Wine Article

The 2004 is an aleph of light and dark notes; vibrant, fruity and floral notes contrasted against a denser, darker core rarely seen in preceding Cigares. The first wafting aromas suggest freshly warmed black raspberry conserve, rose petals, black licorice and garrigue. The grenache is hinted at by way of the bright puffs of raspberriocity and cherry liqueur, with the syrah and mourvèdre showing their tendency towards dominant density - laying down thick, recumbent panes of flavor vaguely suggesting spice, meatiness, and a strong expression of the minerality we have been working so hard to mine, as it were, in our high-flying flagship.
This cuvée, the 21st edition of Le Cigare Volant, is dominated by the chief red in residence - grenache. Our traditional grenache source in Gilroy was this year supplemented principally by fruit from an ancient vineyard planted in a dry creek bed in the Paicines section of San Benito County. For those with particular sensitivity, a smidge of our own Biodynamic® Estate grenache adds a discreet spicy compound attraction. The syrah issues from two exceptional Central Coast vineyards - Bien Nacido and Chequera. 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. 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.

* Varietal Blend: 38% grenache, 35% syrah, 12% mourvèdre, 8% carignane, 7% cinsault
* Alcohol by Volume: 13.5%
* TA: 6.3 g/L
* pH: 3.6
* Production: 6,140 cases