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

Château Croix Cardinale 2020 - Château Fleur Cardinale
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Château Croix Cardinale 2020

#littlecandy #floral

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

IDENTITY

Blend:

  • 84% Merlot
  • 16% Cabernet Franc

Alcoholic degree: 13.5°

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

WEATHER CONDITIONS

2020, with its cold, rainy spring and a record dry summer, was a year of climatic contrasts.

After 5 days of much-needed rain, which enabled the grapes to reach optimal ripeness, the signal was given for harvesting to start!

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

HARVEST

  • 1st and 2nd October 2020
  • Yields: 32 hl/ha
  • Production: 21,000 bottles
Verre de Château Croix Cardinale - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

TASTING SUGGESTIONS

  • Optimal tasting period: 2023 – 2036.
  • Today: to be kept in the cellar.
  • Serving temperature : 17-18°C.
Hashtag Croix Cardinale - © C. Decoster, Château Fleur Cardinale

HASHTAGS

#littlecandy #floral #mouthwatering #fresh

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

SOUNDTRACK

Enjoy a glass of Château Croix Cardinale 2020 while listening to the tune My Love by Martin Solveig .

Reviews for this vintage

ANTHOCYANES, YOHAN CASTAING

90-92
Le premier nez est frais, fruité, délicat et aromatique. En bouche, la structure juteuse prend le dessus avec des notes fruitées, gourmandes et une structure tannique en place. Une texture issue d'argile mais qui se développe sur l'allonge en finale. Mai 2021

B MY BORDEAUX, CHRISTER BYKLUM

89-91
Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, floral, fruit driven nose, layered and elegant. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, dark fruits, anise, blackberries and elegant texture, long. Smooth! 14% alcohol and PH of 3,67. May 2021

DECANTER, GEORGINA HINDLE

92
Gorgeous intensity and weight here, though this has a prominent metallic, slate, pencil lead flavour that is quite dominant at the moment. Ripe but also chewy blue and black fruits are propped up by lively and refreshing acidity. Well worked. Definitely on the tannic side right now, so mouthfilling and with lovely minerality. January 2023

INSIDE BORDEAUX, JANE ANSON

91
This is a little lighter both in structure and character than many this year, red fruits, raspberry and wild cherry, reflective of a cooler terroir. Sculpted feel, attractive and carefully placed spice and cut herbs, a little soft on the finish. 32 hl/ha yield. December 2022

YVES BECK

89-91
Le bouquet de Croix Cardinale révèle d’agréables notes fruitées et épicées au travers de nuances de baies noires et de réglisse. Caractère crémeux et minéral en attaque. Le vin est friand, équilibré et bien soutenu par ses tannins. Finale rafraîchissante et persistante. Un vin charmant et invitant. 2024-2036 May 2021

90
Croix Cardinale 2020 affiche un bouquet subtil qui se révèle pas à pas. Le terroir ressort bien au travers de nuances crayeuses complétées par des notes fruitées et florales. Le vin a du corps et est doté d'élégants tannins soyeux. Il est déjà très invitant et pourra être apprécié dans sa jeunesse. January 2023

JEB DUNNUCK

90-92
The 2020 Château Croix Cardinale boasts a deep ruby/purple hue as well as medium-bodied aromas and flavors of red and black fruits, new leather, camphor, and dried flowers. It’s medium-bodied, I like its fruit, and it has nicely integrated oak and velvety tannins. A classic Saint-Emilion, it should be an outstanding wine. May 2021

91
The 2020 Château Croix Cardinale showed well, with a ripe, nicely balanced, medium to full-bodied profile carrying ample red, blue, and black fruits as well as some truffly, earthy, tobacco-like nuances. This round, supple, absolutely charming Saint Emilion is going to drink nicely for at least 8-10 years. March 2023

FORBES, TOM MULLEN

93
From the D. Decoster family comes this wine with aromas of smoke, wild hedgerow fruit, cocoa and lavender. In this mouth this includes rich red fruit, chocolate and even mandarin on the mid palate. An easy drinking wine with light acidity and almost indiscernible tannins. Pair with appetizers such as edamame or hummus or with a lunch of Mediterranean mezze. Avril 2021

GREAT BORDEAUX WINES, IZAK LITWAR

90-91
More Merlot in the blend than usual. Spicy raspberries, delicate, smooth tannin, soft texture, beautifully balanced, nice complexity and lingering finish. A delightful effort indeed. June 2021

JAMES SUCKLING

92-93
Fine tannins with lots of purple fruit and blackberries. Creamy and beautiful. Medium-bodied. Poised and focused. April 2021

92
Aromas of ripe plums and mulberries with hints of chocolate, licorice and bark. Medium-bodied and dry with polished tannins and chalky texture. Soft and creamy finish. 84% merlot and 16% cabernet franc. Drink or hold. December 2022

MATTHEW JUKES

17
Rich, bold and deeply avoured, this is a superb e ort from this property and it shows some of the same texture and plushness of its stablemate Fleur Cardinale. A little more forward and plummy - all of the indications are here for a spicy, juicy and rewarding wine. May 2021

LIVETS GODA

92
Samma ägare som Fleur Cardinale och även detta ett vin som imponerar med tät bla frukt, fuktig tobak, rastade nyanser och en närmast druvaromatisk känsla. Strukturerad smakprofil med tighta tanniner, mogen mörk frukt och täthet. The same owner as Fleur Cardinale and also a wine that impresses with dense blue fruit, moist tobacco, framed nuances and an almost grape aromatic feel. Structured flavor profile with tight tannins, ripe dark fruit and density. Juillet 2021

RODERICK SMITH MW

90
Super rich inviting aromas of blackberry liqueur and kirsch. Saturated and deep. Some chalkiness and sappy freshness. Rounded palate with a slight savoury edge underneath the rich fruit. A rich mouthfeel backed up by a lovely streak of freshness. Ripe tannins, but everything is just right in balance terms here. While it lacks the complexity of its big sister (Fleur Cardinale), it delivers a complete and harmonious performance, which is sure to be great value. May 2021

THE WINE ADVOCATE, LISA PERROTTI-BROWN

91-93
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Croix Cardinale skips out of the glass with bright, vivacious scents of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly and black raspberries, plus suggestions of cinnamon toast, wilted roses and oolong tea, with a waft of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft and juicy, featuring bags of red fruit preserves and a velvety texture, finishing long and savory. May 2021

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER, JEFF LEVE

90-92
5 spice, cocoa infused red berries, smoke and herbs open the wine. On the palate you find soft, layers of sweet plums and cherries. Medium-bodied, fresh and with an intriguing touch of spice, the wine ends with notes of bitter chocolate, espresso beans and red plums. May 2021

92
Licorice, menthol, 5 spice, espresso, smoke, cocoa, and dark red fruits are all over the place here in the nose, and on the palate. Soft, round, lush, and forward, the sweetness in the ripe, fresh fruits makes its mark and stays with you through to the finish. The wine is made by blending 84% Merlot with 16% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2023-2040. March 2023

THE WINE DOCTOR, CHRIS KISSACK

90-92
It is easy to mistake this for the second wine of Château Fleur Cardinale, but this comes from a distinct estate also run by the Decoster family (the second wine, by the way, is called Intuition). A dark hue, black cherry at the rim, and a nice expression of fruit on the nose, with tense black cherry and black plum, with scents of sage, cocoa bean and toast. An attractive start, with a plump cushion of fruit, showing much more grip and delineation through the middle, with a bright and citrus-tinged character to it, cherry and plum with touches of blood orange and peach, tobacco and toasted fruits. A significant wrapping of svelte tannin here, giving it a rich grip at the finish, which is filled with toasty peach and citrus notes. A very smart wine but it will need a good few years in bottle to absorb those tannins. Two samples tasted with consistent findings. May 2021

VINARIA, PETER SCHLEIMER

***
Recht würzig, reife, rotbeerige Frucht, Sauerkirschen, Anklängen an Paprikapulver, ansprechende Fruchtfülle; mittelgewichtig mit frischer Frucht, rote Beeren und Kornelkirschen, Biss, kernig nach hinten, trägt nicht zuviel auf, hinten etwas schlanker. Assez épicé, mûr, fruits rouges, cerises acides, soupçon de poudre de paprika, ampleur séduisante du fruit ; moyennement corsé, fruits frais, fruits rouges et cerises cornéliennes, mordant, piquant vers l'arrière, ne porte pas trop, un peu plus mince à l'arrière. Mai 2021

VINOUS, ANTONIO GALLONI

88-90
The 2020 Croix Cardinale is a soft, easygoing wine to drink now and over the next handful of years. Ripe dark cherry, spice, leather and mint all open in the glass. This plush, juicy Saint-Émilion certainly offers a good deal of charm. All it needs is a bit of time to come together and fully assimilate its oak. Tasted two times. May 2021

VINOUS, NEAL MARTIN

90-92
The 2020 Croix Cardinale has a lighter, airier nose compared to the Fleur Cardinale, featuring blackberry, briar, crushed pebble and touches of oyster shell. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a structured opening, that marine/estuarine influence quite pronounced on the midpalate, and plenty of sapidity on the finish. I would afford this a couple of years in bottle before broaching, but it has potential. May 2021

The 2020 Croix Cardinale has an open bouquet with brambly red fruit, cedar and light sous-bois scents that unfold in the glass. This is fairly composed and focused. The palate has retained that quasi-Médoc-like personality, very well balanced with fine salinity, though it needs just a tad more backbone right on the finish. Otherwise, this is very commendable. February 2023

VVWINE, ADRIAN VAN VELSEN

91-93
Fine-smelling nose, noble, floral notes, dark berries, blackberries, currants. On the palate taut, with crisp fruit, of course still marked by aging, with good pressure and yet very fresh and juicy, wonderfully structured, despite concentration endowed with a lot of lightness and momentum, ends stony, cool, finesse. Has very good potential. April 2021

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