A TOBACCO AGED IN A WINE CASK
This limited-edition masterpiece from Davidoff contains a filler tobacco that has been aged in a Premier Grand Cru Classé red wine cask. But how did the idea of refining tobacco in a wine cask ever come about? “We have our founder Zino Davidoff to thank for that,” explains Edward Simon, CMO of the Swiss family business Oettinger Davidoff, which owns and produces the leading premium cigar brand Davidoff. “His aim was always to set himself apart with pioneering innovations and unparalleled cigar experiences. The possibilities offered by different terroirs in winemaking and the blending of at least three different main grape varieties in French winemaking inspired Zino Davidoff in 1946 to create a cigar line that would be blended in the same way as a fine red wine. The line we know today as Grand Cru has its origins in this wine-cigar analogy.”
Based on this idea, the brand has launched its Grand Cru Diademas Finas Limited Edition Collection. The cigar perfectly reflects the primary flavours of a well-aged red wine and is also a prime example of Davidoff’s masterful craftsmanship. Cigar connoisseurs know that although the tapered figurado format requires the utmost precision when rolling, it also allows the fruity character of the cigar to be revealed step by step — just like a fine Bordeaux wine gradually unfolds. In order to provide aficionados such a consistently exquisite experience every time, Davidoff rollers have at least ten years of experience.
DAVIDOFF’S TERROIRS ARE UNIQUE
Like a good winemaker, Davidoff also utilises the opportunities offered by cultivation on different terroirs. “We cultivate fifteen different growing zones in the Dominican Republic,” says Edward Simon. “The tobaccos from each individual terroir provide unique and sensory enjoyment experiences due to different growing conditions. For our Grand Cru Diademas Finas,we opted — among others — for a Dominican San Vicente filler tobacco, which, thanks to its thin leaf, is able to absorb the wine flavours from the cask well and thus helps the cigar to resemble the character of a red wine — a combination that rolls around in the mouth like wine being swirled in a glass.”
A WONDERFUL PALATE STIMULATION
Davidoff recommends enjoying the cigar with a well-aged, high-quality red wine. When choosing a wine, it should be noted that wines with a certain maturity and a longer, more complex finish are particularly suitable. After you have taken a sip and let the flavours sink in, take a puff of the cigar to complement and deepen the palate stimulation with the notes of the cigar. Cheers!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CASK AGEING…
The tobacco leaves are pressed firmly inside the wine cask. As the temperature in the closed cask rises, the tobacco begins to ferment. The temperature is checked regularly to prevent the tobacco from overheating. In total, the tobacco is aged in the cask for six months, during which it gets flipped every two weeks in a labour-intensive process. Meanwhile, the tobacco absorbs the wine aromas of the cask’s wood. This is a natural process in which no wine is applied directly to the leaves. As a result, the cask ageing adds complexity and depth to the flavours. Especially by using Dominican San Vicente seco tobacco, the cask ageing noticeably refines the overall taste of the cigar, as the seco leaves are fine and can absorb more of the wine aroma.
Find out more about the Grand Cru Diademas Finas here