Perhaps the most romantically named Bordeaux grand cru on the market, Château Fleur Cardinale takes its name from the roses that grow at its entrance. Heralded by such loveliness upon arrival, what else could one expect but a fruity, floral, and feminine wine?

Loved by critics and wine investors alike, Chateau Fleur Cardinale is one of the happy wines to have been promoted in the 2006 St. Emilion re-classification. Unlike the overarching Bordeaux classification which is cast in stone, wines from St. Emilion benefit from re-classification every ten years or so, making for a more competitive market (especially for the investor). With healthy competition comes outstanding quality and we can only wish that the powers that be consider looking at the 1855 Bordeaux Grand Crus classification sometime soon.

Contrary to many other St. Emilion grand crus, Chateau Fleur Cardinale is a bit of a new kid on the block. The estate is owned by Dominique and Florence Decoster, of Haviland Limoges porcelain fame. Having sold their businesses in 2000 she was advised by family friend Jean-Luc Thunevin (who also consults at the property) on the purchase of a vineyard and together they sourced the ex Clos Bel-Air. They planted the eponymous flowers, christened it Château Fleur Cardinale and set about the business of excellent winemaking. They then enlisted the help of superstar wine consultant Michel Rolland who advised moving the current percentage to a 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc blend. The Decosters added a further 4 hectares of vines to the estate in 2012.

From a wine investor’s point of view, the current Château Fleur Cardinale is for the patient. It is a wine that ages extremely well and is remarkably underpriced for a wine of this calibre. Whether this is due to its chequered pre-Decoster / Rolland / Thunevin past we can’t say, however with high scores and low prices, it looks like if you want to bag a bargain, Château Fleur Cardinale could well be your answer.