Reviews & Scores
Still young, knitted down, but the individual strands of tannins are supple and full of life. The wine is really starting to come alive, and when you compare it to the 2009, which has similarities as a vintage style, you see the progression in terms of precision and balance. There are some caramel notes here, clear liquorice, and smoky tobacco, but it needs a good four or five years to really open.
DC94September 2019
Delicious dark fig and boysenberry confiture flavors run from start to finish here, with a graphite spine embedded along the way. Flashes of anise, tar and singed mesquite add range. Not shy, but has the cut to pull it off.
WS93March 2019
Super rich baking spices across ripe dark plums in a very suave and attractively styled nose. The palate has incredible depth and succulently seductive, fleshy plum flavors. Wow.
JS96February 2018
The 2015 Fleur Cardinale is terrific. Exotic and flamboyantly ripe, it exudes richness and depth in all of its dimensions. Blackberry jam, grilled herbs, mocha, leather and menthol are all amped up in a dramatic, full-bodied wine that is long on personality. As always, Fleur Cardinale shows the more opulent side of Saint-Émilion. A burst of red cherry jam, spice, new leather, spice, lavender and French oak punctuates the unctuous finish.
VM93February 2018
The 2015 Fleur Cardinale is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon matured in 100% new oak barrels for 13 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has a nose of fragrant violets, cedar chest and rose hips over a core of chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and plush with plenty of layers and great length.
WA92February 2018
The 2015 Château Fleur Cardinale is beauty in the vintage and checks in as a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up all in new oak. Offering sensational notes of black cherries and currant fruits, toasty oak, graphite, and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and gorgeously pure and elegant on the palate. It has fine tannin emerging on the finish and is made in a straight, structured, classic style. Give bottles a year to two and it should drink beautifully over the following 15+. I was able to taste this wine three separate times and, surprisingly, it showed best from a bottle purchased here in the US. It has the purity of fruit that's the hallmark of the vintage and is a gem readers should seek out.
JD94November 2017