
Wine Specs
Vintage
2010
Varietal
28% syrah, 22% grenache, 17% cinsault, 17% mourvèdre, 16% carignane
Appellation
Central Coast
Pronunciation
luh see-igar vole-aunt
TA
5.5 g/L
pH
3.54
Aging
Ideally hold for a year or two (Sept. 2015-16), 15-20+ years ageability
Serving Temperature
58º F
Label Artist
Chuck House
Alcohol %
13.3
Wine Enthusiast
92
Planet Grape
92
2010 Le Cigare Volant Réserve “en bonbonne" 3L
This is no ordinary Cigare... our ongoing experimental protocol with anaerobic élevage of Cigare in 5-gallon glass bottles.
92 POINTS, Vinous
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Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
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.
Winemaker Notes
This special cuvée of Le Cigare Volant is identical to our normale bottling but, owing to its unorthodox élevage, appears quite different in its presentation. After a short tenure in barrel, assemblage and completion of malolactic fermentation, the wine was removed to 5-gallon glass carboys (bonbonnes), where it reposed sur lie for 20 months. This practice yields a rare degree of integration and complexity, plus a preternatural degree of savoriness.
Food Pairing Notes
Epoisses Cheese, Rack of Lamb, Venison or Reindeer Meatballs, Braised Mushrooms, Santa Maria-Style Tri Tip.
Production
511 cases