Nose
An incredibly lifted, ethereal floral aroma - almond blossoms, violets, sandalwood and wild strawberries, almost, dare I say, Burgundian in aspect.
Palate
On the palate, a dreamy weightlessness (this is a good thing!), silky tannins and an enormously persistent finish. The kind of wine that drives wine aficionados to drink, being a wine of great charm, elegance and intelligence. With decanting (and time), the wine seems to grow in both body and depth. Certainly one of the most charming Cigares of memory.
Growing Conditions
This vintage is primarily a Grenache based blend coming from our cool climate, Monterey County vineyards.
Vineyard Designation:
- 36% Alta Loma
- 21% Rancho Solo
- 17% Bechtold
- 16% Del Barba
- 10% Coastview
Winemaking
The élevage for this wine is rather different from previous vintages, with a substantial portion of the volume deriving from Cigare aged in 5-gallon glass demijohns (bonbonnes), which were ultimately blended into the same wine that had reposed in 10,000 liter wood uprights and puncheons.
Monterey County vineyard fruit adds rich black fruit flavors and a discreet spiciness. The Syrah for this vintage was sourced from the Coastview vineyard, a high elevation site (2,300 ft) in the granite and limestone rich soils of the Gabilan Moutain range. The cool climate Syrah provides an ample degree of tannin and dark fruit in the lower registers, with white pepper as a topnote. The non-irrigated, centenarian Del Barba vineyard of Contra Costa continues to provide Mourvèdre for Cigare. Cinsaut from the 120+ year old vines of the Bechtold vineyard provides a very particular fragrance of flowers and aromatic herbs.
Ingredients: Grapes, sulfur dioxide, and tartaric acid. In the winemaking process, the following were utilized: indigenous yeast, yeast nutrients, French oak chips, and chitosan.
Appearance
Medium, vivid ruby color.
Food Pairing
Ahi tuna, pork tenderloin, aged cheddar.
