L’Atelier Limited Release Cote d’Or

Anthony’s Cigar Emporium will be receiving its shipment in April 2015 so be sure you don’t miss out on this anticipated limited release!

Although the market is filled with limited release cigars, L’Atelier Imports has only released one to date, a limited run known as Extension de la Racine.  But when the Garcias offered L’Atelier the opportunity to use the coveted Pelo de Oro from one of their farms, Pete Johnson, owner of L’Atelier Imports, didn’t pass up the opportunity to create something extremely special.  Pelo de Oro is notoriously difficult to grow, as it’s prone to disease and produces low yields, which makes it quite an investment for a tobacco grower.  However, it’s a tobacco varietal renown by cigar makers for its combination of strength and sweet flavor.  Thus, the Côte d’Or was born. Like all L’Atelier cigars, Côte d’Or is rolled by the Garcia family at their My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Pete Johnson opted for the name Côte d’Or, French for “gold coast,” as a way to honor the region in France where Pinot Noir grapes (a tempermental varietal itself requiring a lot of hands on care and also extremely subjective to the environment in which it is grown) are grown for some of the world’s most coveted Burgundy wines. With both Pelo de Oro and Pinot Noir, the yields are low, but the resulting products are very special.  Côte d’Or, which translates roughly to “Gold Coast” made for a classic name, given the translation of Pelo de Oro as “Hair of Gold,” and the similarities between growing Pinot Noir and Pelo de Oro. 

L’Atelier decided to use the darker priming Sancti Spiritus wrappers that are used on the Selection Spéciale for added flavor depth and worked with changing the filler blend to incorporate the Pelo de Oro.  Sancti Spiritus is a hybrid of Criollo and Pelo de Oro.  The resulting profile for Côte d’Or is complex, rich and rewarding smoke with a hint of complex sweetness with combines well with the strong, earthy and slightly spicy taste of fine Nicaraguan tobaccos.  

A substantial 7×47 Churchill size was chosen and is presented with its own band in 10-count boxes.  

L’Atelier Limited Release Cote d’Or
Made by: My Father for L’Atelier Imports
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus (hybrid Criollo and Pelo de Oro)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaraguan blend using Pelo de Oro
Dimensions: 7″ x 47 Churchill

Total production for Côte d’Or will be 2,100 ten count boxes (21,000 cigars). 

Reserve your Box of Cote d’Or at Anthony’s Cigar Emporium here