Le Cigare Volant vertical
Tasted Sunday, March 20, 2005 by AndrewSGHall with 1,693 views
Introduction
I will always have a place in my heart for Bonny Doon's Le Cigare Volant as it is the wine that really got me interested in wine in more than a cursory fashion. I read about Le Cigare Volant and its backstory in the process of researching a folklore paper on the UFO subculture. I tracked some down mostly for a lark and was suprised to discover a delicious wine and a whole new world of the "Rhone Rangers." This stimulated me to learn more about wine in general and American idiosyncratic producers in particular. As time has gone by, I have found my tastes moving away from some of those wines and have been less than thrilled with the direction that Bonny Doon and particularly Le Cigare have gone. A year ago, a bottle of 1985 LCV was absolutely gorgeous and reminded me of what the wine once was. My friend Mike, who through his SubGenius connections has spread the notoriety of LCV all over the country, and his fiancée were coming over dinner. A Middle Eastern feast was set and the time seemed perfect to line up the collection and see what was shaking.
Flight 1 - Le Cigare Volant 1993 - 2001 (9 Notes)
All bought on release and cellared by me. Starting in 1995 the winery switched to using synthetic closures. In 2001, they switched to screwcaps.
Flight 2 - Variations on Le Cigare (3 Notes)
When I was still a member of the Doon Esoteric Wine Network, variations on the LCV showed up with regularity. The Version B was a different blend and the Splendido had a sizable portion of Sangiovese added. The Triperfecto is a multi-vintage blend involving extended lees aging.
Flight 3 - Bonus Wine : 1993 Bonny Doon Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum) (1 Note)
Picked up for a song a few years ago. What Randall was up to before he discovered Rhone varietals.
Closing
Clear winners were the 1996 and the Splendido. The 1994 was not far behind and the 1997 has a great upside. Unfortunately, everything from 1998 on shows very little potential and shows how much the winery has declined in the seriousness with which they produce this wine, while the price has successively escalated. There is really not much point in buying this wine anymore. I will enjoy the last of my cache and toast the rememberance of things past.
Dinner was:
Herb kulku wrapped in lavash with yoghut dipping sauce
Uzbeki carrot salad
Tashkent onion/garlic bread
Persian pilov with spinach, prunes and pine nuts
Baked hummus
Grilled lamb chops
1993 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Pretty nose with a whiff of balsamic. Slight baked taste, tart cherries, more balsamic. Clearly shot.
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1994 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Fruit and spice on the nose. Tastes very young and fresh. Rich body, brambles and clay. Slight garrique notes. Clean finish, medium length with more fruit and herbal notes. Well-balanced and solid wine with slightly rustic edges. Quite tasty.
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1995 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Yeasty and carbonic nose. Banana elements. Very flat and dull on the palate. Not enjoyable.
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1996 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Slight perfume on the nose, light and fresh. Tastes perfectly mature and elegant. Herbal and tarts integrated with soft fruit and more floral notes. Smooth finish, slight leather and dried berries. Very delicious and at an ideal point.
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1997 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Very tannic and tight, almost chewy. Giving little on the nose. Tart fruit core, pulls at the mouth. Short finish, slight hints of earth. Not at all unpleasant, but very hard to read.
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1998 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Fruity and uncomplex. Not balanced, not interesting. Never improved.
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1999 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Yuk - nasty acids and funk here. Way off.
Second bottle : Better, but still acidic and not enjoyable, maybe closed. Disjointed with tobacco and black fruits and waxy notes. Lacks body as well.
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2000 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Light nose, slight eucalyptus and adhesive (not good). Nice structure and balance, but light body and dulled fruit. Not complex or engaging.
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2001 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant
USA, California, Central Coast
Soft nose with alcohol dominating faint herbals. Some fruit, slight herbal notes, short finish. Very much low-level Cotes du Rhone like.
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