Château Palais Cardinal 2019

Bark, currants, lemon zest, bay leaves and lanolin on the nose. Medium-bodied with finely knit tannins. Textured and balanced with an earthy finish. 73% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc. Try in 2024.

The 2019 Palais Cardinal offers a lovely, well-defined bouquet of red and blackberry fruit, with a touch of sea spray emerging over time. The palate is medium-bodied, with sappy red fruit, good depth, and a graphite-tinged finish. Fine.

Medium deep garnet red colour. Youthful aromas of red currant, plum, wild herbs and mild oak. Medium weight on the palate, a chalky freshness, crushed berries, mild oak, pepper and clove; a youthful texture but ripe extract and fine length.

Savory cherries, black raspberries, dried herbs, leather, flowers, and plenty of classic Saint-Emilion chalky minerality emerge from the 2019 Château Palais Cardinal, a medium-bodied 2019 that shows the balance and elegance of the vintage. The tannins are nicely integrated, it has a great sense of freshness, and outstanding length on the finish.

This 22-hectare estate is located in St-Sulpice de Faleyrens. Overall, the vines are uniform in age, between 30 and 40 years, while the soils are more varied, with sandy sections, gravel, and clay-limestone. Palais Cardinal accounts for 19 hectares of the estate’s vineyards. The average vine age is 40 years. Aged for 18 months in barrels (90%) and concrete tanks. Elegant, subtle bouquet revealing hints of cherries and raspberries. Fruity, slightly creamy attack. The wine has tension, while its tannins unfold slowly along the palate. They are well integrated and provide solid backbone. A precise, moreish wine.

A dense wine full of dark Merlot flavors and rich tannins, this is showing well. The 64-acre estate, large for Saint-Emilion, has produced a wine that will age well. Black fruits and structure should allow it to be ready from 2026.