CHÂTEAU FLEUR CARDINALE

The 2016 Fleur Cardinale is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new oak. Now this is a more restrained take for Fleur Cardinale, very pure and refined with red cherries, wild strawberry and light cassis notes, the oak neatly integrated (better than the 2015). The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip on the entry, a fine bead of acidity, crisp and structured with a tightly wound finish that suggests that it will need four or five years in bottle. I suspect this will surpass the 2015 Fleur Cardinale - this is very fine. Drinking range: 2022 - 2042 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Dark crimson. Fresh, quite vital nose. Pretty dense and with a finish that is much more dry than sweet. Quite noble and ambitious rather than a quick route to sweet oaky stardom. Real structure here. Throbs on the end. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 17- Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

Well-endowed, with dark plum and blackberry puree notes forming the core, while a hefty dose of licorice-accented toast frames everything. Lush mouthfeel, though there is some energy rippling underneath. The fruit is copious and alluring, though this leans to the power/extraction side of the ledger. Rating: 92-95 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)