The Wine
Vino Nobiledi Montepulciano 2003
Denominazione Di Origine Controllata Garantita
Capoverso
Siena, Italy
13.5% abv
Appearance: deep dark garnet with a little ruby around the rim.
Aroma: dark berry, the alcohol is happy that the cork is popped; later the aroma was dark berry and earthy, the alcohol got a chance to burn off, so to say.
Flavors: heavy on the dark berries, it reminds me of a mixed dark berry pie filling, there seems to be a little bit of an inky note, firm soil note,
Mouthfeel: leathery, dark berries cover the tongue,
My Strength Rating: 7.5 – medium-full feel from the thick berry profile and the earthy tones.
The Cigar
Pinar del Rio Seleccion Toro
Reserva Limitada
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
Fillers: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 50
I have smoked a couple of these sticks in the past month and it seems to be a pretty good smoke overall. So, let’s do a review and a wine pairing with this one today.
Off the Light: nice mild-medium earthy tone that has a forest floor likeness. As the smoke continues there is a good spicy quality that develops. The earthy notes seem to build with each puff. The spicy notes remind me of ginger and white pepper.
The Pairing: boy this cigar makes this wine seem tame here on the first few sips. I think it is the spicy quality of the cigar that mellows the wine. The dark berry notes start to show up in the wine during the next few exchanges. The earthy styles of these two seem to complement each other.
Mid-Point: the mouthfeel seems leathery and the earthy notes dominate on the aftertaste. The forest floor character comes across as complex; mineral soil, toasted vegetation (toasted tobacco leaf), wood notes that remind me of a mixture of hardwood and some spicy cedar. Thinking of spice it now seems like a mixed pepper mill grind, a little white, green, and black pepper mix. At times I get that white pepper musty taste and then I get that coarse black pepper citrus bite.
I think I am enjoying this cigar more so than the ones that I just sat back smoked the other week. With that statement right there proves my point that ‘reviewing’ a cigar is completely different than just sitting back and smoking a stick. This is also true for wine and beer reviews that I do as well.
The Pairing: I think I enjoy drinking the wine first and then taking a few puffs of the cigar. I enjoy the flavors of the wine first and then the cigar complements the wine. When I would take a few puffs of the cigar and then sip the wine the cigar seemed to override the wines flavors.
Down the Stretch: a robust mixture of soil, dried leafs, and smoked hardwood. The mouthfeel is leathery and dry. This cigar does need a quality beverage. I think a quality pilsner or lager would be a good contrast to this robust smoking experience.
My Strength Rating (cigar): 8 – firm earthy tones with a complex spice profile.
To the Point: Don’t just smoke this stick – experience it – take your time and think of the flavors you experience.
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