La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor Valentino and Black Star Arcturos 2010 Cabernet Franc: Pairing

The Wine

Black Star Arcturos 2010 

Cabernet Franc

Black Star Farms

Suttons Bay, Michigan, USA

Montague Estate and Isidors Choice Vineyards

Blackstarfarms.com

$25.00

12% abv

I really enjoyed the 2008 so, when I was in Traverse City I had the opportunity to pick up some bottles of the 2010 and 2011 Cab Franc. 

Appearance: crimson with shiny ruby highlights

Aroma: blackberry, black plum, light-moderate wood,

Right after opening:

Flavors: delicate floral on the tip of the tongue followed by light earth, firm blackberry, a pomegranate raspberry note, a hint of floral late on the palate, light-moderate oak 

Mouthfeel: thin in spots, earthy dark berries swirl on the tongue, watery edge on the mid and back, slight oaky spice on the finish, moderate acidity,

My Strength Rating: 5/4.5 - medium body

To the Point: not even close to the 08.  The mouthfeel on the 08 was thick and jammy, how I like my Cab Franc to be.  This is on the thin side. 

The Cigar

La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor Valentino

Wrapper: Mexico

Fillers: Nicaraguan

Size: 6 x 60

I have smoked a few of these in the last month.  I enjoyed each one.  They came across as full-medium with a semi-smooth texture and hearty earthy tones.  I have been doing my Worst of the Worst Series so; it is time to have a good cigar.  Let’s do a review.

Off the Light: moderate earthy tones of soil and wood.  As the burn continues a dark roast coffee hits the palate with a light touch of pepper.  I removed a dark gray ash at just over the one inch point.  I’ll give it a 5.5 on my strength scale (medium body). 

Mid-Point: the toasty notes start to build a bit reminding me of toasted oak and fall leafs; some earthy soil starts to coat the palate with some oak spice – this is reminding me of a good red wine.  WINE – I’ll pair this with a wine.  I think it is still in the 5.5 range on my strength scale.

Down the Stretch: as the burn moves into the final third the body becomes a little fuller moving into the 6/6.5 range.  The notes move from toasted to slightly burnt.  Scorched forest floor with burnt fall leafs, roasted oak, and dark soil.  The mouthfeel is still smooth wool like during this pairing.  

The Pairing

This wine needed this cigar.  The cigar has just enough body to add some character to the wine.  This cigar seems to control the slight watery edge of the wine by bringing out the wines earthy tones and transferring a little spice. 

I have to say I was a little disappointed in the mouthfeel of this wine on the first glass and a half – till I lit up this stogie at that point.  I think this wine is also good for this cigar.  When I smoked this cigar at Smoky’s Cigar Shop all I had was a water to pair it with and the smoke seemed dryer and a bit fuller in body.  During this pairing the cigar seems to be in the medium body range maybe on the medium-full.  The texture was rough-wool like the other day at the store and today, with this wine, it is smooth-wool like.   

This wine needs a good medium to medium-full bodied cigar or a good hearty steak and I have a rib-eye waiting to go on the grill.