Pal yellow color. More subdued and lithe and mineral notes. Penetrating mineral white fruit on the palate. Seems to have rounded out and come together some since I had it last. 93-93 pts.

Banana yellow color. Lovely forward yellow fruit nose with great tropical banana notes - knockout nose. Lovely rich sweet yellow fruit on the palate. Very nice - a surprise... 94+ pts.

Deep purple core of color. Big purpley black cherry nose. Big dusty tight black cherry on the palate. Decent, but as usual nothing special in the pinots here...

Deep black/purple color. forward black cherry floral/violet nose. Big forward candied black cherry raspberry on the palate but with a light angular bitter note. 91-92 pts.

Deep purple/black color. Forward spicy black fruit nose and some complexity. Deep dark dense black cherry and raspberry with briar on the palate. This is one of the better and better balanced of the SQN pinots I've tried.

Opaque purple/black color. Medium full ripe purpley fruit with lovely violet floral notes. Mmmn, lovely rich supperipe black / blueberry sweet fruit on the palate with chocolate notes and a long coffee finish. Very nice. 94-95 pts.

Pitch black purple color. Rich ripe spicy lifted nose with black fruit and tar notes. Big black ripe tarry palate with puckering ripeness. Nice.

Opaque pitch black/purple color. Bigforward dense purple fruit nose with asphalt and floral notes. Mmmn, big bold asphalt blackberry with black cherry and lavendar hints. Long coffee finish. One of the more albanesque SQNs I've had which is interesting. Lovely wine but I don't see 100 pts here...

Wow! Opaque pitch black color, almost to the rim. Knockout nose of coffee, spice, pepper, and black purple fruit - spactacular. Mmmn, wonderful briar forest floor spice and pepper. Balanced and ethereal - a spectacular wine. This was the most balanced and light on its feet (but retaining incredible power and finesse) SQN I've ever had. It is easily the best SQN, now surpassing the JFTLOI, my prior favorite (and still a great wine). Possibly the best new world wine I've ever had - and probably the most like a great Cote Rotie of any of Manfred's wines I've tried. 97-98 pts.

Opaque coffee soft black color. Lovely round black spicy coffee nose - nice. Mmmn, black ripe acidic coffee fruit with notes of meat and game and chocolate covered cherries. Still a wonderful SQN...

Opaque black color with purple edges. Big spicy briar leather black fruit nose. Big black canned fruit with good acidity on the palate. Perhaps it was because it followed the spactacular Atlantis and JFTLOI, but this Dr. Jekel/Mr. Hyde wine showed good, but not great on this occasion - seemed foursquare by comparison. 93-94 pts.