On the nose, tobacco, cherry wood ash, wild blackberry, bramble, cigar box, leather and garrigue. Is that a note of brandy? Raw ginger? Definitely a smooth spice layer. On the palate, silky, luxurious length. Oh yes, she seems to go on forever. Cinsault lends the Montmorency cherry, one of the flavor elements typically associated with Cigare (and also, coincidentally seems to get the final word in over the protestations of the vocal, syrah). But, don’t let that fool you – this is no fruit bomb. There are strong suggestions of iodine – meaty and bloody. This wine is all about elegance, and seems to disarmingly suggest a Burgundian take on Châteauneuf, if such a notion can be fashioned. This is not an ordinary wine. What is most noteworthy about it is its amazing silky texture, savoriness and infinite length. The 2010 Le Cigare Volant Réserve is wine to be savored and studied over a long meal with dear friends. Will benefit enormously from a gentle decanting or even just sitting in large glass for 30 minutes, especially when consumed young. This bodes well for the wine’s great ageing potential.