2006 Château Fleur Cardinale St. Émilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2006
Château Fleur Cardinale (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A firm, masculine vintage for this normally, soft, polished, sexy wine. Here, you find harder tannins than usual, and a crisp, fresh character the wine sweet, dark, red fruits. This should age longer than most vintages of Fleur Cardinale. An hour to 90 minutes of air, could help soften the wine. 4,591 Views Tasted Dec 10, 2017A bit on the muscular, structured side for Fleur Cardinale. The nose, with its licorice, caramel, earth, dark chocolate and black cherry personality charms you. But there is a firmness on the palate that I was not expecting in this normally seductive wine. Made from a blend of 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, I'd give it 2-4 more years in the bottle to soften the tannins. 5,320 Views Tasted Dec 25, 2015It took about 45 minutes before the truffle, chocolate covered black cherry, smoke, licorice and spicy nose hit full bloom and the tannins softened. The finish is soft, with a red and black, sweet and tart plum quality, along with a hint of dryness in the finish. 3,582 Views Tasted May 27, 2014Licorice, spice and gobs of black cherries in the nose, supple textures and a round, fennel, blackberry filled finish. This is drinking great today. 4,890 Views Tasted Oct 3, 2012With licorice coated black and blue fruit, this is a more structured, firm style of Fleur Cardinal. Full bodied and rich, the wine ends with a blend of cassis and spicy blackberries. 5,444 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.