Recently Emirates Business Class customers had the opportunity to enjoy our white blend Cyclus 2013 on most long haul flights.
An invigorating White Blend of Roussanne, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Semillon grapes, the softly wooded Cyclus swirls with intense fruits flavours rounded off with smooth, creamy oak.
Cyclus is hand harvested, pressed as whole bunches and then naturally fermented in 500-litre oak barrels. 15 to 20% was fermented as whole bunches in Amphora, which adds unique body and length to the wine. After fermentation the wine was kept on the lees for 12 months with regular battonage.
With a soft, rich nose of violets and peach, and just a hint of frangipani, Cyclus holds all the promise of a quality White Blend. This is carried through to the palate where the intense flavours of pear, golden apple, spicy apricot and hints of clementine are rounded off with a beautiful minerality and ends in a creamy, long-structured finish.
Most airlines employ a wine consultant who will use a number calculated by the finance team to put together a list of 20 wines that are available both in the market and in the volume required. Tim Clark, the president of Emirates, wanted the wine list to be a differentiator so the airline made the decision to buy as directly as possible from merchants and vineyards and in smaller quantities, if necessary—10,000-bottle parcels instead of the typical 24,000 or 48,000.
Emirates list is also constantly evolving and flexible, and, perhaps best of all, the air carrier curates its collection from smaller production vintages rather than large commercial offerings.
The Emirates wine list is “very focused, well-balanced and really goes after quality in the bottle versus the marketing factor,” Forbes.com
Here’s some of the feedback we received from guests enjoying the Cyclus on Board:
“FANTASTIC WINE, WELL DONE EMIRATES!” – Emma
“SO @AVONDALEWINE #CYLCUS ON @EMIRATES #BUSINESSCLASS, EVERYONE AROUND ME ORDERING MORE THAN A GLASS! MOST POPULAR WINE ON THE FLIGHT. – Winnie