December 14, 2023 - Part of a steakhouse dinner. We had this with some lobster bites, onion rings, and scallops. PnP and chilled. Note copied below.
"GORGEOUS nose. Beeswax, white fruit and white stone, lemon oil. Palate is voluptuous and very full. Dried apricots, yellow florals, beeswax. Acidity is rather quiet but that’s what Rhone varietals offer. Great quality but not my preference. 94+ quality. "
October 20, 2023 - Marvin (WineBurrowingWombat) Visits Minnesota; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Jason's House): Amazing wine for a 2008 white wine....of course, it is SQN, and therefore a Rhone blend. I like this wine; it is a nice alternative to Chardonnay! Every bit as good as last bottle!
TN: Nose shows plenty of citrus, stone fruit and honeysuckle. Palate shows lots of rich, unctuous citrus oil and stone fruit (apricot and peach) with hints of honeycomb and some spice. Nice medium-long finish....love SQN! 95-95+ for my discerning palate! Drinking extremely well right now...I will likely drink my last bottle in the next 1-3 years.
October 20, 2023 - Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN): N: Peeled, fresh and ripened clementines with a subtle injection of dark honey. A bit of zest as well that adds nice complexity to the aromas, giving it some nice bitterness and an additional boost of citrus.
P: A gentle creaminess with a fresh lift coats the palate with deep white and dark yellow melons, aged citrus notes (while still maintaining freshness), a touch of honey and bitter wax. Everything leads into the finish, where a bit of spiced tree bark gets introduced.
The palate has an essence of orange and other citrus notes, with a nice intensity and freshness at the same time. These seem to age really well. If the weightiness can thin out as this ages more, while keeping the freshness, this would be amazing with even more time.
September 18, 2023 - Non-chardonnay white wine (Craig's yard): Unctuous, the nose is insane, rich, dense. Absolutely fantastic if you like big wines. Regrettably, it did get woody, slightly bitter and alcoholic as the bottle warmed up.
September 17, 2023 - This was a treat! Typical SQN texture, i.e., viscous, honey-like mouthfeel that coats the tongue. A Rhone blend that features lots of Roussanne and other white varietals. Cork was saturated and crumbly, but wine was superb!
Color was medium golden yellow. Nose showed white flowers, tropical fruits and some mild spice and spring rain. Palate showed lots of tropical fruits (pineapple and honeyed mango seemed prominent). Wine had a hint of sweetness, but enough acidity that it was more of an after-thought. The wine also showed layers of beeswax, some bread dough and some mild cedar notes. All in all, a pleasure to drink, and squarely in my wheelhouse!
95, and likely peaking right now! I would suggest drinking up in the next year or so based on this bottle. A very pleasant surprise for an American white wine with this kind of age on it!
September 18, 2022 - This has become a wine that is more about its lovely texture than the fruit components.
December 13, 2021 - Wow! So fragrant! A little acetone and alcoholic on the nose. Ripe on the palate.
April 4, 2021 - How lucky am I to receive this gift from a friend! Beautiful caramelized mango and burnt honey notes. A true joy to sip and savor.
March 5, 2021 - Mature golden yellow color. Notes of tangerine, quince, ripe orchard fruit, citrus and pear. The palate follows the bouquet in terms of flavors, with a rich, weighty texture. Terrific.
October 20, 2020 - Past peak, but still rather good. Long finish, with matches, pineapple, marzipan, coconut.