Cohiba Atmosphere Wine

[El Presidente]

ok....which of our  UK members have tried it? 

 

Take one for the team 

 

Cohiba Atmosphere Announces New Wine Releases

April 6, 20223 min readMisc. Editors

London, 4 April 2022 – Vineyard Club UK is pleased to announce the exclusive launch of Marqués de Tomares new limited edition Cohiba Atmosphere wines: Cohiba Reserva 2014 and Cohiba Gran Reserva 2012. For a limited time, these wines are now available for private sale.

About Cohiba Atmosphere
Cohiba Atmosphere comes from the love of two worlds at once different, but with many similarities. For wines and cigars, selection of raw material is extremely important, then a double fermentation and an ageing process which is carefully monitored to allow the product to reach its full potential. True to the long history of Cohiba and the winemaking tradition of Marqués de Tomares, COHIBA Atmosphere wines are for connoisseurs, a collector’s item.

They are now available in the UK. Two red wines with denominación de origen calificada RIOJA, of which only 500 bottles have been produced of each Reserva 2014 and Gran Reserva 2012.  These special edition wines come with a 24-karat gold engraved label. Undoubtedly a collector’s item.

Cohiba Atmosphere Reserva 2014
A Reserva red wine from La Rioja Alta that combines the tradition of the Marqués de Tomares winery and the unique terroir. It has pleasant notes of ripe fruits and an elegant, toasted layer. It is made from a blend of 97% Tempranillo and 3% Mazuelo. It is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. It has a ruby red colour, clean, intense and very bright. It is a wine that impresses pleasantly in the mouth for its fine aroma and flavour that makes it perfect to accompany pasta with light sauces, grilled meats, especially lamb, cold meats and soft cheeses.

Cohiba Atmosphere Gran Reserva 2012
Coming from the lands of La Rioja Alta, Cohiba Atmosphere Gran Reserva is made from different grape varieties: 90% Tempranillo, 5% Garciano, 2% Garnacha and 3% Viura. Aged for 36 months in French and American oak barrels. A subtle, delicate, elegant wine with aromas of spices, cocoa and coffee, with a dark, intense and bright cherry colour. Great finesse and long finish on the palate. This 2012 Gran Reserva is perfect to accompany red meats, cured cheeses, hams and charcuterie.

Vineyard Club 
We are an online store of collector’s wines in the UK Our mission is to provide our clients with the most select wines on the market with an attractive pricing.

Marqués de Tomares  Marqués de Tomares is a family-owned wine producer in la Rioja Alta.  For years, the bodega has been supplying Michelin Star restaurants both in Spain and abroad with limited production wines.  It is the exclusive producer of Cohiba Atmosphere wines.

 

[GavLew79]

I didn't realise we had a Cohiba Atmosphere in the UK? I thought they were in Eastern Europe. 

How much will this hurt? Well into 3 figures a bottle, or 4?

[Puros Y Vino]

IIRC that's a rebranded Spanish red that regularly sells for in the $20USD range?

[El Presidente]

3 minutes ago, Puros Y Vino said:

IIRC that's a rebranded Spanish red that regularly sells for in the $20USD range?

I'm appalled at your scepticism Frank.

Can't you read !  These special edition wines come with a 24-karat gold engraved label. Undoubtedly a collector’s item.

[Ryan]

That’s funny. Just this morning, I ordered bottles of Spanish red to be delivered in London for a get together next month. Not a rioja but this is the first red wine I can personally remember pairing well with a cigar. It’s why I ordered it.

[Ken Gargett]

these would surely be linked to the Cohiba reds we had at one of the festival dinners some years back. from memory, not bad wines. 

[benfica_77]

1 hour ago, Puros Y Vino said:

IIRC that's a rebranded Spanish red that regularly sells for in the $20USD range?

Frank laying down the truth! 

Never heard of vineyards in Cuba....it's all tobacco! 

I'll stick to my Italian trio...chianti...barolo and brunello! 

[potpest]

Looks like the gran reserva got 90 points from Guia Penin so not bad. It's £27 a bottle. The cohiba "version" however; £120.

[Ken Gargett]

13 minutes ago, benfica_77 said:

Frank laying down the truth! 

Never heard of vineyards in Cuba....it's all tobacco! 

I'll stick to my Italian trio...chianti...barolo and brunello! 

i did an article for a wine mag on vineyards in cuba. and the search for them. easier to find the holy grail.

was before our first ever trip, i was in sydney for a tasting at an obscure suburban restaurant and an italian friend walks in. she was a publisher (not for this article). i had read that cuba was about to release its first wine - big world wide wine boom at the time. i had tried and tried to get any info i could. nada. blot. could not find a thing. 

chatting to my friend, i mention i am going to cuba. was keen to find out about the vineyards but no luck. i swear that this is true. she looks at me and says do you want to meet the owner of the vineyards. he is joining me for lunch. italian bloke. arrives. we have a great chat. gives me his card and tells me to ring him. in a JV with the Cubans. explains it all. 

i do. call him many times. never answered. not once. odd?

we get to cuba and find a "cuban" wine at the commodoro. if i recall, called "Sorear". i assume because the more you drank, the sorrier you were. 

every town and village we go to, i ask about vineyards. yes, says everyone, but not here. in the next village. next village, same answer. 

i give up.

last day, i am in the taxi heading from havana to the airport on their version of a highway. we are passing little mixed farming plots. and bugger me, there is a section with rows of vines. i tell the driver to stop. i need to see these vines. he looks at me like i am insane and shakes his head. no sir, he says. they were pineapples. 

i swear i am not making that up. 

later on, we were talking to an expat based there. he told us that the govt had held a big press conference to announce that they were developing a wine industry. a few weeks later, they announced another another press conference where they showed everyone the first bottles. so from idea, to planting vineyards to the vines growing to the wine being made, bottled and aged and released in just a couple of weeks. they failed to mention that in the interim, several very large italian tankers had been seen in the harbour. 

[benfica_77]

54 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

i did an article for a wine mag on vineyards in cuba. and the search for them. easier to find the holy grail.

was before our first ever trip, i was in sydney for a tasting at an obscure suburban restaurant and an italian friend walks in. she was a publisher (not for this article). i had read that cuba was about to release its first wine - big world wide wine boom at the time. i had tried and tried to get any info i could. nada. blot. could not find a thing. 

chatting to my friend, i mention i am going to cuba. was keen to find out about the vineyards but no luck. i swear that this is true. she looks at me and says do you want to meet the owner of the vineyards. he is joining me for lunch. italian bloke. arrives. we have a great chat. gives me his card and tells me to ring him. in a JV with the Cubans. explains it all. 

i do. call him many times. never answered. not once. odd?

we get to cuba and find a "cuban" wine at the commodoro. if i recall, called "Sorear". i assume because the more you drank, the sorrier you were. 

every town and village we go to, i ask about vineyards. yes, says everyone, but not here. in the next village. next village, same answer. 

i give up.

last day, i am in the taxi heading from havana to the airport on their version of a highway. we are passing little mixed farming plots. and bugger me, there is a section with rows of vines. i tell the driver to stop. i need to see these vines. he looks at me like i am insane and shakes his head. no sir, he says. they were pineapples. 

i swear i am not making that up. 

later on, we were talking to an expat based there. he told us that the govt had held a big press conference to announce that they were developing a wine industry. a few weeks later, they announced another another press conference where they showed everyone the first bottles. so from idea, to planting vineyards to the vines growing to the wine being made, bottled and aged and released in just a couple of weeks. they failed to mention that in the interim, several very large italian tankers had been seen in the harbour. 

Thanks Ken! Very interesting story and post!  

[BrightonCorgi]

The Reserva, non-Cohiba is $25-30 which is on the premium end of Reserva Rioja.  The expectations would be pretty high considering what else is normally from Rioja at that price.

[Tstew75]

Who needs crazy over-priced Rioja?  No one I know. Spain excels in value, and this isn't it.

Cash grab city

[jakebarnes]

20 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

IIRC that's a rebranded Spanish red that regularly sells for in the $20USD range?

Right, but it's not about the wine. It's about the ATMOSPHERE.

[BrightonCorgi]

1 hour ago, jakebarnes said:

Right, but it's not about the wine. It's about the ATMOSPHERE.

@jakebarnes  I see you're into cycling.  Have you had any of the wines from Moser, Basso, or any other ex-pro cyclists?

[jakebarnes]

36 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

@jakebarnes  I see you're into cycling.  Have you had any of the wines from Moser, Basso, or any other ex-pro cyclists?

I am into cycling--actually just ordered new road shoes (Lake cx241) I have not tried any of the ex-pro wines (at least not knowingly). If you have--worth it? 

[BrightonCorgi]

1 hour ago, jakebarnes said:

I am into cycling--actually just ordered new road shoes (Lake cx241) I have not tried any of the ex-pro wines (at least not knowingly). If you have--worth it? 

I've had one of Francesco Moser's wines about 20 years ago.  Very nice.  Hard to find.

https://mosertrento.com

[Ken Gargett]

2 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

I've had one of Francesco Moser's wines about 20 years ago.  Very nice.  Hard to find.

https://mosertrento.com

assume some family connection with lenz moser? i remember picking up some of their TBA's from the 70s. enjoyed them but we see very few over here.

as for premium end Rioja being around the $20, even if that is in US dollars, lord spare me. we couldn't dream of bottom end Rioja at that price. i am off to have a little weep.

[BrightonCorgi]

11 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

assume some family connection with lenz moser? i remember picking up some of their TBA's from the 70s. enjoyed them but we see very few over here.

as for premium end Rioja being around the $20, even if that is in US dollars, lord spare me. we couldn't dream of bottom end Rioja at that price. i am off to have a little weep.

I'd assume the same family.  The wine was around before Francesco retired in the late 80's.  That region of Italy is not well promoted in the States either.

As for Rioja, to make you weep, I can buy La Rioja Alta - Vina Ardanza Reserva for $30 USD or less.  A lot of value in Rioja.  A local store has a Gran Reserva 1994 (forget the producer) for $45!

[Puros Y Vino]

On 4/6/2022 at 7:49 PM, Ken Gargett said:

i did an article for a wine mag on vineyards in cuba. and the search for them. easier to find the holy grail.

 

Back in 2011/12.  A few of us hung out with a local that Nino knew.  We sat in his backyard talking in Spanglish for the most part.  He showed us the grape vines he had growing out there. IT was a pretty big batch. They were just starting to grow.   Next thing you know, he goes inside and comes out with a bottle of his home made wine.  He offered us some and asked our honest opinions on it.  From what I recall, it was Rose' and very sweet with a dry finish.  Too sweet I'd say.  But props to him for trying. He showed us some of the "tools" he had at his disposal in making the wine.  Mostly white carbuoys.  I would love to bring along a fresh wine barrel on a future trip and  help him out a bit.  He seemed to have the know how but not all the equipment to pull it off. 

[Ken Gargett]

8 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

I'd assume the same family.  The wine was around before Francesco retired in the late 80's.  That region of Italy is not well promoted in the States either.

As for Rioja, to make you weep, I can buy La Rioja Alta - Vina Ardanza Reserva for $30 USD or less.  A lot of value in Rioja.  A local store has a Gran Reserva 1994 (forget the producer) for $45!

they would hardly let us look at those for such prices here!

[JohnnyO]

I have drank some Cuban wines over the years, mostly from Pinar. Its available for a while, then it disappears. The packaging and bottles look very rustic. A few years back, maybe 5-7 there was a guy from Italy making wine for 50 CUP. Pretty flowery bottle, the wine was pretty good for $2. Now recently I found a organic/natural shop that has a Moscatel 260 CUP. It is made out of plums. It starts out sweet and has a tremendous nutty finish. I imagine they did it with the seeds. Not something you want to drink all night but for $2.60 theres a lot of bang for the buck. The shop I go to in Playa has some for a while then its gone. I'm not a regular wine drinker but it is a true surprise for whats happening in Cuba. If I lived there I'd buy cases of it. John

[JohnnyO]

Moscatel-260 CUP, Campo Viejo Brut champagne-475 CUP (made in Spain). Smoking Lounge in T3-this is in the VIP lounge. There are other areas with lots of couches as you are waiting for your flight. Cost is 720 CUP or 25 Euros. They had most of the rums and 2-3 different kinds of beer. Open bar. Did I say open bar? The VIP lounge is about 100 feet from X-rays on your left and its pretty roomy. The AC is much better here than the rest of the airport. This is a true bang for the buck as one beer is 3.64 Euros in the restaurants in the general waiting areas. John