Château Fleur Cardinale - Collector Edition Surf Session - Magnum 2019
In Saint-Émilion, Château Fleur Cardinale continues its Collector editions adventure with the 2019 vintage by imagining a second spectacular creation, named Surf Session. After the Hard Rock universe chosen for 2018, the Decoster family this time transports the property's emblematic knight towards big waves and surf culture, with a graphic design specially created for this edition. The estate, located on the heights of Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, rests on largely clay-limestone terroirs that bring depth and freshness to the property's Merlots. Acquired by Florence and Dominique Decoster in 2001, Fleur Cardinale has gradually asserted a contemporary identity while strengthening the precision of its viticultural work. This 2019 edition was produced in an extremely limited series of only 1,500 numbered magnums, each presented in an individual silk-screened wooden box. The project was also associated with professional surfer Vincent Duvignac, multiple French champion and team world champion, reinforcing the coherence between the graphic universe and the sporting culture chosen for this edition. By its confidential production, its 1.5-liter format, and its specific packaging, Surf Session 2019 is today one of the most identifiable and sought-after pieces of Fleur Cardinale's Collector series.
The 2019 vintage is blended from 76% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot naturally dominates the wine's expression with a deep and generous body, marked by blackberry, black plum, and ripe cherry. Cabernet Franc plays an important role in balance by bringing floral freshness, a spicy dimension, and more verticality. Cabernet Sauvignon, present in a smaller proportion, strengthens the structure and extends the persistence. The clay-limestone soils of the heights of Saint-Émilion allow maintaining a welcome tension against the solar ripeness of the vintage. The vinifications aim to preserve the fruit's brightness while building a dense and regular tannic framework, before aging in wood intended to refine the matter. The magnum format favors a slower evolution and constitutes an additional advantage here for a bottle intended as much for aging as for collection.
The color shows a deep garnet with still strong purple reflections. The bouquet opens on blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and plum, with nuances of violet, licorice, and sweet spices. Aeration gradually reveals cocoa, cedar, anise, and some touches of truffle and undergrowth that will gain importance with aging. The palate is ample and velvety but retains beautiful precision thanks to a fine tannic structure and the freshness brought by Cabernet Franc and the limestone terroir. The black fruit remains intense, supported by a structure firm enough to ensure harmonious evolution over many years. The finish is long, deep, and spicy, with nuances of licorice, cocoa, and persistent black fruits. By its limited run of 1,500 numbered copies, its silk-screened box, and its status as the second opus of the Collector series, this Magnum Surf Session 2019 combines the quality of a great Saint-Émilion and the rarity of a presentation originally designed as a collector's item.
Grape varieties: 76% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
