Rich and smooth red.
Meaty, smoky and peppery.
Tasting Notes:
The ‘06 Cigare certainly shows the family flavor profile of red fruits, herbal and earthy notes in a savory medium bodied package. But it is quite a different wine!
A blend of syrah, grenache, cinsault with just a hint of mourvèdre and carignane, making for a bright and wonderfully gamey wine. Very youthful with toasty notes of cherry, birch, sassafras and pomegranate. Pair this racy red with a bloomsdale spinach salad in a sherry vinaigrette garnished with carpaccio of tuna or beef. Speaking of beef, a rare steak in any number of variations (tri-tip, flat-iron, filet) would be quite delish. While the zesty ‘06 is excellent right now, aging it for 2-3 more years would be all to the good.
Vineyard | Production Notes
This cuvée, the 22nd edition of Le Cigare Volant, is dominated by the chief red in residence - syrah. Our traditional syrah source in Santa Maria Valley was this year supplemented with the exceptional Central Coast Chequera Vineyard. Chequera Syrah is very fragrant and elegant, not quite classically New World or Old. Bien Nacido produces the closest analogue we have found to a Northern Rhône wine - tannic and meaty in the lower registers; peppery, fruitful and delicately floral in the top, all the while showing great balance and harmony. For those with particular sensitivity, a smidge of our own Biodynamic® Estate grenache adds a discreet spiciness to the attraction. A small group of non-irrigated, centenarian Contra Costa vineyards has provided mourvèdre for Cigare for many years and finally, a small dollop of cinsault provides a very particular fragrance of flowers and aromatic herbs.
Vital Statistics
Varietal Blend: 44% syrah, 43% grenache, 12% cinsault, 1% mourvèdre, carignane
Appellation: California
Alcohol by Volume: 13.3%
Serving Temp: 55-65ºF
Cellaring: 3-5 years
Production: 3,300 cases
