L’Atelier Imports has announced details around its long awaited release, the L’Atelier Côte d’Or. The company announced that Côte d’Or will be a small batch release for the company. The cigars will not only feature a high priming of the company’s signature Sancti Spiritus wrapper, but it will also feature Pelo de Oro tobacco grown by the Garcia family in Nicaragua. It is the company’s first new line under the L’Atelier brand since 2013.

L’Atelier Côte d’Or is the company’s second limited edition project. In 2013, the company launched an annual release called L’Atelier Extension de la Racine which is annual release that has been made specifically for IPCPR attendees. The company said that when the Garcias made a small amount of their coveted Pelo de Oro tobacco available, they decided to take advantage and use it. As a result, a decision was made to use it in a blend for a limited run.

The name Côte d’Or translates to “gold coast”. It also is the name of the department in Eastern France that is the famous Burgundy wine growing region. One grape grown is the Pinot Noir – which is considered a high maintenance, temperamental plant. There is an analogy to Pelo de Oro as it is a high maintenance leaf to work with (it has been prone to mold). While both Pinot Noir and Pelo de Oro have low yields, both are known to produce high quality end products for wine and cigars respectively.

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or utilizes a high priming Sancti Spiritus wrapper.  This is the same wrapper that is found on the L’Atelier Selection Speciale line.  The blend was constructed to incorporate the Pelo de Oro tobacco. Sancti Spiritus is a hybrid of Criollo and Pelo de Oro. Ironically, it was designed to be a replacement for the Pelo de Oro seed.

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or will be available in April, 2015.

At a glance, here is a look at the L’Atelier Côte d’Or:

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Sancti Spiritus (Ecuador)
Binder: Not disclosed
Filler: Includes Pelo de Oro (Nicaragua)

Vitolas Available

A single vitola is being made – a 7 x 47 soft-pressed Churchill.

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or will be packaged in ten count boxes. A total of 2,100 boxes (21,000 cigars) will be produced.Each cigar will carry a price point of $16.00 and will be the most premium offering by L’Atelier Imports to date.