A year after the sale of their Porcelain company, Limoges Haviland, in 2001, Dominique and Florence Decoster bought Château La Fleur Cardinale. They undertook a substantial investment programme to improve the vineyard and modernize the winery. Located to the east of the village of Saint Emilion, on one of the high points in the appellation, the property covers 23.5 hectares. Planted in clay-limestone soil in the middle of the slopes, the vines are mainly Merlot (76%) with the rest being made up of Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) and Cabernet Franc (20%). After harvesting, the grapes are sorted twice, before and after destemming. The vinification process, on a plot by plot basis, is especially rigorous, and the wines are then aged in new oak barrels for 12 to 14 months.