2010 Fleur Cardinale: Stunning.

[JimHow]

Sipping on this tonight, chilling out watching the Sox-Yankees.
I've had this wine a number of times.
This wine is absolutely stunning.
A brilliant effort.

[Nicklasss]

The 2009 is also stunning.

Tomorrow, I'll open a Bordeaux.

Nic

[JimHow]

This is a 97 point wine.
I'm not sure why it wasn't wine of the year.
Stunning mouth feel, high alcohol but completely masked.
Brilliant, stunningly clean deep purple color.
Fresh, light on its feet.
Not sure how long this will age but drinking spectacularly now and every time I've had it.
97 points.

[robertgoulet]

Is this the real Jim How???? Or did someone hijack his account...lol

[dstgolf]

Jim's becoming PARKERIZED loving these new world styled Bordeaux bombs with high alcohol!! Nothing wrong and I agree that this is a lovely drinking wine but is this truly Jim How preparing for Bordeaux?? and his traditional old school wines.

[JimHow]

I'm telling you this wine is amazing.
It is really very balanced, it is what La Tour Carnet should be.
High alcohol but absolutely no high alcohol intrusiveness.
Tar, licorice, inky blackness but just really smooth, light on its feet, hits the taste buds so smoothly, it generates that extra saliva that mingles with the wine to create ecstasy. Can't say enough about this wine!
Who needs to age it, it is drinking brilliantly right now.
I'm going to hunt down a case, although it is getting pricey at over $50.

[dstgolf]

No disagreements with you Jim but this in no way resembles old school traditional Bordeaux. Riper fruit,more balance and generally improved wine making to satisfy the masses. Not bad and you don't have to lay it down for 20 years to enjoy.

[AKR]

Hmmm. I've never had one of these. I'll have to sample some.

JimHow: do you care for the old school right banks at all - the FIgeacs, Canons, Soutards etc. ?

[JimHow]

Yes I like the old school right bankers, I don't like the La-Tour-Carnetization of the right bank.
This wine is sexy but balanced.

[AKR]

What I don't understand is how critics are able to judge 'balance' from barrel samples.

Some wines have it their entire lives, and others slowly fall one way or another.

But how do people forecast that, from something that has just emerged from fermentation.

[dstgolf]

Arv,

Agree with the barrel sample question. Blending has not taken place to resemble the final product and these things for the most part are tannic,harsh and for me not all that pleasurable. I've always admired the likes of Parker who could go through these numbers of wines in their primary stages and draw conclusions (though not always correct) as to what these will be like 10-20-30yrs out. In a few weeks a few heading to Bordeaux will likely experience wines that they'll question their own ability to judge and possibly change their minds about what they.love and or capable of. I remember tasting at l'Eglise Clinet that for me was so off putting with dark tannic monsters that there was no way that I could understand how anyone could continue to taste these things day in day out for a living from shear displeasure on the palate let alone decide where these are heading in the future.

[robertgoulet]

If I recall orlando bobby gave the '05 75pts....so this wine must taste way too modernized for him

[Blanquito]

The 03 F-C was a train wreak.

[JimHow]

Orlando Bobby might not like it, robert goulet, He Who Shall Remain Nameless scores the 2010 at 95 points and says it's "right up there with their brilliant 2005."

The New He Who Shall Remain Nameless also likes it:

http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/sea ... +cardinale

[AKR]

The 03 F-C was a train wreak.

well, most of the right bank wines from year ended up somewhat unbalanced. their soil didn't retain water the way the clay ones did in st estephe, and environs.

the southern rhones, the grenache wines, are unfortunate too in that year.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

He's setting us up, guys. Big reveal coming regarding who actually is the "New He Who Shall Remain Nameless."

[JimHow]

The torch has been passed Hound:

http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... f=4&t=5749