A sister estate to Chateau Fleur Cardinale, in 2011 the Decoster’s added Croix Cardinale to their portfolio of St. Emilion wine. With the name Croix Cardinale, are you sensing there is a pattern here with the Cardinale theme? Purchased April 2011, the 4 hectare vineyard has a terroir similar to Fleur Cardinale with its clay and limestone soil.

Château Croix Cardinale is a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru from plots bordering the Château Fleur Cardinale estate. The wine is made and aged in its own winery that was fully renovated in 2012 with an ecological approach.

We like to say that Château Croix Cardinale is Château Fleur Cardinale’s “cousin”, since we use similar vine-growing, winemaking and harvesting practices for both. Like its cousin, Château Croix Cardinale is a wine with great ageing potential and the additional benefit of being easy to enjoy young, within two or three years after the harvest.

However, depending on the vintage, we advise waiting at least some time before tasting it. This wine will then blossom over the next fifteen years. More than a 2nd wine, it is a Chateau in its own right!

Soils – 100% Clay, 4.5 hectares (11.12 acres), 4 plots. 5400 vines / ha.

Average age of vines – 50 years

Blend – 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc

Winemaking – Manual, in small crates. Sorting by density (Tribaie) and manual sorting.Stainless steel vats

Ageing – 12 to 14 months – new French oak

Château Croix Cardinale boasts fresh aromas of ripe black fruit. The wine is full-bodied and delicious on the palate. Like its older cousin, Château Croix Cardinale is known for its smooth tannins. The finish is long and aromatic

Optimal tasting period: 2019 – 2030.
Today: to be kept in the cellar.
Serving temperature : 17-18°C.

Decanter – 94 points

An estate that is just doing such good work right now. This was delicious en primeur and for me a little better in bottle. Has that slow slate-textured finish that makes things inch along slowly, giving time to appreciate the rich berry fruits and floral edge to the aromatics. An interesting initiative in the packaging also, with a wooden cask that has instructions for being turned into a bird box afterwards, encouraging recycling.

Jeb Dunnuck – 93 points

Coming from a tiny parcel next to Fleur Cardinale and 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Croix Cardinale has a beautiful, complex nose of red and black fruits, white truffle, flowers, and sandalwood. With an almost Pomerol-like elegance, it nevertheless has beautiful minerality and limestone character, ripe, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It’s beautifully done and shines on all accounts. It’s going to impress for 15+ years.

Wine Spectator – 92 points

This glides in seductively, with crushed plum, warmed raspberry compote and black currant paste flavors that have subtle energy, while hints of black tar, singed alder and savory underscore the finish. For more near-term consumption, thanks to its copious fruit. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

James Suckling – 91 points

Currants, wild raspberries, hazelnuts, dried herbs and flowers on the nose. Some meaty aromas, too. It’s medium-bodied with sleek tannins. Fresh and silky. A little light on the finish, but very attractive. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. Try from 2023.

Wine Advocate – 90 points

Composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, possessing 14.5% alcohol, the 2018 Croix Cardinale is deep garnet-purple colored, bursting from the glass with notions of juicy black and red plums, lifted cherries and baked raspberries, plus suggestions of fruitcake and woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate offers harmonious baked black and red fruits with a well-knit frame of soft tannins and a lively backbone, finishing on a fragrant earth note.

Wine Enthusiast – 90 points

This smoothly rich wine comes from an estate under the same ownership as cru classé Fleur Cardinale. It is spicy, dense with blackberry fruits and swathes of ripeness. This opulent wine will age relatively quickly.