2006 Fleur Cardinale

Full ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of cassis, blackberry, violet, licorice and menthol. Intense, pure and sharply delineated, with a juicy, lively quality to the black fruit, violet and menthol flavors. Surprisingly dense and ripe for such a penetrating wine. Finishes with chewy, ripe tannins and lovely aromatic persistence. I'd give this three or four years in the cellar.

A blend of 75% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this up-and-coming estate has fashioned an outstanding 2006. While not as prodigious as the 2005, it is an exceptional effort boasting a dense purple hue as well as sweet aromas of blueberries, dark raspberries, licorice, camphor, and pain grille. Full-bodied, powerful, and layered with impressive purity, texture, and length, this unfined and unfiltered wine should be at its finest between 2013-2022.

Very deep colour. Somehow they have managed to have overripe notes on the nose – incredible! Then drying and chewy on the palate. I tried a second bottle and I fear this wine is just fundamentally unbalanced. Very dry finish and unappetising nose. Inky finish. Not unpleasant – quite a bit of beef! Strapping, chewy tannins, dry finish, just–as-it-comes and no bones about it. Pretty solid and rasping tannins. Very different from some recent vintages of this wine. (JR)