Luciano & EMT Form Constella, Launch ÉLEVÉ Cigar

Luciano Cigars and Empresa Madeirense de Tabacos SA (EMT), controller of Europe’s oldest active tobacco company, have officially announced the formation of Constella Group—a bold international alliance set to redefine the global premium cigar landscape.

After 18 months of collaboration, Constella emerges as a platform uniting premium manufacturing, distribution, compliance, and tobacco trade across continents. EMT brings 142 years of production heritage and regulatory infrastructure. Luciano contributes U.S. market access, artisanal blending, farming, and innovation.

“Our vision for Constella was never about simply becoming larger,” explained Luciano Meirelles, President of Luciano Cigars and Co-founder of Constella.
“We set out to create something meaningful—built on mutual respect and the belief that growth should enhance identity, not dilute it. This is about preserving our core values and shaping the future of premium cigars through collaboration and authenticity.”

José Pedro Trindade, EMT Board Representative and Co-founder, added:
“Constella represents unity through shared purpose. Each partner maintains its unique identity and legacy, contributing strength to a collective vision. It’s a dynamic structure founded on connection, synergy, and respect for tradition.”

Under Constella, Luciano brands will maintain their signature quality while introducing new premium lines. Existing agreements with Peter James Cigars and Dalay will continue, enriching the global cigar offering.

Constella’s strategic vision includes:

• A new factory and packing facility in Santiago, Dominican Republic (Free Trade Zone)
  
• Expansion of Fábrica de Tabacos Estrela in São Miguel, Azores
  
• New cultivation initiatives in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and the Azores
  

Since 2023, both partners have revitalized the 142-year-old Estrela factory and launched a pioneering cultivation project in the Azores, a region with centuries-old tobacco history.

“The renowned seeds such as Habano, Habano Criollo, and Corojo are not native Cuban tobaccos—they’re the product of selective breeding from seeds brought by Spanish colonizers from earlier expeditions,” explains Duarte Manuel Freitas, Constella consultant and historian at the University of Coimbra.
“The Azores, positioned at the heart of transatlantic trade, likely served as the first true tobacco laboratory—where ancient seeds from Asia, Australia, and the Americas were cross-pollinated before shaping the foundation of commercial tobacco.”

To mark this global alliance, Constella will launch ÉLEVÉ, a limited edition 6×54 Sublime cigar, at PCA 2025. The blend, crafted from undisclosed global tobaccos, captures the essence of Constella’s mission.

“ÉLEVÉ symbolizes the encounter of great traditions and creativity,” said Renato Berardo, President of the EMT board and the Bacalhôa Group.
“Centuries ago, the Azores helped shape global tobacco culture. Today, through Constella, we’re not merely preserving that legacy—we are actively creating its future.”