Meeting with Ludovic Decoster
Meeting with Ludovic Decoster from La Maison Cardinale in Saint-Émilion
What is your current state of mind?
We are very optimistic. We just closed 2023 with a major rebranding of the business, renaming it Maison Cardinale to better reflect our diverse activities. Additionally, we are fortunate to have the talented Ludivine Chagnon join our team. So, we are very enthusiastic.
Why did you choose to separate the two terroirs into distinct projects?
We wanted to move away from the classic Bordeaux trend of expanding estates. The two terroirs are very different, and blending cold and warm terroirs would result in a lukewarm outcome that we don’t find interesting. We wanted to highlight the uniqueness of each terroir, to elevate their distinct qualities rather than homogenize them into a single blend. This is, in a way, a reinterpretation of the Burgundy “climats” style within Saint-Émilion.
Is the concept of “terroir expression” the new trend in Bordeaux?
I think today’s wine consumers are no longer satisfied with an institutional label that’s over 200 years old with little story behind it. Wine enthusiasts are curious and constantly searching for something new. Personally, although I am a wine producer in Bordeaux, my cellar also includes wines from other regions: the Rhône Valley, the Loire Valley, and more recently, Tuscan wines made from indigenous grape varieties.
With Château Fleur Cardinale and Château Croix Cardinale, we offer consumers the chance to discover what the same team can achieve on two different terroirs. This approach aligns perfectly with their expectations. We’ll have a lot of fun comparing the wines over the vintages, and we hope that those who enjoy our work will take pleasure in tasting them too.
How does your openness to other regions influence your approach?
In your question, you mention two of our core values: openness and influence. We aren’t a family rooted in Bordeaux’s traditional wine circles. My parents arrived in 2001 after careers in the porcelain industry. We work in a very traditional way and don’t claim to invent new winemaking techniques. However, we allow ourselves to be influenced by what’s happening around us, both within Bordeaux and beyond.
For example, in Italy, the use of amphorae has come back into fashion, as has aging in large wooden vats, which had disappeared in Bordeaux but are now making a comeback.This openness is also reflected in how we communicate at Maison Cardinale. We enjoy sharing our passion for music, spanning from classical and jazz to hard rock and metal. We explore all musical genres – just take a look at the discography in our offices – to convey our wines’ essence. Our clientele is diverse, international, and often young. It’s up to us to capture the interest of this new audience by breaking down certain traditional norms.
What are your ambitions for the future with Ludivine Chagnon as the new technical director?
Above all, this is an encouraging meeting of minds. Choosing Ludivine came naturally because she truly embodies our values. Her experiences in Burgundy, Sancerre, and Chile bring a unique perspective and openness that go beyond technical expertise. She immediately connected with our project: for us, a great wine isn’t just technically perfect; it must also tell a story. That’s what she came to find at Maison Cardinale.
Today, our main challenge is adapting to the effects of climate change. We need to find effective solutions to continue on the path we’ve chosen, especially with an ultra-sustainable approach to our 35 hectares – 86,49 acres of vines in 2024. The development of Maison Cardinale on cool, clay-limestone terroirs is a major asset in this adaptation. These soils absorb excess water, and during droughts, they act like a sponge, preventing significant stress on the vines. This is accompanied by practices that promote biodiversity. We aren’t reinventing anything but are open to learning from others to see if it can be applied to our reality.
Whether red or white, our ambition is for Château Fleur Cardinale wines to be recognized as must-haves from Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Not necessarily the most expensive or iconic but wines that belong on a restaurant’s wine list.
For the wines of Château Croix Cardinale, produced on 4.5 hectares – 11,12 acres, we want them to become one of Saint-Émilion’s hidden gems—wines sought after by connoisseurs who appreciate exploring off the beaten path.
To be a winemaker is to embrace a humble stance To get used to adapting Before the structure of a wine becomes noble There are so many subtleties to grasp.
Humility comes through in your words and is also reflected at the entrance with a quote from Franco-Senegalese poet Souleymane Diamanka. In this spirit, could you share with us your satisfactions, but also your mistakes?
Our main failure was a poor management of downy mildew pressure in 2023. We were overwhelmed by the situation. That said, our mindset is combative, and even though this loss of harvest was difficult, it did not compromise the quality of the wines. We were able to bounce back by hiring Ludivine, which will allow us to continue to evolve and grow.
My greatest satisfaction is very recent. On the evening of December 6th, we gathered all our partners, brokers, and merchants to present the La Maison Cardinale project. Our entire team was also present to share this moment and experience the launch of this project to which they contribute daily. My wife and I were in the cellar, in front of about a hundred people who came to listen to us. Some members of our team were moved to tears, and it was only at the end that we realized the impact of this moment. It profoundly affected us. We created something beautiful and human that goes far beyond the terroir or a great wine. Talking about it still touches me deeply today. After such a difficult year, this moment reinforced our belief that we can rely on a strong team by our side.
Maison Cardinale also features a hospitality center on the property. You offer a unique sensory experience. What were your initial intentions?
We wanted visitors to have an experience that goes beyond a simple tour of the cellars with vats and barrels. To achieve this, we prioritize private experiences, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable. We have set up interactive models, designed by Caroline and produced locally, to explain the work in the vineyard throughout the year. When we ask, “Do you see what I mean?” visitors can now literally touch and manipulate the objects, making the experience more tangible.
The visit continues through a corridor where we have recreated, through visual and auditory effects, the sensations that a winemaker experiences outside throughout the four seasons. After being immersed in this atmosphere, visitors then discover the vineyard. This approach allows them to better understand our profession and the steps involved in crafting a great wine.
We have also designed a sensory path dedicated to children, where they become the heroes. They are invited, for example, to touch a stainless steel vat or the wood of a barrel to explore different textures. These sensations are universal, and we aim to share them with as many people as possible, including those with disabilities.
During the tasting, we invite visitors to choose the vinyl that will accompany the moment and to sit wherever they like: on a couch, at a high table, in the garden, or even on the floor. The idea is for everyone to create an atmosphere that suits them best, allowing them to fully enjoy the experience.
At the end of the visit, we provide a postcard, allowing visitors to take a moment to write a note to a loved one. We then take care of posting it. This is a way to reconnect with the concept of time, which is essential in our profession as winemakers.
We have also invested in virtual reality to continue sharing our message around the world. This is not just a technological tool but a fantastic medium that allows a sommelier, a wine merchant, or an enthusiast to dive into our daily lives, even from a distance. Of course, this does not replace human contact, but it is an excellent way to utilize technology differently.
What are your inspirations for coming up with all these ideas?
Well, I found my muse in January 2000, during high school in Limoges: my wife! (Laughs) Let me explain, but this requires sharing a bit of our couple’s intimacy! In the morning, when we wake up, Caroline often says to me, “Oh, I’ve thought of a new idea!” And I respond, “You’re driving me crazy with your ideas.” Then in the evening, before going to bed, she brings it up again: “No, but I’m sure it’s a good idea…” And I, resigned, say, “Fine, go ahead, explain it to me.”
Caroline is full of projects and is the driving force behind many initiatives: the collector’s editions, our partnership with Hellfest, etc. She pulls us into her ideas, while I tend to play the role of the gatekeeper to make sure things don’t get out of hand. Our complementarity is reflected in the duality of our vineyards at La Maison Cardinale. And it works quite well!
Do you want to add something to conclude?
We are simply happy to do what we do every day, despite the ups and downs, and to be able to share it with our team. We consider ourselves fortunate. Managing a property is not an easy job; there are many constraints, it’s exhausting, and it requires a lot of sacrifices. Here, we are lucky to have solid foundations to get through a tough year. But we do not forget that, just a few kilometers from here, many vineyards are being uprooted, with all the hardships that entails. One must never rest on their laurels. This reminds me of a conversation with my daughter, who once told me that she didn’t want to make wine when she grew up because “when you make wine, you don’t see your children!” My wife and I looked at each other and decided to be more present for our children.
Portrait
A music choice for the interview: I’d like to kick things off with Airbourne, an Australian rock band that delivers powerful, positive, and very danceable rock. The title would be “Stand Up for Rock’n Roll.”
A film: Dead Poets Society is a fundamental film, and I can’t wait to share it with my daughter when she’s ready to grasp all the nuances and the strong message that emerges from the work. We see students in this strict environment where a teacher comes in and disrupts everything by encouraging them to be free thinkers.
A book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Beyond the darkness of the book, it’s one that helps with personal development.
A rejuvenating activity: It might be surprising, but to release excess energy, I’d choose four days at a rock festival. It’s a real break from the rhythm of the year.
A vintage: 2019, as it marks a turning point where we vinified in the new cellar at Château Fleur Cardinale, and it’s the first vintage where we were able to implement a glimpse of this new vision.
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Photos and statements collected by Marie-Pierre Dardouillet, Cépages Communication for Vignobles et Châteaux.