AJ Fernandez Bella Artes Maduro Mariana Brut & Delaire Graff BotManskop 2016

There is something alluring about a Maduro cigar. The cigar looks enticing, wrapped in a dark tobacco leaf resembling cocoa and coffee bean colours. Rich and inviting. Your coffee steam blends with the cigar smoke to fill the room with cocoa and creamy aromas. Daytime or night, you picture the smoke volume floating into the window light.

It's a habit. Start with a coffee before you unwrap your cigar and pop a bottle to pair.

A.J. Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Robusto

Cigar journal cigar of the year in 2019

The wrapper and binder are unusual but unique. In 2016, A.J. Fernandez introduced the Bellas Artes series. The Maduro line followed two years later.

The Bellas Artes Maduro Story

A.J. Fernandez's inspiration came from visits to Havana's Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.

Owner: A.J. Fernandez Cigars

Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.

Cigar Bellas Artes Maduro Robusto

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.

Wrapper: Brazil (Mata Fina)

Binder: Mexico (San Andrés)

Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí)

Length: 5 1/2 Inches

Ring Gauge: 52

Vitola: Robusto

Release Date: July 2018

Bellas Artes Maduro Robusto

1 Cigar of 2019 by Cigar Journal

The Nicaraguan Robusto wrapper is a dark and enticing Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper. The cigar wrapper delivers a bold smoke combined with the Mexican San Andres binder and premium Nicaraguan filler.

The cigar is a tremendous success. The line satisfies Maduro fanatics who enjoy a full-bodied, luxurious smoking experience.

"I've always admired the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana. It served as the inspiration for the original Bellas Artes, which we released in 2016." - A.J. Fernandez.

Bellas Artes is Spanish for beautiful arts or fine arts. It is an exciting name for a cigar brand.

The original Bellas Artes wrapper

The original Bellas Artes wrapper is a work of art.

"I'm always tinkering. I'm always playing with blends. I try different tobaccos on existing combinations that I love. Especially when I have a wrapper that I like a lot. So one day, I took a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper that I was smoking and applied it to the Bellas Artes blend. It blew me away. From there, we tweaked the blend a little to suit the new wrapper, and that's how the Bellas Artes Maduro was born." A.J. Fernandez

Tasting notes:

Medium-Full

Box-pressed and dark brown, the cigar has a dark oily sheen. Hints of coffee notes and distinct creaminess develop. It burns and draws easy.

The cigar is perfect looking and expressive. It offers the scent of spices, cacao sweetness, creamy, woody and savoury aromas. The intense aromas include plenty of cocoa.

Strength, harmony, excitement.

Notes of roasted espresso beans, dark cocoa, wood, and sweet spices emerge. The finish is well-balanced.

The cold draw is easy, lush and rich. The aroma off of the foot is mellow but offers a bit of sweet earth and damp grounded coffee.

Mariana Blanc de Blanc Brut

Herdade do Rocim lies in the Lower Alentejo region, next to many large wine estates. It is the southern half of Portugal, between Vidigueira and Cuba. It is a 100 hectares property with 60 hectares under vine.

The late Jose Vieira purchased the Rocim estate. He was the founder of the Movicortes group. A Portuguese company specializing in agricultural machinery. But has its roots in farming and vineyards. His daughter, Catarina Vieira, is now in charge of the estate. She has a degree in Agronomical Engineering and a post-graduate course in Enology.

Catarina believes that Alentejo has the unique conditions required to produce world-class wines. She completely regenerated the vineyards and built a new state of the art winery. With the overhaul of the vineyards, they planted higher-quality varietals. That includes international grapes such as Syrah and Cabernet. Indigenous and local varietals.

They also produce olive oil from 90-year-old trees to recapture the region's traditions. Olive trees line almost the entire area.

Outside of the Alentejo, Vale da Mata is a small vineyard located on the slopes of the Serra de Aire hills in Cortes. Caterina's grandfather, Manuel, believes he produced his best wines in Vale da Mata. It is a family tradition to produce good wines in this special region.

Wines from Alentejo are becoming popular. It is a new world inside the old world. The professional wineries use a scientific approach while respecting the terroir to produce high-quality wines and lift the region's reputation. She has created a project that gives value to Alentejo and Portugal. 

Producer: Catarina Vieira and Pedro Ribeiro

Country: Portugal

Region: Alentejo

Founded: 2000

Annual production (of all wines): 120,000 bottles

Farming: Organic, Vegan

Website: www.herdadedorocim.com

Wine: Mariana Blanc de Blancs

Varietals: Arinto

Appellation: Quality Sparkling Wine de Portugal

Soil: Schist, sand

Agricultural Method: Organic, vegan

Vinification: Alcoholic and malolactic

• Fermentation of the base wine is in stainless steel vats.

• The second alcoholic fermentation happens in the bottle at controlled temperatures.

• Sediment removed after nine month's ageing on the lees.

Alcoholic Content: 12.5%

Mariana Blanc de Blanc Brut

Bubbly Scents

- Rich, full flavour

- Zesty

- Ripe grapes

- Melon & watermelon

Bubbly Taste

- Very light acidity

- Crisp light, fruity and bubbly

- Spritz watermelon

- Light alcohol

- The bubbles taste fresh on your palate with a balanced, rounded fruity aftertaste.

Delaire Graff Botmanskop 2016

Wine at Delaire Graff

In 1982 John Platter, the well-known wine writer, bought Delaire, called Avontuur. He decided to rename the farm Delaire Estate by looking at the magnificent view. It means "From the Sky".

Laurence Graff, Chairman of Graff Diamonds International, acquired the estate in 2003. Today Delaire is a desirable art, hospitality and wine destination.

Awarded best Vineyard in Africa 2020

Delaire Graff farm has 20 hectares of vineyards situated on Botmaskop Mountain. Bordeaux reds and Chardonnay grapes grow on Delaire Graff Estate, producing elegant wines. The farm is on Stellenbosh Hellshoogte Pass.

The World's Best Vineyards

The Delaire Graff Wine Estate is in the Top 50 wineries of the world and received the number one spot in Africa.

Morné Vrey Winemaker

Morné Very is relentless in his pursuit of quality. He embraces old and new methods to produce exceptional wines at Delaire Graff.

Morné aims for red wines with a full structure and soft tannins. Morne's wines are elegant and capture the harvest's freshness.

The Botmasnkop has rich aromas of cassis and spice with intense liquorice. You can taste subtle blackberry flavours with lingering tannins.

Delaire Estate Unique Terroir

Delaire Graff Estate overlooks the Banhoek Valley. The combination of the mountain altitude and salty sea air influences the grapes. Delaire Graff produces richer, intense flavoured grapes and exceptional balanced vintages.

Situated on the panoramic Helshoogte Mountain Pass, Delaire has high altitude vineyards. The vines grow on excellent soils with cooling sea breezes.

The mighty Simonsberg and Groot Drakenstein Mountains surround the 44-hectare vineyards. With its rugged mountain slopes, Delaire experiences variances in altitude. The property ranges from approximately 300 to 500 m above sea level. The height creates microclimates conducive to making multi-layered, complex wines.

Delaire Graff Estate is the epitome of luxury in Stellenbosch.

Delaire Graff Botmanskop 2016 Tasting Notes

Delaire Graff Botmanskop 2016 Wine Scent

The wine delivers characteristics of sweet spice and blackberries. Your first aromas are cherries and ripe plums. It is a combination of bold and smooth flavours.

Delaire Graff Botmanskop 2016 Wine Taste

Your fist sip has a velvety feel. Ripe fruit tones and plush tannins mingle for a complete taste experience.

The wine nose offers blackberry jam and a structured dry fruit spice aftertaste.

It's a superb crafted wine. The nose shows red and black fruit, floral perfume and attractive notes of spice. A well balanced and full-bodied wine fill your palate. The incredible depth of fruit and fine structure make the Botmanskop an elegant wine.

The wine evolves into smooth, rich-tasting sips with soft savoury tannins.

The expressive fruit flavours blend well to deliver a balanced red Bordeaux blend.

Bella Artes Maduro Cigar Smoking and wine pairing Experience

Bella Artes Maduro Dry Aroma

Sliding your cigar out of the cellophane is an appreciation ritual before you smoke. I love the first teasing scents of each cigar. The Bella Artes Maduro releases chocolate, earthy wet soil with peppery aromas. The cocoa scent blend with rich coffee and forest dampness fragrances.

Bella Artes Maduro Dry Draw

The draw on the cigar is light, with chocolate flavours released on the dry draw.

Bella Artes Maduro First Puff

The first puff is rich and velvety smooth. Your Maduro gives full cocoa, coffee and a rich, creamy smoking experience. The trademark light creamy draw of A.J. Fernandez cigars is brilliant.

The Maduro Robusto's first puffs add pepper and earthy notes to the chocolate flavour. Retrohales deliver hints of black pepper. The draw, burn and smoke production is very good.

Bella Artes Maduro & Mariana Blanc de Blanc Brut Pairing

The wine leaves your palate with fresh melon flavours and light acidity. The melon lifts the deep cocoa and woody character of the Bella Artes Maduro cigar.

Spiced cured sausage slices pair perfect with the full wine and cigar flavours. The decadent meaty flavours lift the cigar's cocoa and the wine's watermelon flavours.

The bubbly and Maduro pairing is fresh. The taste experience is a scoop of melon sorbet with the finest melted chocolate to coat your palate.

Bella Artes Maduro & Delaire Graff Botmanskop 2016 Pairing

A bold red wine. It is a full-bodied, creamy and jammy smooth wine and cigar pairing. The Botmanskop slows your pace demanding attention. It is that good. Your mouth fills with berry jam and mild fruit spice lingering on your palate. Sipping the red blend enhances the Maduro cocoa and coffee smoking flavours.

Conclusion

The flavour gets a bit richer in the final finish. The cigar still produces great smoke and burns with an even burn line. It is a smooth draw after more than two hours of smoking. The Bella Artes Maduro pairs brilliant with the Portuguese bubbles. The Delaire Botmanskop Bourdeaux is a full-bodied pairing with flavours complimenting the Maduro.

Not every pairing allows for a trilogy of tastes, but the Bella Artes Maduro does. It is a coffee, bubbly, great wine and Brandy cigar. Even more, if you want. Finish with a last sip of brandy. There are more options, but three combinations for one day will do it.

If you enjoy all the A.J. Fernandez Nicaraguan cigars, the Bella Artes Maduro could be your next puff to light.

Click the link below.

Light up an A.J. Fernandez Bella Artes Maduro