

#Energy #Silky

Verre de Château Croix Cardinale - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

Identity

Blend:

  • 75% Merlot
  • 25% Cabernet Franc

Alcoholic degree: 14,5°

Une feuille par transparence - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

Weather conditions

The 2018 growing season was marked by excess rainfall up till the end of June, followed by hot weather at the end.

Favoured by ideal weather conditions at the end of the season, we were able to perform “haute-couture” harvesting work.

Vendanges au Château Croix Cardinale - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

Harvest

  • 10 to 24 October 2018
  • Yields: 40hl/ha
  • Production: 25 000 bottles

Tasting suggestions

  • Optimal tasting period: 2021 – 2035.
  • Today: to be kept in the cellar.
  • Serving temperature : 17-18°C.
Hashtag Croix Cardinale - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

HASHTAGS

#minty #redfruits #licorice #finesse #elegance #fresh #salivating

Château Croix Cardinale en musique - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

Soundtrack

Enjoy a glass of Château Croix Cardinale 2018 while listening to the tune I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos.

Reviews for this vintage

ANTHOCYANES, YOHAN CASTAING

90-92
Très fruité, presque gourmand, des arômes de fruits noirs très frais. Veloutée et juteuse, la bouche offre une réelle charge tannique avec une finale sur la longueur. Plein et gourmand à la fois. Avril 2019

YVES BECK

88-89
Rouge grenat aux reflets violacés. Bouquet de bonne intensité marqué par des notes de mûres et de myrtilles. Le corps est crémeux et doté de bons tannins qui assurent bien les arrières. Finale friande et fruitée. 2022-2028 Mars 2019

BETTANE & DESSEAUVE

88-89
Velouté, paré d’une gourmandise de fruit déjà très expressive, avec un profil tannique qui parvient à demeurer élancé. Avril 2019

JEANNIE CHO LEE, MW

88
A delicious St Emilion red with elevated plush tannins and plenty of dark plum fruit. Balanced and delicious even young. January 2021

MARKUS DEL MONEGO, MW

92
Dark purple red with violet hue and black core. Elegant nose with restrained fruit and discreet hints of flowery components as well as mild spices. On the palate well balanced with ripe tannins, sweet fruit, mild spices and convincing length. April 2019

92
Intense purple colour with violet hue and almost black core. Delightful nose with refined fruit reminiscent of blackberries, mulberries and hints of cherries, complemented by mild spies and a flowery touch. On the palate well structured with velvety tannins, fine acidity adding freshness, flavour of dark berries and cherries with hints of gingerbread spices lingering in the aftertaste. January 2021

JEB DUNNUCK

91-93
From vines just beside Fleur Cardinale (the estate acquired this 4.5-hectare parcel in 2012), the 2018 Château Croix Cardinale reveals a deep purple color as well as medium to full-bodied notes of spiced plums, graphite, licorice, and earth. It’s a ripe, sexy wine that has plenty of sweet tannins, a great texture, and plenty of length on the finish, and it’s very much in the style of the ripe yet pure vintage. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, brought up in new French oak. April 2019

93
Coming from a tiny parcel next to Fleur Cardinale and 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Croix Cardinale has a beautiful, complex nose of red and black fruits, white truffle, flowers, and sandalwood. With an almost Pomerol-like elegance, it nevertheless has beautiful minerality and limestone character, ripe, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done and shines on all accounts. It's going to impress for 15+ years. March 2021

FALSTAFF, PETER MOSER

93
Kräftiges Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Zart florl, ein Hauch von Veilchen und Lakritze, rotes Waldbeerkonfit, zart nach Mandarinenzesten, einladendes Bukett. Saftig, elegant, angenehme Extraktsüße, runde Tannine, gute Frische, ein Hauch von Nougat im Abgang, bleibt haften, vielversprechendes Reifepotenzial. Strong ruby garnet, violet reflections, discreet rim brightening. Delicate floral, a hint of violets and liquorice, red forest berry jam, delicate tangerine zest, inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant, pleasant extract sweetness, round tannins, good freshness, a hint of nougat in the finish, remains adherent, promising maturity potential. January 2021

FORBES, TOM MULLEN

97
From Fleur Cardinale comes this 75/25 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Silky, elegant aromas of cherries, raspberries, strawberries and chocolate. In the mouth—structured and statured with silent tannins and spectacular acidity that accentuate a royal flush of flavors: red fruit, figs, peaches and a sliver of eucalyptus on the finish. Bravo. Consider pairing with escargot, a chorizo and mushroom stew or hard cheese such as comté. February 2021

GAULT & MILLAU

90-92
Très fruité, presque gourmand, des arômes de fruits noirs très frais. Veloutée et juteuse, la bouche offre une réelle charge tannique avec une finale sur la longueur. Plein et gourmand à la fois. Juin 2019

JANCIS ROBINSON

16
Mid crimson. Very light leafiness on the nose. Neat, well-balanced palate with ripe but not too-ripe fruit with real freshness. Light sandpaper tannins on the end. Not for the very long term but very nice supper wine in the short to medium term. January 2021

JAMES SUCKLING

91-92
Very refined and polished with dark-berry, chocolate and hazelnut character. Medium body, soft and fine tannins and a flavorful finish. April 2019.

91
Currants, wild raspberries, hazelnuts, dried herbs and flowers on the nose. Some meaty aromas, too. It’s medium-bodied with sleek tannins. Fresh and silky. A little light on the finish, but very attractive. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. Try from 2023. January 2021

RODERICK SMITH MW

90
Warm spicy oak aromas with oatmeal and smoke. Dried petals and roasted fruit underneath. Juicy black fruits and rich concentrated depth. Juicy and fresh. Young and yet to integrate tannins, enough acidity and freshness to balance. Not a hugely complex finish, but a serious and well constructed wine. Good. January 2021

THE WINE ADVOCATE, LISA PERROTTI-BROWN

90-92
Dominique and Florence Decoster, owners of Fleur Cardinale, acquired this 4.5-hectare vineyard in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse adjacent to their own in April 2012. Not surprisingly, the soils are quite similar, composed of clay and limestone. The average age of the vines was 37 years in 2018. Yields were 40 hectoliters per hectare. Aging is projected to run for 12-14 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, and the wine has 14.5% alcohol. From the Thibaud lieu-dit, the 2018 Croix Cardinale is deep garnet-purple colored and sings of crushed red and black cherries, wild blueberries and fragrant earth with wafts of garrigue and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, soft, lively and juicy in the mouth, it delivers great purity and poise. April 2019

90
Composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, possessing 14.5% alcohol, the 2018 Croix Cardinale is deep garnet-purple colored, bursting from the glass with notions of juicy black and red plums, lifted cherries and baked raspberries, plus suggestions of fruitcake and woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate offers harmonious baked black and red fruits with a well-knit frame of soft tannins and a lively backbone, finishing on a fragrant earth note. March 2021

THE WINE ENTHUSIAST, ROGER VOSS

90
This smoothly rich wine comes from an estate under the same ownership as cru classé Fleur Cardinale. It is spicy, dense with blackberry fruits and swathes of ripeness. This opulent wine will age relatively quickly. Drink from 2023. January 2021

VERTDEVIN, JONATHAN CHOUKROUN CHICHEPORTICHE

16 // 92
The nose is fruity, well-balanced, racy and offers a fine power. It reveals notes of ripe/crunchy cassis, Boysen berry and small notes of wild strawberry associated with fine touches of flowers, spices as well as very discreet hints of Cuben pepper and an imperceptible varietal hint (in the background). The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a beautiful juiciness, a mineral/acidulous frame, tension, freshness, suavity, a beautiful precision, a good finesse of the grain, a beautiful finesse of the grain, silkiness as well as an aerial side. On the palate this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, fresh wild cassis and small notes fresh/crunchy red fruits associated with fine touches of flowers (iris, peony), cocoa, very discreet hints of toasted as well as a very discreet varietal hint (in the background), toasted almond and an imperceptible hint of vanilla pod (in the background). Tannins are fine, elegant and structuring. Good length.

15,75 // 91-92
The nose is fruity, elegant and offers a small deepness as well as a very fine concentration. It reveals notes of pulpy cassis, small bright blue fruits and small notes of small wild black fruits associated with small touches of lily, violet, very discreet hints of dry leaf/sense of the place, a very discreet hint of cardamom and an imperceptible hint of fresh tobacco. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a beautiful juicy/fresh/bright fruit, structure, a small power as well as juiciness. On the palate this wine expresses notes of bright cassis and small bright/fresh blue berries, fresh Boysen berries associated with small touches of fresh violet plum, lily as well as discreet hints of sense of the place/dry oak leaf. Tannins are well-built and structuring. A discreet hint of salinity on the finish which bring appetence. A very discreet hint of liquorice stick in the persistence. Septembre 2020

VINOUS, ANTONIO GALLONI

90-92
The 2018 Croix Cardinale is rich, racy and full of personality. Super-ripe dark cherry, mocha, espresso and spice flavors give the 2018 its naturally exuberant, generous feel. Plush and creamy, with silky tannins, the 2018 is a winner. Consulting winemaker Jean-Philippe Fort coaxed a gorgeous Croix Cardinale in 2018. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Tasted two times. April 2019

91
The 2018 Croix Cardinale is laced with generous crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, spice and orange peel. Pliant and open-knit, with very pretty aromatics, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate. The 2018 is understated and gracious. March 2021

VINOUS, NEAL MARTIN

87-89
The 2018 La Croix Cardinale has a ripe creamy, sexy bouquet that is very modern in style, but admittedly very seductive. The alcohol seems to be nicely contained here. The palate is medium-bodied with (again) a creamy texture. The acidity feels a little low here and consequently it just lacks the tension and race to see this through, rendering it a bit monotone. November 2019

89
The 2018 Croix Cardinale has a compact bouquet that needs 2–3 hours to open, eventually revealing blackberry wild strawberry, tobacco and melted tar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins on the entry. Quite pointed and sharp, there is a pleasant spiciness through this Saint-Émilion, although it does not quite kick on toward the finish. But if you want a peppery wine to enjoy over the next decade, then this will fit the bill. January 2021

VVWINE, ADRIAN VAN VELSEN

91
Rubis fort. Nez profond, fruité foncé, fumé, épices, citron vert, d'une part avec des arômes de fruits mûrs, mais toujours frais. En bouche, charnu, dense, rond, corps moyen à fort, montre de l'opulence, reste élégant, les tanins soyeux et de grande qualité et une acidité bien dosée soutiennent le fruit luxuriant, le vin est équilibré et de très longue durée en bouche. La finale se termine sur les mûres et les myrtilles ainsi que sur une note sèche de citron vert. Maintenant (avec ventilation), mieux 2023-2035 + Mars 2021

WINE SPECTATOR, JAMES MOLESWORTH

92-95
There's lots here, with blackberry, plum and black currant flavors and anise, briar and sweet tobacco notes. Shows good energy throughout. Still needs to knit together, but all the pieces are in place. April 2019

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