L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 Prelight
L’Atelier, which means “The Workshop” in French, is a branch of Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje cigar line. The original L’Atelier line was introduced in 2012, followed by the “La Mission” and “Côte d’Or” expansions. The cigars in the L’Atelier collection are all made with the Sancti Spiritus variety of tobacco, a hybrid of the Criollo and Pelo de Oro seeds.
The L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 debuted in July 2024 in one vitola, a 6″ x 46 Corona Gorda. The long and very well-punctuated name is a reference to one of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world. The La Tâche is a famous grand cru vineyard in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. The blend is an Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The cigars were hand-rolled in the My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua under the watchful eye of Don “Pepin” Garcia.
The wrapper leaf is a beautiful dark amber color. I’m not a fan of footbands held on with scotch tape, but the rest of the branding here is very sharp. Minimal, luxurious branding is not something seen often in the cigar world. I’m picking up on notes of wheat, and honey on the foot and wrapper. The draw is tighter than I’d like, but not enough to require a draw tool. There are some faint notes of hay on the cold draw. I carefully lit the cigar with a soft flame lighter.
L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 First Third
The La Tâche ’18 is starting gorgeously. I’m getting lightly toasted almonds, graham crackers, and a hint of honey sweetness on the plate. The retrohale is exceptionally smooth and shows hay, honeydew melon, more honey, and some cedar. The overall profile is light, sweet, and very elegant. Smoke output is medium so far. The ash, burn, and construction are near perfect. The finish is soft, and the main tone is graham crackers.
L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 Second Third
In the second third, the notes on the palate are lightly toasted almonds, graham crackers, and oak. The retrohale shows hay, cappuccino, and a touch of honey. The ash, burn, and construction are perfect. Smoke output remains at medium. The finish is medium with tones of oak and graham crackers.
L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 Final Third
In the final third, I’m getting wheat crackers, raw almond, and oak on the palate. The notes on the retrohale are hay, cappuccino, honey, and some peanut butter. The ash, burn, and construction have been perfect for the duration of the smoke. Smoke output remains at medium. Past the band, the flavors leaned into the nut butter and espresso notes. I put down the La Tâche ’18 with just under an inch left.
L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 Conclusions
Pete Johnson’s L’Atelier Côte d’Or La Tâche ’18 is much more fun to smoke than pronounce. The branding, vitola, and flavor profile all convey elegance and luxury. The flavors started light and sweet but built up into more toastey and satiating tones. I was especially impressed by the honey, and melon notes in the first third, and the peanut butter in the final third. The Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus is unique to L’Atelier, and I’m interested in trying more from the brand. The La Tâche ’18 can be had for $16, and while that might be a touch pricey, I think it’s well worth it for a special occasion smoke. If you’re up for a splurge, and want a truly special cigar I don’t think you could go wrong with a box. Extra points if you’re a wine nerd who can appreciate the reference to a $5,000 bottle of Burgundy.
