FLeur Cardinal 2012, GCC St Emilion Revisited.

It is a deep, ruby colour with a tight pink rim. This wine has a dense, dark-fruited sweetness and balanced acidity, showing exceptional quality. It is slightly smaller and softer than the 2014 vintage we offered for sale six months ago, but its beautiful balance ensures an enjoyable drinking experience. The forward style lets you appreciate the supple texture, and the multi-layered sweetness, with hints of ripe, dark red, juicy fruits, mocha, chocolate, and dark cherries, is sure to intrigue your taste buds. This wine represents the modern international style, with partial oak fermentation, new oak storage, and high alcohol, but lacks a bit of terroir character at this stage. However, if you look past the alcohol content and the extract (14% ABV from St Emilion!), you'll find a wine of exceptional quality.

Rated RP93, this flagship wine from the Decoster family blends 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has been consistently successful since the family acquired the 58-acre estate, raising the level of quality. The 2012 vintage displays pure, striking aromatics of blueberry, black raspberry, minerals, and flowers. With a beautiful texture, medium to full-bodied, ripe, and multi-dimensional, this wine dominates its classification and delivers exceptional quality. Drinking well for ten years, this wine promises an exciting future development, ensuring a long-lasting and rewarding experience. The modest yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare from an unusually late harvest (October 22 to November 2) further promise an exciting future development.

Andreas Larsson also awarded it 93 points, describing it as dark ruby-purple with meaty and leathery notes, dry spices, and dark berries in the nose. The palate is dense and structured, featuring dark floral fruit, blackberry, plum, cassis, plenty of grainy tannins, discreet oak, and a long, dark fruity finish. This wine's excellent ageing potential means it will continue to develop and improve over time, making it a valuable addition to any collection.