2007 Le Cigare Volant - en demi-muid

$45.00 per bottle / $486.00 per case
$38.25 per bottle / $432.00 per case (Members)

Red Wine of the Earth
This is a special reserve bottling of the Cigare cuvée that was aged exclusively en demi-muid—or puncheon—500 and 600 liter barrels, about twice the size of a conventional barrel. It is deep ruby red with a pale purplish rim, and is dark and almost leathery on the nose, with blackberry, black cherry, and bramble fruit aromas. There are more dark fruits on the palate, but also with bright cherry, currant, spice, and pepper. Earthy and a little gamey with great texture, it is the most muscular of the 2007 Cigare variant bottlings.

A blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre with just a soupçon of cinsault makes for a bright and wonderfully gamey wine. The chief red in residence, grenache, derives primarily from our traditional Biodynamic® grenache source from Alta Loma Vineyard in Monterey County. This is supplemented with a smidge of our own Estate grenache, adding a discreet spiciness to the attraction. The syrah is principally sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, which produces the closest analogue we have found to a Northern Rhône syrah—tannic and meaty in the lower registers; peppery, fruitful, and delicately floral in the top, all the while showing great balance and harmony. A group of non-irrigated, centenarian Contra Costa vineyards has provided mourvèdre for Cigare for many years. Finally, a dollop of cinsault provides a very particular fragrance of flowers and aromatic herbs.

While the youthful '07 is excellent right now, aging it for 2-3 more years would be all to the good. We recommend a gentle decanting before consumption.

Vital Statistics
Varietal Blend: 60% grenache, 32% syrah, 4% mourvèdre, 4% cinsault
Appellation: Central Coast
TA: 6 g/L
pH: 3.62
Alcohol by Volume: 14.4%
Serving Temp: 55-60°F
Cellaring: Aged 20 months. Aging potential: 20+ years from release (Nov. 2010)
Production: 550 cases