Second only to the vine itself, the Fleur Cardinale wine stores, which were completely rebuilt during the winter and spring 2001-2002, are the nerve centre of the operation. A vast worksite characterised by the use of environmentally friendly, pollution-free materials such as the untreated wood used for the framework, whitewashed brick walls on a tiled floor throughout. The result is a cutting edge infrastructure that blends harmoniously into the countryside.
Fermenting room

17 small capacity stainless steel tanks (between 50 and 70 hectolitres each) with thermostatic controls - to set temperatures during the pre-fermentation and fermentation phases - make up the fermenting room.

The choice of such small capacity tanks allows for plot by plot wine making so as to choose the production from the various plots every year and also to follow up on this selection by adapting the best growing methods.

Barrel storeroom

Traditionally all the great Bordeaux wines are stored in oak barrels, which afford the wine the desired complexity and tannin to ensure long life. Many vineyards renew a third of their barrels every year, but Fleur Cardinale favours annual restocking with 100 % new barrels from six different coopers.

The French oak barrels come from the Allier or Nievre forests.
After being hand picked and placed in small crates, the bunches of grapes are brought to the wine store where the harvest is twice sorted by hand, once upstream and once downstream of the stemmer.

An exacting procedure which enables the quality of the grapes - to be put in the tanks - to be considerably refined, all foreign matter is removed (rosé, rotten or underdeveloped seeds, etc).

After cold maceration, alcoholic fermentation, post-fermenting maceration punctuated by overpumping using gravity, frequent head plunging and cap immersion, the wine continues its malolactic fermentation after it is run off into new barrels.

Ageing of varying duration ensues, from 12 to 18 months, according to the vintage's specificity.