Château Fleur Cardinale St. Emilion 2012

Flaschenbewertung (Mai 2015):
"The flagship wine from the Decoster family, this blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon has been a hugely successful wine since they acquired this 58-acre estate and revolutionized the level of quality. This is consistently one of the best St.-Emilions and over-achieving for its classification. The 2012 has pure, striking aromatics of blueberry, black raspberry, minerals and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, ripe and multi-dimensional, with a beautiful texture, this is stunning wine that completely dominates its classification and over-delivers in terms of quality and potential longevity. It should drink well for 15 or more years. Yields were a modest 34 hectoliters per hectare from an unusually late harvest a October 22 to November 2."
93/100 Punkte - Trinkreife: 2015 - 2030


This full-bodied beauty exhibits a dense opaque purple color in addition to copious notes of creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice and incense. It should drink well for 15-20 years. This will be a sleeper of the vintageA superstar of the vintage (not surprising given how successful the proprietors, the Decoster family, have been over the last decade or more), this 58-acre vineyard located near the village of St.-Etienne de Lisse enjoyed yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place extremely late — between October 22 and November 3. The final blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon came in at 13.5% natural alcohol. Every detail, both in the vineyard and the winery, is looked after by the meticulous owners. This will be a sleeper of the vintage as the Decosters have been among the most realistic proprietors in Bordeaux when it comes to pricing their wines.
92-95/100 Punkte

Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Holundriges Bouquet, irgendwie erinnert das Ganze auch an einen Wein-Sirup, respektive erkalteten Glühwein. Kompakter Gaumen, die Tannine sind mehlig, dezent kapselig und überfordernd. Wirkt nicht ganz mehr so konstruiert und Amarone-haft wie letztes Jahr. Die Anlagen sind zwar gut, aber die ganze Erscheinung passt überhaupt nicht zu den Jahrgangsvorgaben. Ich runde nur auf, weil ich mich mit den Power-Journalisten anlegen will.
17/20 Punkte - Trinken: 2018 - 2031

Features a core of dark anise, fruitcake, plum sauce and raspberry, with a fleshy texture that hangs through the finish. Has guts without the vintage’s chewy, taut feel. —J.M.
90-93/100 Punkte

Plenty of fruit and velvety tannins. Full body, juicy fruit, and a wonderful depth for the vintage.
90-91/100 Punkte