Blend Lab CI TO-554 Cigar and Main Street Chardonnay 2009

The Wine

Main Street Chardonnay 2009

Santa Barbara County

Main Street Winery

St. Helena, California, USA

Mainstwinery.com

I have seen prices of $10 to 13

I paid $31 at the Bank Restaurant in Port Austin Michigan

See WinePostings for the food pairing 

Appearance: light golden straw

Aroma: tropical and sweet fruit on the nose reminding me a little of papaya juice and a splash of pineapple.

Flavors: the sweet and tropical nose follows to the taste.  White peach, throw in that splash of pineapple, fuji apple, and there seems to be a touch of oak on the back. 

My Strength Rating: 4 

The Cigar and Pairing

Blend Lab CI TO-554

Wrapper: Honduran Criollo Oscuro Viso

Binder: Dom. Viso

Fillers: Dominican Olor and Ligero, Pennsylvania Broadleaf

Size: 5 x 54

On Cigars International site they recommend a fuller bodied beverage but, I can’t follow rules for some reason.  One, I thought this Chardonnay would be able to be paired with fuller dishes than your usual white fish and shell fish routine.  I visited the Main Street web site and they said this wine should pair well with spicier dish.  Now, I am not the smartest guy in the world but I did put two and two together and I ended up with four!  A cigar with a nice touch of spice and this Chardonnay – let’s give it a try. 

First Half: nice soil earth tones, good spice-box, and nice roasted grains.  The texture is leather like and the body is a solid medium.  I’ll give it a 5.5 on my strength scale. 




Of course the deer did not show up
today when I have my camera

 

The Pairing: this is working well.  The cigar has a mild affect upon the Chardonnay.  The wines body seems a touch fuller and the citrus note seems to be a little more involved.  I don’t think of earthy and white wine but, during this pairing there is a nice wet mineral stone taste when I puff the cigar first and then take a drink of the wine.   

Second Half: the body strength seems to be picking up as the smoking experience moves into the second half.  The complexity seems to be in the earthy tones; with toasted twigs and leafs mixed with soil (forest floor).  The roasted grain like quality seems a touch fuller as well.  The spice does not seem as involved at this point; it’s more on the finish.  I’ll give the cigar a 6 on my strength scale during the second half. 

The Pairing: I think the touch of oak, in the wine, helps to give some balance with the earthy tones of the cigar.  The sweet and tropical fruits are more of an undertones during this pairing but, still recognizable especially when you drink the wine first and then puff on the cigar. 

This was a very nice pairing on this 80 degree day with 70% humidity. 

I definitely maximized my experience with this pairing on this day.