Chateau Fleur Cardinale Edition Rugby Spirit 2021

A collector’s edition blending the world of rugby with the elegance of a Grand Cru Classé from Saint-Émilion

The estate

As a Grand Cru Classé, the Château Fleur Cardinale unveils the full typicity of the Saint-Émilion terroir, an emblematic appellation on Bordeaux’s Right Bank.

The vineyard

Château Fleur Cardinale is a Saint-Émilion wine produced from a 22-hectare estate. Vines averaging 30 years of age are planted on a true mosaic of terroirs with 7 different clay-limestone soils and subsoils. While 2021 marks the launch of the conversion to organic farming across the entire vineyard, this vintage also signifies the completion of the modernization works on the estate’s technical and reception facilities.

The wine

“ It is through trials that the most emotionally intense moments are written,” thus does Château Fleur Cardinale unveil its new collector’s edition, named “Édition Rugby Spirit”.

While each collector’s edition recounts the atypical story of a vintage, this fourth chapter underscores the perseverance, sharing and community spirit shown by the estate’s team throughout a 2021 season whose unstable weather resembled a match with an unpredictable outcome against Nature.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Château Fleur Cardinale, this Édition Rugby Spirit is unveiled exclusively in magnum format, in a refined box whose sliding wooden tray and label proudly evoke the codes of rugby.

The vintage

While the 2021 season was drier than previous years, it was marked by two major weather events: the April frost, which cut production by 15–20%, and the heavy June rainfall (180 mm), leading to severe downy mildew pressure and a 30% loss in yield. Although July was relatively cool, the end of summer and the start of autumn were particularly mild, ensuring the preservation of the wine’s quality potential.

Winemaking and ageing

Manual harvesting in small crates is followed by rigorous sorting in the vineyard, first by density and then by hand. Destemming by gravity into a 5 hl vat. Pre-fermentation cold maceration. Fermentation in temperature-controlled tronconic vats and in 20 × 500 L French oak barrels. A 20-day maceration with pump-overs by air injection.
Ageing on fine lees for 13 months in French oak barrels—83% new, 12% one-wine barrels and 5% in terracotta amphoras.

Blend

Merlot (60%)
Cabernet franc (30%)
Cabernet sauvignon (10%).

Characteristics and tasting recommendations for the Édition Rugby Spirit 2021 of Château Fleur Cardinale

Tasting

Color
The color displays a beautiful deep purple hue, adorned with violet reflections.

Nose
With great finesse, the nose combines vibrant fruit fragrances with subtle floral notes.

Palate
A fresh attack gives way to an ideally structured palate. Throughout the tasting, the palate combines finesse and salinity, supported by elegant tannins. The persistent finish exudes delicious aromas of fresh blackcurrant.