It is always good to trade cigars with friends. Like baseball cards when I was young, you always got something that you didn’t have. Today I would like to talk about the L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche cigar that my very good friend Alton gifted to me the other day. Now, to start with, this cigar is follow-up to the company’s Côte d’Or that was released in 2014. I did not have the pleasure of smoking that one but I did enjoy this years limited edition variety.
L’Atelier cigars are a product of the L’Atelier Imports, a company founded by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje fame.
If you understand Pinot Noir wines, you may know that that is a low yielding grape variety. The L’Atelier Cote d’Or La Tache 2016,uses a low yielding leaf for its wrapper – Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus which is a hybrid of Criollo and Pelo de Oro tobaccos. The blend includes additional Pelo de Oro in the filler.In fact the name represents the area in France where Pinot Noir grapes are grown. The actual translation of La Tâche is “task” which, based on what I read, is what it is to grow these grapes or in the case of tobacco – what it takes to grow the Pelo de Oro.
The L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche blend profile is described as:
- Wrapper -Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus
- Binder – Nicaragua
- Filler – Nicaragua
L’Atelier will be keeping production of the Cote d’Or La Tache to a limited 2,000 10-count boxes, and it is available in only one vitola, a 5 1/2 x 50 Robusto. The cigar has a MSRP set at $16.00/cigar.
The presentation of the cigar is change slightly from the 2014 variety. It is dressed with a violet satin footer band and the violet is also used as a highlight in the linen paper band.
Keep reading to see how the L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche performed.
- Beautiful slightly oily milk-chocolate brown wrapper
- You can pick up some mottling under the light
- the foot shows off a dark core of leaf
- Elegant linen band with a violet satin footer
- The aroma off the pre-light foot is incredibly enticing with a deep nut aroma and some cocoa hiding by in the shadows
- Man I could sniff on that for a while!
- The barrel is that of a fermented leaf
- The cold draw delivers an equally enticing blend of flavor – nut, pepper, and hint of vanilla
- First puffs are pleasant with just a mild pepper in the nasal and notes of nut and cocoa
- Cream enters after the first third
- Follows up with a sweet almond
- Spice finds it way in during the second third
- Aroma turns nutty
- The final third brings a berry to the profile that lingers on the palate
- Medium body of smoke with a a solid medium strength.
- Total Smoking time was around 75 minutes.
Overall, the L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche was a very flavorful and easy cigar to smoke. I took it to the nub wishing there was more but all good things come to an end. It certainly would pair very well with a nice Pinot Noir. It would think the Pinot Noir grape would bring out the berry fruit in this cigar. The cigar would offer a delicate spice to the Pinot Noir wine.
L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche