2023 Château Fleur Cardinale Blanc
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Log inFleur Cardinale Blanc is the new white wine from the Decoster family, produced on a small plot surrounded by the red vines of Château Fleur Cardinale. This terroir-driven white wine is designed to age and exudes the freshness of the clay-limestone north-facing slope. The potential blend for 2023 consists of 57% Sauvignon Blanc and 43% Sauvignon Gris.
The wine begins subtly with notes of graphite and citrus, and opens up fully with aromas of orange blossom, pollen, and grapefruit peel. On the palate, the start is fresh and straightforward, followed by a mid-palate that blends tension and sweetness. The finish is juicy and persistent, with aromas of apricot, lemon, and delicate fern.
The winter of 2023 saw cool weeks with little rain from mid-January. The buds emerged cautiously in late March without any risk of frost. In the spring, the vines exploded, leading to beautiful flowering and growth. Weather conditions at the beginning of summer promoted the vegetative growth of the berries.
At the end of summer, weather conditions were favorable for the ripening of the grapes, with drier, sunnier weather and a significant contrast between day and night temperatures. The aromas developed and the tannins were refined. As the harvest approached, special attention was paid to the ripening of the grapes.
FUN FACT: In the Appendix tab, you will find the official factsheet for this wine.
Character
The wine
Origin
Bottle
Wine features
James Suckling
FLEUR CARDINALE BORDEAUX BLANC 2023
Score
92-93
Juicy and vivid white citrus character and mineral crunchiness. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Tense, and lightly phenolic in the end. Good tension and length.
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Vinous
(90-92)
From: The Dalmatian Vintage: Bordeaux 2023 (Apr 2024)
The 2023 Fleur Cardinale Blanc, aged in barrels, has an attractive bouquet with orange pith, lemon and light touches of kiwi fruit. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite tensile with just the right amount of bitterness on the finish. It just misses a little length but is otherwise well worth seeking out.
- By Neal Martin on April 2024
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94
No written review available.
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Former owners of the porcelain company Haviland in Limoges, Dominique and Florence Decoster bought Château Fleur Cardinale in 2001. With the help of the existing team, they managed to promote the estate to the rank of Grand Cru Classé in 2006. In 2012, their daughter-in-law Caroline joined the company. Ludovic, their eldest son, joined the team in 2015. The journey that started as a couple now continued as a family.
The wine estate is located on one of the highest points of the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse along the ridge of the northern slope. It extends over 23.5 hectares (58 acres) and consists of a wide range of soil and subsoil types with great viticultural potential. The 64 lots that make up the estate enjoy all exposures as well as a varied topography. The grape composition of the vineyard is largely dominated by Merlot (76%), followed by Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (4%).
For many years, the estate has been fully committed to environmentally friendly conversion of viticulture, while at the same time taking numerous actions in favor of preserving biodiversity, ie no chemical weed control and an insecticide-free policy.
Weeds and flowers between rows restore the nutritional elements of the vines. This practice makes it possible to limit soil erosion and compact soils, while improving their porosity and bearing capacity. By providing a refuge and food source, it promotes the development of macrofauna (earthworms) and microfauna (bacteria and fungi). The estate also includes permanent, natural fallow land, which is a true ecological reservoir, undisturbed by humans, and in which nature has managed to reclaim its rights.
The barrel room, renovated in 2019, makes it possible to carry out the vinification by parcel, allowing careful monitoring of the individual expression of each terroir. It contains temperature-controlled tronco-conical stainless steel vessels from floor to ceiling, allowing for greater precision in managing temperatures and extraction potential.
The different batches (combinations of grape variety and soil type) are aged separately in new French oak barrels for a period of 12 to 14 months. The style of each of the ten cooperages is tailored to the character of each plot, so that the specific profile of each plot is perfectly visible until the end of the aging process. At the same time, about 10% of the production is micro-vinified in twenty 500 liter barrels in a special cellar. Each of these vessels is equipped with an ingenious independent temperature control device that guarantees very precise temperature management. This microvinification gives an extra dimension to the wine, giving it an intense fruit taste. Finally, 750 liters of amphorae are reserved for aging wine from old Merlot and old Cabernet Franc plots. This specific aging improves the fruit character and the length of the flavor in the final blend.
Deze frisse, medium-bodied Bordeaux blanc toont levendige citrusnoten van citroen en grapefruit, abrikoos en oranjebloesem, een verfijnde minerale ondertoon en een fijne, licht bittere spanning in de afdronk door subtiele houtrijping. Dankzij de knapperige zuurgraad en de mineraliteit snijdt de wijn goed door het zilte van schelp- en schaaldieren en balanceert hij de vetheid van sushi en sashimi, terwijl de lichte tannines en fruitigheid harmonieus samengaan met gegrilde of gestoofde witte vis. Kies voor bereidingen met frisse zuren zoals ceviche, lichte beurre blanc of een citroen-dressing bij salades om de spanning en de aromatische kenmerken van deze wijn extra goed naar voren te laten komen.
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