A Tale of Two Cigars and a Bottle of Wine
The Wine
Barbera D’Asti Tre Vigne 2007
Bottled by: Vietti
100% Barbera grapes
Asti, Piedmont, Italy
14.5% abv
First taster-glass poured after opening:
Aroma: mixed berries with the focus on red
Flavors: a mix of dark berries and some red berries peeking through, black licorice,
Mouthfeel: smooth, on the light side of medium, lingering berries
Decanted Wine: (20 minutes)
Appearance: deep purple with a ruby edge.
Aroma: black berry like with a tart cherry, a slight inky and dark soil tone.
After a good walk around the block with the dogs I comeback to a change on the nose. I am not picking up that tart cherry and slight inky tone. Wow, I liked it before now, it is just yummy to smell. It is like smelling a bowl full of blackberries and dark currants mixed with some red currants, red cherries, and a few raspberries; to me there is a delicate earthy minerality with a nice touch of oak.
Flavors: the taste is following the nose; tasty dark berries and red cherries and that slight inky note has followed as well. I like the black licorice that is swirling around the other notes.
After that walk with the dogs the flavors are even better. Decant this wine for a good hour is what I take from this adventure. That slight inky note is gone; the dark berries are juicy with blackberry and black currant leading the way, a touch of tart red cherry is adding some character, and there are some sweet red berries that are spinning lightly underneath. I think the vanilla-oak is now coming through after some real good breathing time.
Mouthfeel: smooth, silky like, moderately coats the palate with berries, a firm medium body style. While the aftertaste is moderate it is berry-tasty. The tannins and acidity are well under control at this time.
To the Point: a great time to drink this wine; remember decant for 45 minutes to an hour. I wish I had more of this wine.
My Strength Rating: 5.5 – medium body
The Cigar
Hemingway Work of Art
I have had this cigar in my humidor for a few years now and today is the day to review it. And, I am going to review it with a fine bottle of wine.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder/Filler: Dominican
Size: 4.78 x 60 figurado
The length looks like 4.25 to me
Off the Light: ooooh, tasty sweet maduro right off the light. A latte like coffee tone plays with a marble bread likeness. The texture is smooth and elegant, like a Hemingway is supposed to be.
As the smoke continues the latte likeness turns to coffee with cream so, it is not as sweet as the first inch. The cigar has a mild spicebox note along with dark bread and an easy-going forest floor likeness.
The Pairing: this is a tasty pairing. I like this pairing much better than the La Aurora Maduro. I think it is that touch of Maduro sweetness that does the trick. The Hemingway does not have that dry style that the La Aurora has.
This Hemingway cigar just brings out all the tasty berries and that touch of vanilla-oak in the wine.
The aftertaste from this pairing is sweet berry like. I just don’t ever remember an aftertaste like this during a wine and cigar pairing.
This cigar just begs me to sit back and relax with this bottle of wine. This would be a perfect after dinner pairing.
Second Half: more of the same. Coffee, mild spicebox, dark bread and an easy-going forest floor likeness.
My Strength Rating: 4.5 – a very good medium body cigar.
To the Point: typical Hemingway style of elegance. This cigar is perfect for special moments.
Click here to see the La Aurora Cigar Pairing
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