2001 Château Fleur Cardinale St. Émilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2001
Château Fleur Cardinale (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fully mature, the debut vintage for the new owners, the Decoster family is on the light side, with more red fruits than black in its makeup. Here, you also find freshness, licorice, sweet cherries, tobacco, soft textures and an earthy quality. The wine needs to be consumed sooner than later, if you are lucky enough to have a bottle. 2,656 Views Tasted Dec 10, 2017This slightly past fully mature wine is medium bodied and displays dark berries and earthy flavors. The tannins do not feel fully ripe. This is the debut vintage of this wine for Dominique and Florence Decoster. 2,872 Views Tasted Mar 6, 2010 |
When to Drink Chateau Fleur Cardinale, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Fleur Cardinale is better with at least 6-9 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for 1-2 hours or more.
This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Fleur Cardinale offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 8-22 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Fleur Cardinale with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Fleur Cardinale is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Fleur Cardinale is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Fleur Cardinale is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Secret de Cardinale was an early effort at producing wine from 100% Merlot. The wine came from their clay and limestone soils and was aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for an average of 13 months. The final vintage for Secret de Cardinal was 2012. The wine is no longer being produced. The vines are now being used for the production of Fleur Cardinale.