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2003
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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 145 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Benoit Hardy on 12/4/2021 & rated 95 points: My 1st SQN and not the least since it comes from a cuvée that is no longer produced due to some obvious logistical problems, namely an Oregon Pinot Noir from Shea Vineyard which is then vinified 1500km further south at the iconic Manfred Krankle.
Cap fully soaked.
The nose is overflowing with richness, on black fruits, cranberry, plum, crushed strawberry and sandalwood.
With its 15.5% alcohol, we are far from the evanescent Burgundian Pinot. So what?
It's terribly tasty without ever being heavy with an underlying sweet acidity and a juice of enormous density. It's complex, sweet but powerful, both floral and spicy on the palate and with bright fruit sprinkled with blackcurrant liqueur. It's masterfully complex and yet I really like the so-called Cistercian Pinots. But here richness, complexity and freshness are present with a wine with an enormous and stratified texture where each facet has its place with pepper, sandalwood and raspberry in particular. It is reminiscent of a beautiful Syrah with an airy side that you can hardly believe for the alcoholic strength. Magnificent finish where raspberry and liquorice intermingle to explode over an enormous length.
A wine that surprised me with every sip. Kaleidoscopic, rich but airy, I loved it. (2061 views) | | | Tasted by Snacks2013 on 11/1/2021 & rated 92 points: Drink them if you have them. It still has life to it but really not more than 1 yr of 90+ life in my opinion. Gave it a 1 1/2 hr decant and drank it over 1 more hour. Cork was soft and came out in pieces but no sediment. Slight medicinal smell when opened but disappeared quickly. Still has some dark fruit up front, smooth on the tongue. It was a great opener before consuming a Dark Blossom Grenache. (1677 views) | | | Tasted by Ballballsheep on 3/6/2021 & rated 92 points: An eccentric but terrific Pinot Noir. Very fruity and powerful at the beginning, then become more and more complex. Smooth and balanced. Doesnt like anything in Burgundy or other places where also have Pinot Noirs. This surprising taste is what we expect for the great Sine Qua Non, a new and nice experience. (2281 views) | | | Tasted by mavictorpinho on 1/1/2021 & rated 95 points: Not your typical Pinot at all, but that in itself makes this a terrific find.
Huge, bold wine that is drinking really well after a 3 hour decant. Lots of fruit but with a smooth finish and alcohol really well balanced. Hard to find but well worth a try! (2122 views) | | | Tasted by Mrbuzz on 12/4/2020 & rated 93 points: So...back in 2013 I opened my last bottle of this(750) because I noticed the cork had a fracture the whole length of the cork, and wine had seeped to the top. The wine was in fine shape, not a blockbuster, but not flawed. Manfred saw my post, and offered to replace it because of the 'faulty' cork. Awesome gesture...a big thanks to him! So I received the replacement bottle...and it was this MAGNUM! I think I remember him saying they ran out of the 750's so magnum it is! Shocked, and VERY appreciative!
Well now...the Omega has been in my cellar, in a mag rack for the last 7 years...and recently I noticed some drops of wine on a bottle below it. Damn...the Omega has a slow leak! Not a fractured cork like the 750, but I suspect a spongy cork that lost it's seal, as there was a faint stream of wine coating the cork on one side, to the top. No no Manfred...no need to send me another bottle...especially a 3L since you probably ran out of mags! ;-) The wine is just fine!
Open in bottle for 3hrs...dark cranberry with slight rose rim...ripe plum, cherry, tilled strawberry field, hay bale, sous bois, sandalwood nose. Still quite youthful in the mouth...yet there is that trace of heat that has always shown in this wine. Smooth and opulent wild berry fruits...some aged plum liqueur, sarsaparilla...really intense crancherry tart acidity rips through the ripe fruit...nice earth tones and crushed rock minerality...a big boy Pinot for sure, yet with transparency. What I like best here is the florals and spice! Sandalwood, white pepper, dried red licorice...kirsch liqueur, raspberry bush, smoked cherry wood. This wine is gaining and gaining as I type! Yet...as great as those flavors are in this wine, it doesn't have that SQN magic touch of balance, as that alc heat(15.5) still persists. Subtracts a little from the pleasure...but still extremely enjoyable non the less. Sad to see my last bottle go...as drinking Pinot Noir from the hands of MK, has gone the way of the dinosaurs to extinction. Wish he made more... (2461 views) | | | Tasted by SlimShaney on 10/26/2018 & rated 93 points: Super interesting Like stinky cheese and aerated wine from a diesel barrel. Very acquired taste but super thoughtful and layered. Could love it or find it weird. Which it is. 90 - 93. Be weird and rejoice. (2664 views) | | | Tasted by Mtnmd1 on 4/23/2017 & rated 92 points: Massive pinot, full throttle fruit. Showing minimal signs of its true age. Out of magnum. (3572 views) | | | Tasted by ews3 on 4/23/2017 & rated 92 points: From magnum. Remarkably youthful and fresh for a heavy Pinot approaching 15 years of age. black fruit, raspberry, dark chocolate, wood spice, smoke. lots of oak on this, but not tired in the least. (3197 views) | | | Tasted by jshufelt on 2/15/2017 & rated 93 points: Sometimes you just have to open something, because reasons. Decanted for 30 minutes before service. In the glass, a faint hint of auburn at the rim, but other than that, no sign of age; dark, opaque crimson. On the nose, crushed raspberries, a slight reductive note, and hints of alcohol, which had me concerned - but on the palate, lush, rich, expansive, and ample fruit, pine, nutmeg, and secondary mineral notes, with a long finish. This is a big wine, skirting the edge of overblown, but for our tastes, it still worked. I'm not sure there is any improvement ahead, but I think the wine will be at this level for at least a couple more years. (3265 views) | | | Tasted by Christoffer78 on 1/6/2017 & rated 95 points: Totally adorable and a true star effort, the 2003 SQN Omega Pinot Noir reveals some of its very best sides tonight. The nose is super complex, hedonistic and the end-palate just continue to sing and make itself heard throughout the night... At first, the nose reveals classy wet forest floor, but also ample sun warm red fruits like morellos, boysenberries and of course the classical strawberries. But after some time in the glass - we are talking one hour or more - the nose shifts and expresses cigar box and rich cedar wood. There is no one not understanding the amount of luxurious and expensive oak going into this bottle. The palate is best described as voluptuous but it is also seamless, silky and actually rather elegant. The end-palate is pure magic, it just keeps on lingering in the mouth forever and talks to the taster from the glass even when left alone for a while. This certainly is one wonderful wine! (score is 95+) (3854 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 11/26/2016 & rated 94 points: Still going strong at close to 14 years of age, the wine is full bodied, rich, plushly textured and loaded with smoke, espresso, wild strawberry, spice and cherry liqueur notes. (3666 views) | | | Tasted by tcosgriff on 1/10/2015 & rated 98 points: The bottle was a magnum, probably accounting for its lack of any sign of decline. Beautiful Burgundy color without any brown in the edge. Wonderful bouquet and flavor of huckleberries, dark cherries, and even plums, mixed with toast and allspice. Extraordinary balance with a silky feel in the mouth. Great depth and nuance with a long satisfying finish. This puts all those expensive, overrated Burgundies to shame. (4108 views) | | | Tasted by Stefanos T. on 7/30/2014 & rated 98 points: Opulent, rich, complex and fragrant with fantastic fruit definition and high level Pino-sity even if very different from Burgundy. Mouthcoating texture with fat mouth caressing tannins and everything in balance.
The wine shows no sign of tiring at all. Has all the pinot fruit, spiciness, mint and as Yiannis pointed to me a remark our friend Lazaros made about the Pinot aromas, Chios mastic, which really rang a bell.
Delectable. (4600 views) | | | Tasted by Yiannis on 7/29/2014 & rated 98 points: Served blind and I recognized as a pinot noir despite the anusual ripeness, opulence of fruit and high alcohol given the variety. My friend Stefanos T. who offered me this, told me afterwards that he was expecting it very evolved if not overevolved, but to our pleasent surprise this was absolutely youthful and vibrant. Dark ruby color. Fragrant nose with intense Chios masticha, violets, red and darker cherries, raspberries and sweet spices. Full-bodied with vibrant and generous fruit, perfectly integrated alcohol, balancing acidity and silky tannins. Very long, almost endless aftertaste. A great pinot noir, combining pinosity with the winemaker's idiosyncratic style. (4585 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 4/19/2014 & rated 94 points: Drank from a magnum with a leaky cork. Not the best showing for this wine but still damn impressive. An effervescent mouthfeel leads into a highly extracted palate of syrupy cherry liqueur and herbaceous spice. Enjoyed with Gjelina Take Away in Venice Ca.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/83279562792 (4713 views) | | | Tasted by Kemo Sabe on 4/11/2014 & rated 93 points: Even 11 years out this puppy is still BIG. Very California style pinot which is fine by me. Big, deep and dark pinot. Tons of flavors. Almost thick. Will definitely hold my last two bottles for a while as I think these have a long ways to go. In spite of its size all in balance. 93+ (4409 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 1/6/2014 & rated 93 points: Cellar Reduction, The Fun Way (Santa Ynez Valley): From a magnum whose signs of seepage compelling me to bite the bullet and crack this one open. Slow-ox'ed for 6 hours, the wine remained monolithic all evening, then revealed more on the next day. The nose of ripe, mature red fruits and cedar gives way to concentrated, rich fruit, very much in balance with the oak notes. I found the extraction to be a welcome complement to the layered, pure fruit. Opulent and somewhat unique, not for everyone to be sure. (4344 views) | | | Tasted by Amerique on 12/29/2013 & rated 91 points: high alcohol, sweet (2230 views) | | | Tasted by Mrbuzz on 8/13/2013 & rated 93 points: Sorry to see my last bottle go, but the cork had a fracture along the side, so it had to be put down! Still holding well..big and powerful ripe fruit that has darkened with age.....cloudy, rustic, yet smooth and opulent....reminds me of a Bertheau BM on steroids! Wonderful candied berries, raspberry, strawberry...earth dust, sarsaparilla, sandalwood.....not as balanced as usual for a sqn wine...does have some heat. Tasty big Pinot! (3936 views) | | | Tasted by William Kelley on 8/5/2013: An explosive bouquet of blood orange, lavender, rosemary, pine forest floor, spice (cloves), burning embers, rose petals and dark fruits announces one of the most compelling USA Pinots I've ever tasted: what profound complexity! The aromas require no coaxing whatsoever. On the palate, great concentration, full body, and a supple texture. This wine is surely at peak maturity! (5016 views) | | | Tasted by slywka7 on 6/29/2013 & rated 96 points: My first time having a SQN Pinot Noir and drank it next to a Marcassin! This was fully mature with a lot of dark red and black fruits but also had some earth and game flavors. Super complex, the finish lingered for minutes on the palate. 15.5% alcohol but certainly not hot by any means. Preferred this to the Marcassin early on but the Marcassin gained some steam towards the end of the night. (3680 views) | | | Tasted by Snacks2013 on 5/11/2013: was a sublime start to the night followed by fe100 and just for the love of it. (1280 views) | | | Tasted by kenmmm on 5/5/2013 & rated 93 points: Drink now (3838 views) | | | Tasted by ews3 on 5/3/2013 & rated 88 points: Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): from magnum. not what i remembered. lots of fruit with still quite a lot of tannin for a pinot. not as much depth or complexity as i recall from past bottles. still a lovely finish and overall very pleasant. others liked this more than I did. (my bottle) (5768 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 4/21/2013 & rated 93 points: Kleur: De diepst gekleurde Pinot Noir die ik ooit in mijn glas heb gehad. Diep donker rood. Aroma / bouquet: Typerend Pinot Noir: bosaardbeitjes ā la Sine Qua Non. Geconcentreerd en zoet-kruidig. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtig, sublieme concentratie, opvallende frisse zuurgraad, krachtige en wat zoetige tannines. Dik-sappige wijn. Extreme lengte met een zoetige afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Indrukwekkende Nieuwe Wereld Pinot Noir. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
Color: The deepest colored Pinot Noir I've ever had in my glass. . Deep dark red Aroma / bouquet: Characteristic Pinot Noir: wild strawberries ā la Sine Qua Non. Concentrated and sweet-spicy Taste / Finish:. Powerful, sublime concentration, remarkable fresh acidity, strong and slightly sweet tannins. Thick juicy wine. Extreme length with a sweet aftertaste. General / potential: Impressive New World Pinot Noir. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 8 = 92/100 (3439 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 2005, IWC Issue #121
(Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Omega Willamette Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (11/18/2007)
(Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Omega) Dark cherry red color; rich, focused, raspberry and black cherry nose; ripe, concentrated cherry palate, a little hot; medium-plus finish 87 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Sine Qua Non Producer website
Ken Vastola's cool Sine Qua Non pages.
An Interview of Manfred Krankl - PodcastPinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Oregon Oregon Wine, Oregon Wineries (Oregon Wine Board) |
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