2007 Le Cigare Volant en foudre
(luh see-igar vole-aunt en foo-druh)
$45.00 per bottle / $486.00 per
case
$38.25 per bottle / $432.00 per
case (Members)
Red Wine of the Earth
This is a special reserve bottling of the Cigare cuvée that was
aged exclusively en foudre, or 10,000-liter upright wood
tanks. Bright ruby red with a pale purplish rim, the wine is wildly
aromatic, with floral herbs, menthol, and a little fennel on the
nose. On the palate there is bright cherry, fresh red currant, and
cranberry flavors with a bit of spice. It offers less grip on the
palate than the wine aged in smaller vessels, allowing the wine’s
filigree and detail to show. It is the most fine-boned, lithe, and
feminine of the 2007 Cigare variant bottlings.
A blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre with just a soupçon of
cinsault makes for a bright and wonderfully gamey wine. The chief
red in residence, grenache, derives primarily from our traditional
Biodynamic® grenache source from Alta Loma Vineyard in Monterey
County. This is supplemented with a smidge of our own Estate
grenache, adding a discreet spiciness to the attraction. The syrah
is principally sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria
Valley, which produces the closest analogue we have found to a
Northern Rhône syrah—tannic and meaty in the lower registers;
peppery, fruitful, and delicately floral in the top, all the while
showing great balance and harmony. A group of non-irrigated,
centenarian Contra Costa vineyards has provided mourvèdre for
Cigare for many years. Finally, a dollop of cinsault provides a
very particular fragrance of flowers and aromatic herbs.
While the youthful '07 is excellent right now, aging it for 2-3
more years would be all to the good. We recommend a gentle
decanting before consumption.
Vital Statistics
Varietal Blend: 60% grenache, 32% syrah, 4% mourvèdre, 4%
cinsault
Appellation: Central Coast
TA: 6 g/L
pH: 3.62
Alcohol by Volume: 14.4%
Serving Temp: 55-60°F
Cellaring: Aged 20 months. Aging potential: 20+ years from release
(Nov. 2010)
Production: 559 cases
