2009 Fleur Cardinale

Plenty of cassis, toasted spice, black cherries, graphite, and tobacco notes emerge from the 2009 Château Fleur Cardinale, a rich, full-bodied Saint-Emilion that's still relatively youthful. Full-bodied on the palate, with firm, chewy tannins and a great finish, this powerful, pedal-to-the-metal beauty is ideal for drinking over the coming 10-12 years. It will be interesting to see how these tannins evolve over the coming decade. Regardless, it certainly has more than enough fruit at the moment.

(70% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon; 15% alcohol): Bright ruby-red. Slightly high-toned aromas of kirsch , blackberry and licorice. Thick and sweet but juicy, with some superripe qualities leavened by nicely integrated acidity. Densely packed and loaded with fruit. Big, sexy and long, finishing with ripe tannins and a note of nutty oak.

A good value among over-achieving St.-Emilion estates is La Fleur Cardinale’s 2009. Composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, some of the abrasive tannins noticeable early on in this big wine (14.5% alcohol) are now sweeter and better integrated. Made from tiny yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare, this is a concentrated, rich effort revealing lots of black cherry and black currant fruit as well as a fragrant, firm, full-bodied personality. It should be at its best between 2016 and 2030.