2003 Le Cigare Volant

$44 per bottle / $540 per case
$37.50 per bottle / $480 per case (Members)

Library Release

In 2003, the Cigare temporarily drifted away from its traditional reliance on grenache as a moral tether. Here syrah and mourvèdre are dominant, and the result is a dense vintage. One can hardly quarrel with the results. The meaty musculature of the syrah and mourvèdre provide a solid framework for the spice cake and peppery ornamentation. The wine will continue to coalesce and evolve for at least another 7-10 years.

Tasting Notes:
A brilliant deep black cherry color with very faint russeting at the rim. Wildly aromatic, yielding lush plummy aromas that deepen into black currant, chocolate, tobacco, and tea, plus a grounding, earthy gaminess. On the palate it's remarkably fresh, with juicy black fruits like blackberry, black currant, cherry, plums, anise, and spice. The finish is long and savory, with lingering spicy plum.

Gentle decanting will enhance this wine's aromatics, which continue to unfold beautifully even after several hours. This is a lush and powerful wine evocative of a Rhône cuvée, yet in its full maturity is fully integrated, all elements in harmonious balance, yielding a seamless experience from first aroma through final delicious sip.

Vinification:
Hand harvest and sorted; 15% whole cluster fermented; 100% ML; aged in 10,000 liter French oak upright tanks as well as in 25% new and 75% neutral French oak for 18 months; followed by 18 months in bottle prior to release.

Vital Statistics
Varietal Blend: 35% mourvèdre, 32% syrah, 26% grenache, 7% cinsault
Appellation: California
Cellaring: 10 years
Alcohol by Volume 13.5%
TA: 6.2 g/L
pH: 3.6