La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 6 Maduro and Triple Overtime 2005 Cabernet Franc



Signed bottle by Igor

 The Wine
Triple Overtime 2005 Cabernet Franc

14.5% abv
Iltripleovertime.com
Napa Valley, California, USA
Igor Larionov Select Wines
My Strength Rating: 4.5

Igor Larionov is a former Detroit Red Wing hockey player and being from the Detroit area as well as a hockey fan I just had to buy this bottle. As it states on the bottle about Igor, “…being the oldest player in NHL history to score a triple overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Finals on the way to winning his 3rd Stanley Cup Championship.” Oh, how great that moment was and how great it was to see him skating for the Red Wings. I did not make it to the Fine Wine Source when Igor visited (about a year ago) and signed bottles of his wines but, Jim Lufty got me a few bottles of his fine wine with Igor’s signatures.

Here is the description from the bottle, “…bouquet of cedar, spice and black fruits. In the mouth there is an abundance of sweet cherry, blackberry and vanilla…”

On the opening of the bottle there is plenty of sediment on the cork and within the neck of the bottle. Oh, this is good stuff.

Based on the first glass; to me I get the spice and black fruits and berries on the nose along with a sweet vanilla-cherry note. I am not picking up the vanilla on the taste but, the sweet cherry and blackberry along with black currant fills the palate. A pretty straight forward wine. The tannins and acidity are moderate making it approachable for most palates. The mouthfeel is smooth overall.

Decanted second glass; the black fruits are a little richer and there is a little more earthiness on the nose while the sweet vanilla-cherry notes become more of an undertone.

Now, this is what I like about Cab Franc wines - the earthy style is showing up. While, the earthy notes are showing up it still is smooth in texture. The sweet cherry, blackberry, and black currants are still on board for a very tasty wine.

The medium body of this wine and its smooth texture will give it some good range for pairing with food and cigars. This is a nice Cabernet Franc.

The Cigar
La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 6 Maduro
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Grown Maduro
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
(as it states on the tin)
Size: 5-7/8” x 60
My Strength Rating: 6

This is one smooth and rich tasting cigar. I have always enjoyed the Serie R line-up from La Gloria. The key to a tasty cigar with the maduro is to get a jet black stick and not the ruddy blackish-brown stick. Back when I use to buy these by the box I would have the tobacconist open the box up before I would purchase the box to make sure I was buying the jet black ones.

Now, this is not a complex cigar. Just like the Triple Overtime wine this cigar is pretty straight forward. This cigar has a very rich and tasty earthy-coffee style. The earthiness is like the rich soil that the plants are grown in. The coffee is a rich and thick Espresso style. On the second half of the smoke there is a green peppery spice that builds to add some character. The earthy style becomes thicker as you near the end of the cigar.

I think the earthy style of this cigar will go well with the wines cherry and blackberry taste.

The Pairing
I would like to sit back with Igor and enjoy this pairing. The earthy profiles are working with each other for a good medium bodied experience. The moderate spice and espresso like notes of the cigar are nice with the berries from the wine. This is a good pairing to just sit back and enjoy.