Community Tasting Notes 11

• TheUsualSuspects wrote: 91 points

  March 31, 2024 - Dark yellow/golden in appearance
  On the nose it has a perfumed floral note and touch of sweetness. (reminiscent of a white rhone varietal)
  
  Rich and deep on the palate, spicy, intense. oiliness. Full-bodied. Touch of heat on the finish.
  
  Bit of time, and warming up, starting to get a broader more unctuous character on the palate. Burnt caramel on the end/finish. Like the burnt sugar on a crème brûlée.
  
  An intellectual experience. Not my preferred style, but unique. Strange to think this is even Chardonnay.

  Comment

• bengti Likes this wine: 94 points

  November 29, 2017 - SQN Big Guns Night, Beefbar HK. SQN In Extremis.
  
  This is a storied release in minute quantities and a first all chard from SQN. Thoroughly beguiling, it starts in the glass with soft crushed white flowers, delicate stone, light toast with fresh butter drippings. It also gave off a distinct hint of rousanne, sweet and gamey, but the label says it’s a mono. Over time, this does fade away, and it returns on nose to its chard profile, giving off stronger flavours of honeysuckle, spring flowers, some granite.
  
  On the palette it’s not as big as other SQN whites, which many quarters will welcome. It continues honey, white rose, almonds and toast, but with almost gossamer lightness, fragility. It has real lift, belying the high alcohol in the wine. Acidity is super super fresh and zesty, leaning it towards a spectrum of lemon, lemon peel notes too.
  
  Alongside Twisted and Bent, this is a baby, but approachable for those who enjoy full throttled high octane vitality. The all chard composition in comparison to its sibling gave it more elegance and refinement.
  
  Over the course of the evening, it remained in this sweet spot of freshness and bright lively notes. Probably, with much aging, it will develop a profile of secondary flavours which will stun us - but this remains its secret for now, to be rewarded with much, much patience.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Rosengoo wrote: 95 points

  August 25, 2017 - This bottle was poured with minimal decanting at a local restaurant. The wine was clear and deep gold in colour. As this was my first bottle of Pearl Clutcher, I don't have any base for comparison. Although I know it is 100% chardonnay, it had some flavours of some rousanne in the blend. That being said, this was a very smooth wine with a nose of butter as well as some orangey citrus and some apple notes. These were also the flavours of the wine in the glass. I really enjoyed this rare treat.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• hdgroot Likes this wine: 98 points

  July 20, 2017 - very impressive and extraordinary

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• dcwino wrote: 92 points

  September 30, 2016 - Annual Chicago winos visit - Pearl Clutcher, coche, drc, rousseau, D'Yquem and etc. (The Grill Room at Rosewood DC): This is a big scale Chardonnay. As a matter of fact, it is so big that I would not recognize this as a Chardonnay if tasted blind, more like a top Chapoutier hermitage blanc cuvee. Expressive nose displaying white peach, bubble yum, a hint of lemon curd, scented soap and raw Vidalia onion. Unbelievable concentration, oily texture and very noticeable alcohol at the end. I believe most folks like this a lot more than Burgundy Al and me.

  2 people found this helpful Comments (1)

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2012
• Type White
• Producer Sine Qua Non
• Varietal Chardonnay
• Designation Pearl Clutcher
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Central Coast
• Appellation Central Coast

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 3 (1%)
• In Cellars 240 (68%)
• Consumed 112 (32%)

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