The latest Cornell & Diehl Small Batch blend, Sansepolcro, is available now on-site, featuring superlative Red and Bright Virginias and Italian Dark-Fired Kentucky, the latter component grown, cured, and double-fermented on a small farm in the Sansepolcro region of Italy. Learn more about this one-of-a-kind Virginia blend in this recent edition of Tobacco Selections with Jeremy Reeves, Director and Head Blender of C&D.

Hi everyone, Jeremy Reeves here. Today, I want to share more about this year's release of Sansepolcro. It was so popular last year that we decided to keep exactly the same formula. I absolutely love the way that this turned out.

Virginia-Forward with Subtle Dark-Fired Complexity

Sansepolcro is balanced and Virginia forward. The Dark-Fired component used in Sansepolcro is unique from other Dark-Fired components that we use in the factory and other blends that we produce that feature Dark-Fired. In other blends, such as G.L. Pease's JackKnife Plug, the Dark Fired is very robust and is extremely present in the blend. Shifting into something like Firebird, for example, for those who were able to try that one from us, the Oriental and floral notes were balanced against very mellow but subtly smoky Dark Fired and semi-fire-cured components. Yet, once again, the Dark Fired was very present and evident.

The Dark-Fired component that is featured in Sansepolcro is really just a whisper. What makes this Dark Fired special is that it is not from Kentucky or Tennessee, which is where we traditionally think Dark-Fired tobacco comes from; it's actually sourced from Italy. The terroir of the growing region where this tobacco is produced, the woods that are used to cure it, and the fire-curing process all contribute to a very mellow, very aromatically clove and allspice kind of spicy presence, like baking spices.

That is the type of Dark Fired that we're using in this blend. Sansepolcro really, at its core, is a Virginia blend that has a little extra oomph and a subtle hint of smoky character. As it ages, that smoky character will come through the blend a little bit more, but it will still remain very subtle. I would consider Sansepolcro a perfect blend for anybody who really likes Virginia tobacco.

The Risky Business of Dark-Fired Tobacco

All that is to say that just because a blend has Dark Fired in it doesn't mean you know everything you need to know about the blend. There's more nuance and possibility that is able to be had in a blend that features Dark Fired, and I think Sansepolcro really showcases a unique varietal from a unique growing region of this storied and, quite frankly, risky and inspiring leaf to produce.

Imagine you're a tobacco grower and you have spent a good amount of money on seed and on soil amendments. You've labored in the field and you've fought against the weather, and you've bet against time to be able to bring a labor-intensive tobacco crop to full harvest. You go to the hard work of harvesting it all, and then you break all the leaves off the stalk, tie them into hands, hang them in a wooden structure, and build a fire in the base of it.

You then smother that fire with some wet sawdust, close up the barn, and hope for the best for days, keeping this smoldering, low, smoky barbecue fire going for 14 to 16 days while your precious tobacco — which you might still owe money on some of the aspects of and you're hoping for that payday of being able to sell your crop — is hanging above an open fire. That's an amazingly tough move, I'd say.

I think the Dark-Fired that we specifically used in Sansepolcro is unique and special, and if you're a fan of Dark-Fired tobaccos or if you're a fan specifically of Virginia flakes, I heartily recommend that you try Sansepolcro.