Item Number: 7171 UPC: 0769434103267

Country: USA
Region: California Sub Region: Central Coast
Appellation/AVA: Central Coast
Vintage: 2009
Grape(s): 36% Syrah / 25% Grenache / 20% Mourvèdre / 19% Cinsault
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750ml Pack: 12
Closure: Screwcap
Case Production: 785
Alc by Vol(%): 13.3
Total Acidity: 6.3
pH: 3.55
Winemaker's Notes: "What I love most about Cigare Volant is not that it’s a vin de terroir. (It’s not, but that may come someday.) Certainly not its stylistic consistency—that seldom happens. Instead, when we are lucky, we are able to produce a wine that captures some of the unique qualities of the vintage and of our generally distinctive vineyards. Often one observes a sort of rhythmic teeter-totter between powerful and structured wines (viz. the ’07 and ’08) and gentle, elegant and fragrant wines, such as we find here with the ’09 vintage. How do we undertake this weighty blending decisions? The Grenache is always the key. If the Grenache is particularly expressive as it was in earlier vintages, it is our preference to let it take the lead, then fill in with the other bits. In ’09 the Grenache was shy and reticent, but the Syrah and Cinsault were ultra-extraverts. I love it when we end up with an elegant, juicy, Burgundian savory mouthful of deliciousness, as we just happened to do in 2009. The nose is all black fruit all the time: sloe, black olive, black cherry, violets, black raspberry and licorice (and a very sublime suggestion of wintergreen in the mix as well). The mouth is just soft and elegant; bright acidity, moderate alcohol and a finish that goes on and on. In my experience, this is the style of Cigare that will live for years and years." - Randall Grahm

Location Notes: Grenache from Bonny Doon's former Ca’ del Solo estate (a quarter of the blend) adds rich black fruit flavors and a discreet spiciness. Syrah is principally sourced from Bien Nacido vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, which produces the closest analogue they 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 small amount of ultra-low-yielding hilltop Biodynamic® Syrah comes from the Chequera vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles. A select group of non-irrigated, centenarian Contra Costa vineyards continues to provide Mourvèdre for Cigare. A touch of Cinsault provides a very particular fragrance of flowers and aromatic herbs, and an even smaller morsel of Carignane adds notes of earthy stone.