Lovely Rhone-esque nose of almond paste, yellow apples, apricot skin, some good ripeness going on but also with dusty garrigue undertones; full generous mouthfeel, silky, plush, but still has some good lift in the back end (credit the Chardonnay in the blend); Nicely ripened aspect, long and clean and in fabulous shape. High alcohol but wears it well. Very surprised I liked this. Chifa in Eagle Rock. Renee's wine
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Acker Auction - May 2019 (Zuma in NYC): Interesting to try one of these with a bit more age. I remember the whites mostly being mouth coating, but this stayed away from being quite that intense. It's an interesting wine. Tons of different flavor profiles competing against each other here. Lots of light honey and floral and white peach and all of that. It's balanced. More intense than not (interesting because I usually think of Chave blanc as intense but compared to this it was practically airy). Still, enjoyable.
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Opened almost an hour before serving, initially showing a little grass and lemon citrus notes. Opened up more and got better after 80 minutes or so, but never really reached the heights of many other SQN whites.
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[SQN Night, Table, HK] Hints of supple butterscotch and honey candy, with crushed gravel, scented ash, chocolate shavings. This was approachable but lacked any sort of vibrance, might have been a bottle issue, or it wasnt chilled long enough, didnt breath long enough. Over the evening, stubbornly stayed where we found it.
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Dinner at RY's (Vancouver, BC): Served blind. Always interesting tasting SQN but I've yet to enjoy one as they've all been extremely over-the-top and nearly undrinkable to me. This one, however, was easily the best one I've had. It was certainly ripe, but didn't have sickly sweet fruit and motor oil viscosity that I'm used to from SQN. Tropical fruits for both the nose and palate but with enough lift to keep it reasonably well balance. Nice spicy notes on the finish. A bit of warmth on the back end as well but overall this was quite decent.
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Not an official note, but this was a spectacular bottle. The professionals suggest that the prime drinking window closed in 2011, but I'd say this was close to as good as this wine has ever been. Still plenty of body and solid mouthfeel, notes of clove, but has lost some of the baby fat that these have when young. Would be interesting to see how long this lasts, but it may be hard to keep my hands off the remaining bottle. (PE: 97)
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Four hours decant. Butter and caramel popcorn on the nose. Peaches and cream on the palate. Rich and oily, but great acidity all the way through to the finish. Even after four hours in the decanter it continued to evolve in the glass. Best as it approached room temperature. Drinking very well but still has years ahead of it.
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56% Roussane, 24% Viognier, 20% Chardonnay; I was not sure what to make of this, it was so different and I have had little past similar profile to compare it to; multiple layers abound along with a rich and creamy butterfat texture with major citrus and stone fruit exploding by mid palate, but there was some strange, unidentifiable character that was not a deterrent, but presented an inquisitiveness that never got satisfied.
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What a great wine. Really opens up with time..IMO it it drinking very well right now...flamboyant and rich, full of butterscotch and beeswax, what a mouthfilling wine. Like drinking liquid honey.
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Easily one of the underdogs in this tasting, the wine pours of a deep thick golden color. The wine has clear syrupy-reminding legs.
A big chunk of complex minerality hits my face. Gun powder and chalky aromas, perhaps a bit of smoke as well. Complex doesn't even begin to describe this bouquet. The minerality dissolves with some air, and out comes a massive complexity in fruits and secondary aromas. It's clearly a heavy wine, but at the same time very refreshing. I'm caught up in the jungle of white stone fruits; ripe peach nectar along with some mango and apricots. Fragrance of pistachio nuttiness with some cotton, beeswax and a very floral spectra of chamomile, white lilies and orange zest. Also not to overlook the palpable vanilla note from the oak. If you're still reading after my ridiculous array of aromas, the latter sentences visibly expresses the extreme synergy action going on in this wine.
On the palate the body is enormous. Dry, but the subtle sweetness is all mixed up in that concentrated cashmere body. The almost volatile acidity helps to balance this wine and structure. The Rejuvenators is nowhere near flabby. I find this wine extremely appealing with its black hole-like depth. Again the characteristics are similar to the nose; really floral, lots of different ripe fruits, nuttiness and some honey. The finish is pulsating everlastingly, but gets a bit warm as you swallow. In terms of WSET methodology, this wine has a ultra-long length.
Simply amazing. What a surprise. Intense amount of flavors. The integration of the alcohol is miraculous. Complex to the point of absurdity.A few hours later I'm still tasting fragments of the wine. Probably not everybody's cup of tea, but definitely my glass of wine. Drink until 2017. http://quaffable.org/?p=180
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Sampled 8/11/12. Better than our last bottle. More honeyed floral and citrus notes that were far better deliniated in this bottle. Longer finish and only the a light touch of chalk
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Sampled 7/4/12. An interesting wine that took an hour to fully open. A dry sweetness with chalk, orange peel, some slightly underripe peaches and flowers. An interesting wiine, but not worth the price.
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Golden in color, this shows apricot, lime-tree, acacia honey, tangerine, some balsamic notes. Overwhelming mouth, tons of tropical fruit and an incredible intensity.
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An amazing meal (Rhys, SQN, KB, Margaux, Angelus, Ducru, Kalin): This tasted much more mature than the Petition despite it being only a year older. It also drank much more like a true Rhone white although I beleive there is some Chard in both. The nose is waxy with honey notes. The palate has a bitter quality that works well with food. A delicious wine.
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Very impressive. Big, beautiful nose, complex and difficult to nail down since you can get some of the Chardonnay that throws you off. The Roussanne gives it the great, thick mouthfeel but you also get some tropical fruit but without the sweetness. This is still a very young wine and will like many of the white SQN's live for decades.
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Wow. This jumps out of the glass with tropical fruits, wax and citrus - also a slight almond oil note - great complexity and depth on the nose, but it is huge. On the palate, this has a fantastic mouthfeel that is quite viscous with a moderate plus acidity keeping it from being too heavy. Lots of fruit expression and depth of flavor here. Long winding finish with no hint of alcohol. Really big, not my style - but obviously very well made.
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SQN vs Rhone Dinner (BLT Steak, DC): Wow, what a great nose that jumps out of the glass clear across the room. Smells like the tropics! Clear doses of cut grass, citrus with an oily component. Excellent.
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SQN, Clerico, Hillside Select, Chave Hermitage, Rieussec: I have not been a fan of the SQN whites. My friend, Charlie, tells me that they need some age and need to be drunk at cellar temp. He opened this one and it was gorgeous. Deep golden in color. The nose is wonderful with honey, wax, warm peach pie and floral notes. Viscous and lush. Enough acidity to keep from being flabby. No bitterness. No sense of alcohol. Long finish. This was amazing.
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Up front tropical flavors, like on a beach and getting a whiff of that tropical sun tan oil. Nose had tremendous depth, coconut, pineapple, apricot. Well balanced a wine I went back to frequently. Upgraded to Extraordinary after pondering this for a while. In my top 3 white wines.
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At Sketch, London. Opened and straight into the decanter. First smell is remarkably close to 2006 Coche Dury Meursault Genevrieres. Has one of the most compelling noses of any white wine I've had up to date. Stone fruits, almonds, flowers, some zesty notes. It has it all. The mouth is incredible, as it has an incredibly thick texture, and richness that are beautifully countered by a freshness that you would never imagine in such a big wine. The mouth has lots of fruit, minerality and a finish that is quite remarkable. Will probably keep for a while, but it is hard to imagine this getting even better. A truly outrageous effort!
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You can really smell the viognier on the nose. A big wine, but nimble on its feet. Classic oily texture, with rich tropical fruit flavors. This still has nice levels of bright acidity and made a nice pairing with fish in a tropical setting.
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18 bottles of Sine Qua Non (Copenhagen, Denmark): Golden colour and almost oily texture. My expectations were therefore for a much heavier wine than it turned out to be. It had a surprising freshness with notes of pineapple and grapefruit.
Completely dry and quite long. A very good and interesting wine.
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Deep lemony color. Very intense nose with sweet aromas of neroli, bergamot, pineapple and heady but still well integrated vanilla scent. Rich on the palate with remarkable intensity of flavors similar to the nose. In a way I could sense elements of all three varieties (56% Roussane, 24% Viognier and 20% Chardonnay). Balancing acidity and heady alcohol. Long nicely bitter finish. Needless to say this is an exceptional wine...
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tasted blind against the petition. this was beautiful. nice dark golden color. waxy fruit with a subtle spiciness. rich in floral. palate is all that plus orange peel and zest. higher in octane on the palate but not hot. just pizazz with great acidity. finsh better than petition - longer and deeper. :) group average - 95.5
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Wow--this particular bottle was spectacular. Haven't had one for over a year, and this has improved. Popped and poured, and this initially threw off a huge nose of tangerine, lemon oil, lanolin, and some spice. The palate is bigger and more mouth-coating than I remember--not a wine for the faint of heart--but oh-so-delicious. More fruit on the palate, with some white flowers, citrus peel, wax, petrol, and the spice. Some peach on the finish. Great balance, no noticeable heat (despite 15.2% alcohol), and fun to drink. (PE: 97)
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Probably the best white we've ever had. Brief bitter flavor that I often find in Rhone whites. Other than that...an amazing wine. Fascinating nose. Incredible balance. So smooth. Looong finish. Tremendous wine.
Pre-Christmas Cab/Rhone Dinner at JJL's: Drank this at the end of the meal and into dessert. Big, bold Rhone blend, oily, tropical, smokey, great acidity. I thought was on par with the '05 Chave, but not as good as the '06.
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Opened and sitting in the glass. Strong straw color. Moderate legs on the glass. Good balance on the palate with it reaching the back of the mouth. Sitting flagerently on the palate for a minute or more. I guess that this bottle still has some time and I look forward in visiting with this wine in a few more years. Suggest decanting ahead of time. 1 1/2 hours later and this wine has not lost its flavor and is more defined on the palate.
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Still restrained, waxy, and restrainedly aromatic. Also a bit hot - 2/3 of a bottle was about it for the 2 of us - the rest for tomorrow. Nice length. The flavors and aromatics (peaches, white tropical fruit) do better as the wine warms towards room temperature, but the heat becomes more prominent as well.
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drunk while opening gifts, and i was distracted by the task of getting some air into my new blow up doll (thanks, jane!), but i paid enough attention to it to note that it's settled into a stable performance (who knows what i was doing when i rated it 98 points). i like what manfred does with this blend, producing a very unique domestic white that has some characteristic rhone oiliness. i know some of the criticism surrounds the oak treatment, but it doesn't bother me.
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Used a splash for our dinner (why skimp on the food?) but otherwise devoured (can you use that word for drink?) the bottle. Heck, even Hannah wanted seconds! I get a waxy element from the Rpussanne, a tropical/peach note from the Viognier, and a great lemon oil component which I expect is from the Chardonnay. This seems both delineated and integrated--a typical Krankl conundrum, and one that makes these wines so fun to drink. No butter, but lots of richness, and some smoke on the finish. I feel bad for people who don't enjoy these, because I think they are amazing wines. Are the reds better? Sure. But barely :-)
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Sine Qua Non Tasting (Lush): 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.
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Studio Restaurant (@ The Montage Resort In Laguna Beach): This wine disappointed me a little bit. Waxy and full bodied with a flowery nose, some anise/spice but the finish seemed to fall off and the wine lacked some precision.
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Tonight an experiment - one large glass out of the bottle, and the rest for tomorrow.
This one glass takes forever to open. It needed some combination of room temperature and 2 hours to show anything other than structure and bitterness. After that, it showed a good amount of fruit on the palate, though the length seemed abbreviated from the previous showing (albeit a year ago!) and the nose seemed mute. I'll reserve a more comprehensive note for tomorrow.
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Loved everything about this, lemon meringue comes to mind ,fuit salad? nice acidity, we prefer younger whites and some of the SQN we have had have the hazelnut rich thing going, this one was really nice and fresh
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Enjoying a Sine Qua Non wine is an experience not only in wine, but in an approach to wine making, to quality, to individuality and to the transitory nature of human life. Tonight is my oldest daughter's 9th birthday party, and the house is full of seven little girls ages 8 and 9 having a third-grade sleep-over party. To deal with the elevated energy level in the house, my wife and I needed something special to balance out the intensity of the event. My daughter's favorite food is sushi, and more specifically, flying fish eggs and fresh sashimi. So we had to pick a wine that could stand up to the intensity and saltiness of sushi, while still delivering complexity, richness and depth. Needless to say, The Rejuvenators was an inspired choice. This is only the second bottle of Sine Qua Non wine that I've enjoyed -- the first being Erased -- and I have to say that I have a synchronistic relationship to the winemaker. This wine has an amazing nose -- honey, yeast, straw, vanilla, and lemon zest, which all meld into a freshness that invites you in for a taste. The color is a golden, rich, lemon-colored, nectar with only a hint of distortion that slightly breaks up the clarity. On the palate, the wine starts out smooth and silky at first, but then expands in the mid-palate with lemon oil, subtle oak, and minerality. On the finish, there is a slightly puckering crispness that hints at some underlying ghost of bannana, lemon, and fresh spring meadow grass. One of my friends describes the art of Sine Qua Non wines as an experience in layering. I absolutely agree. This is a layered experience, with each layer of the blend revealing itself along the path. Normally, I like sweeter wines with sushi, but this matched perfectly with the fresh sashimi, and held its own against the salt, wasabi, soy and fat of the fish. Now that the candles have been blown out, the cake consumed, the presents opened, and the kids are tucked away with popcorn, red licorice and a good kids' movie, I can sit back, take in the moment, and think about the fact that at age 9, my lovely little magical girl is now 1/2 of the way to being 18. Life is magical, and passes too quickly past. If you're going to live in the moment, Sine Qua Non is essential and matches perfectly for those who know that life is transitory, time is elusive, that the path is not always clear, and that there is a need to make sure that art enriches your life along the way. Sine Qua Non is clearly made by two people who appreciate the cycle of life, which is clearly evident from the label of The Rejuvenators. The faded black and white photograph reminds us that time passes, at the same time that the seeds of renewal insure that it continues. Happy 9th Birthday Adison Marie!!
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more backbone than other sqn whites I have tasted, the rousanne and viognier seem to overpower the chardonnay which is a good thing. the nose seemed to not be there though
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A gorgeous Rhone-styled white with a great flowery perfume. Lots of crisp acidity to go along with the limestone, grass and melon flavors. Got better and better with air and we probably finished it too soon. A very balanced, fresh and delicious wine that's not over the top in any way. 93+ Brought to wd-50, NYC
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Great American Syrah Smackdown (My House): Bigger riper fuller than the Beau - just more of everything. Almost tight (tannic?) yellow fruit - piercing. Plenty of ripeness and you can detect the alcohol. Nice, but not really my cup of tea.
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Great American Syrah Smackdown (Chris Hughes' place - Chicago, IL): Light gold in color with expansive smoky apples and pencil lead aromas. Palate is full of flavor and richly textured. Rich white fruits, floral and mineral notes are well integrated with refreshing acidic edge. Good length and persistence. A lifted personality that improves with food.
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Tasted at the Edward Roberts International wine auction in Chicago. This was mixed in with the early whites and threw me off a little. Was expecting something along the lines of a Vionger - but it was much more complex. Beautiful pale colors, and a bouquet of a country farm home in the summer - florals, hay and fruit pie. Pleasant on the palate, yet still difficult to place. Pears and maybe even some orange/citrus. Would certainly consider buying a bottle someday.
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ERI Auction and Tasting (Chicago, IL): I've never had the privilege of sampling a SQN wine previously so this was an interesting experience. The more so because it was juxtaposed with a 1993 Chateau Beaucastel Blanc. The latter all minerality and terroir, the former all extract, concentration and oak. Noticeable yellow-green colour and a floral nose, it really attacks on the palate with massive concentration, tropical fruit, swingeing acidity and oak. It makes its considerable presence felt and is really seems to define its own category, since I can't find anything with which to compare.
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G7 (Jeff): Pears, flowers, cat pee and caramel. Rich and concentrated. Good depth. Heavy handed with the oak which lacks integration and is very noticeable on the nose and palate. Some bitterness on the finish.
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wow. huge bottle of wine. i've had this two other times and this was clearly the best of the three bottles. magnificent color. nose was perfumey, floral and full of tropical and white fruits and flowers. initial mouthfeel was smooth and cashmere-like. just flowed over the tongue. the mid palate is bold and bright. white peaches, mangos other fruit with a touch of an exotic nature that must be tasted to appreciate. finsih is up to the task with complete integration of fruit, tannin, spice and earth. wow.
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Wow - even better than I remember it being from six months ago. Rich, honeyed nose of orange marmalade, key lime pie, and a mineral element that keeps it from being candied or over-the-top. The palate is both rich and balanced, with plenty of acid bolstering the citrus and tropical fruits. This doesn't have the waxy component I typically find in Roussanne or Roussanne-based wines and, for me, I think it is a good thing. Really, really tasty white wine - one of the best I've had, ranking close, in this case anyway, to the Rien Ne Va Plus.
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Anwar opened a bottle of this wine at his home over Memorial Day weekend for some of the CWM. The WA gave this 96 points. It is a blend of 56% Roussanne, 24% Viognier and 20% Chardonnay. SQN white wines have never wowed me (albeit in limited experience) since many seem to fall into the overmanipulated category. This was no exception. It was somewhat of a beast but was impressive for the intensity of its flavors. Notes of charcoal smoke, Indian spice, vanilla oak and waxy white fruit. Very concentrated. Full bodied. If this were a style I liked I would certainly score it closer to the Parker rating. Still this is one of the highest scores I have given to a Chardonnay blend. 91 points.
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I'm finding it difficult to judge this wine. On the basis of it being a SQN "chardonnay and roussanne blend", it seems somewhat out of sorts. It's not that the usual flavors aren't there - the waxy roussanne component is VERY present, and the fruity components of the chardonnay and the viognier are also present; rather, it's that this wine doesn't seem to fit into the mold established by the previous WE and SI; this one is more sublime and restrained than those efforts. This one certainly has the same incredible nose and fascinating length, and to be frank, this bottle of The Rejuvenators more closely resembles the very, very sublime Rien ne vas Plus that I adored. It'll be interesting to see if this one turns into a sublime wine or just a very good version of the SI as it opens up over the next little while...
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Had at Passionfish in Pacific Grove....for $90! Great wine! Wonderful creamy tropical fruit, hazelnut, lemon creme, beautiful florals/spice. Not as good as the Sublime Isolation...but close!
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Medium- to light-gold in color. The nose shows a lot of buttery fruit, petrol, white flowers, and hints of lanolin. On the palate this has loads of sweet and tangy citrus - lemon, lime, orange - as well as a pleasantly waxy and nutty character. The fruit is backed up by a great tangy acid that seems to be missing - to me! - in many Roussanne-based wines and leaves many said wines somewhat plodding. Not so in this case. Similar to his reds, Manfred has crafted a wine that manages to be something of a gentle giant - quite big in terms of flavors, but not at all over-the-top. As much as I enjoy the Sublime Isolation, I would give this a point or two more.
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Sine Qua Non "Postcard" Dinner (Chez Hill - Barrington IL): Lots of stone fruit with a few tropical hints. Lightly floral, good spice. Big fruit on palate with good acidity and balance. Long and vibrant. Easy to enjoy, this was my white WOTN, probably for most people at my table as well. Probably also at its peak now.
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Chicago SQN Postcard Offline (Mel Hill's home - Barrington, IL): Complex and full throttle aromatic profile with white fruits intermixed with minerals and floral notes. The palate is multi-layered with at times lush fruit and other times waxy fruit. Excellent minerality and freshness from acids. Huge finish full of vibrant honeysuckle and peach notes. Delicious.
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2/6/2022 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely Rhone-esque nose of almond paste, yellow apples, apricot skin, some good ripeness going on but also with dusty garrigue undertones; full generous mouthfeel, silky, plush, but still has some good lift in the back end (credit the Chardonnay in the blend); Nicely ripened aspect, long and clean and in fabulous shape. High alcohol but wears it well. Very surprised I liked this. Chifa in Eagle Rock. Renee's wine
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9/5/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful notes of fruit, floral scents, good mouthfeel, lots of years ahead and just delicious
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9/5/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Ravinia at Home (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. Mostly mature, still very rich and tropical. Nothing shy here.
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5/15/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker Auction - May 2019 (Zuma in NYC): Interesting to try one of these with a bit more age. I remember the whites mostly being mouth coating, but this stayed away from being quite that intense. It's an interesting wine. Tons of different flavor profiles competing against each other here. Lots of light honey and floral and white peach and all of that. It's balanced. More intense than not (interesting because I usually think of Chave blanc as intense but compared to this it was practically airy). Still, enjoyable.
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5/15/2019 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Acker 2019/05 (Zuma): Really good balance between alcohol and white fruit. Really good texture and sweetness, yet lacking precision. 93
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12/9/2016 - boreddoughboy wrote: 95 Points
Dark honey color with explosive nose dominated by honeysuckle. Lingering full finish so rewarding
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11/25/2016 - Peech wrote: 90 Points
Opened almost an hour before serving, initially showing a little grass and lemon citrus notes. Opened up more and got better after 80 minutes or so, but never really reached the heights of many other SQN whites.
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11/25/2016 - bengti Likes this wine: 89 Points
[SQN Night, Table, HK] Hints of supple butterscotch and honey candy, with crushed gravel, scented ash, chocolate shavings. This was approachable but lacked any sort of vibrance, might have been a bottle issue, or it wasnt chilled long enough, didnt breath long enough. Over the evening, stubbornly stayed where we found it.
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9/26/2014 - godx wrote:
Dinner at RY's (Vancouver, BC): Served blind. Always interesting tasting SQN but I've yet to enjoy one as they've all been extremely over-the-top and nearly undrinkable to me. This one, however, was easily the best one I've had. It was certainly ripe, but didn't have sickly sweet fruit and motor oil viscosity that I'm used to from SQN. Tropical fruits for both the nose and palate but with enough lift to keep it reasonably well balance. Nice spicy notes on the finish. A bit of warmth on the back end as well but overall this was quite decent.
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6/10/2014 - dgoerisch wrote: flawed
Unfortunately, corked.
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5/3/2014 - MarkC Likes this wine:
Not an official note, but this was a spectacular bottle. The professionals suggest that the prime drinking window closed in 2011, but I'd say this was close to as good as this wine has ever been. Still plenty of body and solid mouthfeel, notes of clove, but has lost some of the baby fat that these have when young. Would be interesting to see how long this lasts, but it may be hard to keep my hands off the remaining bottle. (PE: 97)
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5/3/2014 - JimN Likes this wine: 94 Points
Four hours decant. Butter and caramel popcorn on the nose. Peaches and cream on the palate. Rich and oily, but great acidity all the way through to the finish. Even after four hours in the decanter it continued to evolve in the glass. Best as it approached room temperature. Drinking very well but still has years ahead of it.
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12/29/2013 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 93 Points
Great wine esp for a decade old. popped and poured. crisp. good fruit and citrus flavors. Going strong. Plenty of life left here. 93+
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9/21/2013 - Sennma wrote: 94 Points
This is so delicious. A nose that kept evolving and you could just smell this wine all night. Worth tracking down more.
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4/16/2013 - Blake Brown wrote: 80 Points
56% Roussane, 24% Viognier, 20% Chardonnay; I was not sure what to make of this, it was so different and I have had little past similar profile to compare it to; multiple layers abound along with a rich and creamy butterfat texture with major citrus and stone fruit exploding by mid palate, but there was some strange, unidentifiable character that was not a deterrent, but presented an inquisitiveness that never got satisfied.
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2/21/2013 - Ki Punwar wrote: 94 Points
What a great wine. Really opens up with time..IMO it it drinking very well right now...flamboyant and rich, full of butterscotch and beeswax, what a mouthfilling wine. Like drinking liquid honey.
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2/19/2013 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great in the glass. Really opens up after an hour.
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10/17/2012 - dln646 wrote: 97 Points
Easily one of the underdogs in this tasting, the wine pours of a deep thick golden color. The wine has clear syrupy-reminding legs.
A big chunk of complex minerality hits my face. Gun powder and chalky aromas, perhaps a bit of smoke as well. Complex doesn't even begin to describe this bouquet. The minerality dissolves with some air, and out comes a massive complexity in fruits and secondary aromas. It's clearly a heavy wine, but at the same time very refreshing. I'm caught up in the jungle of white stone fruits; ripe peach nectar along with some mango and apricots. Fragrance of pistachio nuttiness with some cotton, beeswax and a very floral spectra of chamomile, white lilies and orange zest. Also not to overlook the palpable vanilla note from the oak. If you're still reading after my ridiculous array of aromas, the latter sentences visibly expresses the extreme synergy action going on in this wine.
On the palate the body is enormous. Dry, but the subtle sweetness is all mixed up in that concentrated cashmere body. The almost volatile acidity helps to balance this wine and structure. The Rejuvenators is nowhere near flabby. I find this wine extremely appealing with its black hole-like depth. Again the characteristics are similar to the nose; really floral, lots of different ripe fruits, nuttiness and some honey. The finish is pulsating everlastingly, but gets a bit warm as you swallow. In terms of WSET methodology, this wine has a ultra-long length.
Simply amazing. What a surprise. Intense amount of flavors. The integration of the alcohol is miraculous. Complex to the point of absurdity.A few hours later I'm still tasting fragments of the wine. Probably not everybody's cup of tea, but definitely my glass of wine. Drink until 2017. http://quaffable.org/?p=180
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8/12/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled 8/11/12. Better than our last bottle. More honeyed floral and citrus notes that were far better deliniated in this bottle. Longer finish and only the a light touch of chalk
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7/5/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 91 Points
Sampled 7/4/12. An interesting wine that took an hour to fully open. A dry sweetness with chalk, orange peel, some slightly underripe peaches and flowers. An interesting wiine, but not worth the price.
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5/13/2012 - HRT wrote:
Staw yellow. Lovely exotic scents of honey, apricot, dried fuit. Well balanced with great structure.
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5/5/2012 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Really nice, amber honey color, good nose
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4/2/2012 - Ludi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Golden in color, this shows apricot, lime-tree, acacia honey, tangerine, some balsamic notes. Overwhelming mouth, tons of tropical fruit and an incredible intensity.
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2/29/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
An amazing meal (Rhys, SQN, KB, Margaux, Angelus, Ducru, Kalin): This tasted much more mature than the Petition despite it being only a year older. It also drank much more like a true Rhone white although I beleive there is some Chard in both. The nose is waxy with honey notes. The palate has a bitter quality that works well with food. A delicious wine.
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1/21/2012 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Clean, good nose, long on the palate.
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1/19/2012 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Very impressive. Big, beautiful nose, complex and difficult to nail down since you can get some of the Chardonnay that throws you off. The Roussanne gives it the great, thick mouthfeel but you also get some tropical fruit but without the sweetness. This is still a very young wine and will like many of the white SQN's live for decades.
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12/11/2011 - Zweder wrote: flawed
At first it was only slightly corked, but quickly it became worse and worse. What a great pity!
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12/10/2011 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
corked
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12/10/2011 - jkoenen wrote: flawed
An evening with Sine Qua Non (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Corked.
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12/10/2011 - WildeMeeuw wrote: flawed
SQN 2004 The Rejuvenator () Kleur: Strogeel Aroma / bouquet: Vlurkje, jammer want daardoor moeilijk te onderscheiden aroma's, Smaak / Afdronk: Dik, rijp, Algemeen / potentieel: 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: + Smaak / Afdronk: + Algemeen / potentieel: = 55/100
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11/10/2011 - gblacave wrote: 93 Points
Wow. This jumps out of the glass with tropical fruits, wax and citrus - also a slight almond oil note - great complexity and depth on the nose, but it is huge. On the palate, this has a fantastic mouthfeel that is quite viscous with a moderate plus acidity keeping it from being too heavy. Lots of fruit expression and depth of flavor here. Long winding finish with no hint of alcohol. Really big, not my style - but obviously very well made.
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11/10/2011 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 95 Points
SQN vs Rhone Dinner (BLT Steak, DC): Wow, what a great nose that jumps out of the glass clear across the room. Smells like the tropics! Clear doses of cut grass, citrus with an oily component. Excellent.
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7/17/2011 - shadow wrote: 99 Points
Wow, drink now, rich mouth full of creamy pleasure, long smooth exit, almost perfect
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7/17/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
SQN, Clerico, Hillside Select, Chave Hermitage, Rieussec: I have not been a fan of the SQN whites. My friend, Charlie, tells me that they need some age and need to be drunk at cellar temp. He opened this one and it was gorgeous. Deep golden in color. The nose is wonderful with honey, wax, warm peach pie and floral notes. Viscous and lush. Enough acidity to keep from being flabby. No bitterness. No sense of alcohol. Long finish. This was amazing.
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6/19/2011 - pilot360 wrote: 97 Points
Up front tropical flavors, like on a beach and getting a whiff of that tropical sun tan oil. Nose had tremendous depth, coconut, pineapple, apricot. Well balanced a wine I went back to frequently.
Upgraded to Extraordinary after pondering this for a while. In my top 3 white wines.
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4/23/2011 - fhirsch wrote: 96 Points
At Sketch, London. Opened and straight into the decanter. First smell is remarkably close to 2006 Coche Dury Meursault Genevrieres. Has one of the most compelling noses of any white wine I've had up to date. Stone fruits, almonds, flowers, some zesty notes. It has it all. The mouth is incredible, as it has an incredibly thick texture, and richness that are beautifully countered by a freshness that you would never imagine in such a big wine. The mouth has lots of fruit, minerality and a finish that is quite remarkable. Will probably keep for a while, but it is hard to imagine this getting even better. A truly outrageous effort!
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2/23/2011 - dbg wrote:
Light gold. Forward nose of peaches and flowers. Full-bodied, rich and viscous, palate-coating, ripe fruit, typical Roussanne oiliness, persistent finish. Outstanding!
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2/16/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
You can really smell the viognier on the nose. A big wine, but nimble on its feet. Classic oily texture, with rich tropical fruit flavors. This still has nice levels of bright acidity and made a nice pairing with fish in a tropical setting.
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11/20/2010 - KristianT Likes this wine: 92 Points
18 bottles of Sine Qua Non (Copenhagen, Denmark): Golden colour and almost oily texture. My expectations were therefore for a much heavier wine than it turned out to be. It had a surprising freshness with notes of pineapple and grapefruit.
Completely dry and quite long. A very good and interesting wine.
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10/23/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Sine Qua Non Dinner: the Younger Wines (Custom House Tavern - Chicago IL): Tropical fruit from start to finish, but with a very interesting spice component in the near background. Spice and mineraliyy manage to keep its high alcohol level from taking over the finish. Well done.
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9/25/2010 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Delicious - complex, interesting and intense. Still drinking great.
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8/19/2010 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep lemony color.
Very intense nose with sweet aromas of neroli, bergamot, pineapple and heady but still well integrated vanilla scent.
Rich on the palate with remarkable intensity of flavors similar to the nose.
In a way I could sense elements of all three varieties (56% Roussane, 24% Viognier and 20% Chardonnay). Balancing acidity and heady alcohol.
Long nicely bitter finish.
Needless to say this is an exceptional wine...
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7/24/2010 - beezer6 wrote: flawed
Corked. Binny's Ivanhoe was nice enough to take back for credit. Purchased 2007 Robert Foley Claret as a replacement.
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5/8/2010 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 3rd Annual; 5/7/2010-5/8/2010 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): Enjoyed this quite a bit this year -- my second favorite of the whites, I think. It was extremely youthful, with a fresh acidity, nice tropical fruit notes and an ethereal floral finish that dances all over the place.
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4/9/2010 - jc-mmb wrote: 97 Points
tasted blind against the petition. this was beautiful. nice dark golden color. waxy fruit with a subtle spiciness. rich in floral. palate is all that plus orange peel and zest. higher in octane on the palate but not hot. just pizazz with great acidity. finsh better than petition - longer and deeper. :) group average - 95.5
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3/29/2010 - MarkC wrote: 97 Points
Wow--this particular bottle was spectacular. Haven't had one for over a year, and this has improved. Popped and poured, and this initially threw off a huge nose of tangerine, lemon oil, lanolin, and some spice. The palate is bigger and more mouth-coating than I remember--not a wine for the faint of heart--but oh-so-delicious. More fruit on the palate, with some white flowers, citrus peel, wax, petrol, and the spice. Some peach on the finish. Great balance, no noticeable heat (despite 15.2% alcohol), and fun to drink. (PE: 97)
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12/30/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 93 Points
clean and deep in the flavor.
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12/22/2009 - pkwoods wrote: 96 Points
Probably the best white we've ever had. Brief bitter flavor that I often find in Rhone whites. Other than that...an amazing wine. Fascinating nose. Incredible balance. So smooth. Looong finish. Tremendous wine.
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12/22/2009 - JJL wrote: 95 Points
Pre-Christmas Cab/Rhone Dinner at JJL's: Drank this at the end of the meal and into dessert. Big, bold Rhone blend, oily, tropical, smokey, great acidity. I thought was on par with the '05 Chave, but not as good as the '06.
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11/24/2009 - brynmair wrote: 93 Points
Definitely a rich, complex white wine. Golden color to the long lasting peachy nuances.
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11/1/2009 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Huge, delicious, rich tropical fruit with loads of peachy flavors, long finish, beautiful wine
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9/28/2009 - AtoZ wrote: flawed
Clearly corked.
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6/16/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 95 Points
Opened and sitting in the glass. Strong straw color. Moderate legs on the glass. Good balance on the palate with it reaching the back of the mouth. Sitting flagerently on the palate for a minute or more. I guess that this bottle still has some time and I look forward in visiting with this wine in a few more years. Suggest decanting ahead of time. 1 1/2 hours later and this wine has not lost its flavor and is more defined on the palate.
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6/7/2009 - vendange wrote: flawed
Corked.
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4/19/2009 - cadamson wrote: flawed
Corked.
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4/17/2009 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Corked.
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2/27/2009 - jbaron wrote: 92 Points
Still restrained, waxy, and restrainedly aromatic. Also a bit hot - 2/3 of a bottle was about it for the 2 of us - the rest for tomorrow. Nice length. The flavors and aromatics (peaches, white tropical fruit) do better as the wine warms towards room temperature, but the heat becomes more prominent as well.
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12/24/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
drunk while opening gifts, and i was distracted by the task of getting some air into my new blow up doll (thanks, jane!), but i paid enough attention to it to note that it's settled into a stable performance (who knows what i was doing when i rated it 98 points). i like what manfred does with this blend, producing a very unique domestic white that has some characteristic rhone oiliness. i know some of the criticism surrounds the oak treatment, but it doesn't bother me.
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10/31/2008 - quigley13 wrote: 96 Points
WOW, scary good.
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10/18/2008 - MarkC wrote:
Used a splash for our dinner (why skimp on the food?) but otherwise devoured (can you use that word for drink?) the bottle. Heck, even Hannah wanted seconds! I get a waxy element from the Rpussanne, a tropical/peach note from the Viognier, and a great lemon oil component which I expect is from the Chardonnay. This seems both delineated and integrated--a typical Krankl conundrum, and one that makes these wines so fun to drink. No butter, but lots of richness, and some smoke on the finish. I feel bad for people who don't enjoy these, because I think they are amazing wines. Are the reds better? Sure. But barely :-)
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10/3/2008 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Sine Qua Non Tasting (Lush): 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.
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7/5/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Studio Restaurant (@ The Montage Resort In Laguna Beach): This wine disappointed me a little bit. Waxy and full bodied with a flowery nose, some anise/spice but the finish seemed to fall off and the wine lacked some precision.
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4/10/2008 - jbaron wrote:
Tonight an experiment - one large glass out of the bottle, and the rest for tomorrow.
This one glass takes forever to open. It needed some combination of room temperature and 2 hours to show anything other than structure and bitterness. After that, it showed a good amount of fruit on the palate, though the length seemed abbreviated from the previous showing (albeit a year ago!) and the nose seemed mute. I'll reserve a more comprehensive note for tomorrow.
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4/2/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 88 Points
pineapple, apple nose, good full bodied mouth with crisp acidity. slightly bitter finish.
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4/2/2008 - jivey wrote:
15.2% alcohol, chard/Ros blend. Balanced nose of citrus, alcohol and oak. Bitter mid palette long hot finish.
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4/2/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
eRobert Parker Offline - Whites (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Apples, flowers, pineapple and peach. Has lots of toasted oak. Very full bodied. Powerful and rich on the finish.
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3/8/2008 - ShannonGroomes wrote: 96 Points
Loved everything about this, lemon meringue comes to mind ,fuit salad? nice acidity, we prefer younger whites and some of the SQN we have had have the hazelnut rich thing going, this one was really nice and fresh
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3/7/2008 - A&C wrote: 96 Points
Enjoying a Sine Qua Non wine is an experience not only in wine, but in an approach to wine making, to quality, to individuality and to the transitory nature of human life. Tonight is my oldest daughter's 9th birthday party, and the house is full of seven little girls ages 8 and 9 having a third-grade sleep-over party. To deal with the elevated energy level in the house, my wife and I needed something special to balance out the intensity of the event. My daughter's favorite food is sushi, and more specifically, flying fish eggs and fresh sashimi. So we had to pick a wine that could stand up to the intensity and saltiness of sushi, while still delivering complexity, richness and depth. Needless to say, The Rejuvenators was an inspired choice. This is only the second bottle of Sine Qua Non wine that I've enjoyed -- the first being Erased -- and I have to say that I have a synchronistic relationship to the winemaker. This wine has an amazing nose -- honey, yeast, straw, vanilla, and lemon zest, which all meld into a freshness that invites you in for a taste. The color is a golden, rich, lemon-colored, nectar with only a hint of distortion that slightly breaks up the clarity. On the palate, the wine starts out smooth and silky at first, but then expands in the mid-palate with lemon oil, subtle oak, and minerality. On the finish, there is a slightly puckering crispness that hints at some underlying ghost of bannana, lemon, and fresh spring meadow grass. One of my friends describes the art of Sine Qua Non wines as an experience in layering. I absolutely agree. This is a layered experience, with each layer of the blend revealing itself along the path. Normally, I like sweeter wines with sushi, but this matched perfectly with the fresh sashimi, and held its own against the salt, wasabi, soy and fat of the fish. Now that the candles have been blown out, the cake consumed, the presents opened, and the kids are tucked away with popcorn, red licorice and a good kids' movie, I can sit back, take in the moment, and think about the fact that at age 9, my lovely little magical girl is now 1/2 of the way to being 18. Life is magical, and passes too quickly past. If you're going to live in the moment, Sine Qua Non is essential and matches perfectly for those who know that life is transitory, time is elusive, that the path is not always clear, and that there is a need to make sure that art enriches your life along the way. Sine Qua Non is clearly made by two people who appreciate the cycle of life, which is clearly evident from the label of The Rejuvenators. The faded black and white photograph reminds us that time passes, at the same time that the seeds of renewal insure that it continues. Happy 9th Birthday Adison Marie!!
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1/27/2008 - the godfather wrote: 94 Points
more backbone than other sqn whites I have tasted, the rousanne and viognier seem to overpower the chardonnay which is a good thing. the nose seemed to not be there though
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10/16/2007 - dream wrote: 93 Points
A gorgeous Rhone-styled white with a great flowery perfume. Lots of crisp acidity to go along with the limestone, grass and melon flavors. Got better and better with air and we probably finished it too soon. A very balanced, fresh and delicious wine that's not over the top in any way. 93+ Brought to wd-50, NYC
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10/4/2007 - winefool wrote: 91 Points
Great American Syrah Smackdown (My House): Bigger riper fuller than the Beau - just more of everything. Almost tight (tannic?) yellow fruit - piercing. Plenty of ripeness and you can detect the alcohol. Nice, but not really my cup of tea.
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10/4/2007 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Great American Syrah Smackdown (Chris Hughes' place - Chicago, IL): Light gold in color with expansive smoky apples and pencil lead aromas. Palate is full of flavor and richly textured. Rich white fruits, floral and mineral notes are well integrated with refreshing acidic edge. Good length and persistence. A lifted personality that improves with food.
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9/9/2007 - bupika wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at the Edward Roberts International wine auction in Chicago. This was mixed in with the early whites and threw me off a little. Was expecting something along the lines of a Vionger - but it was much more complex. Beautiful pale colors, and a bouquet of a country farm home in the summer - florals, hay and fruit pie. Pleasant on the palate, yet still difficult to place. Pears and maybe even some orange/citrus. Would certainly consider buying a bottle someday.
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9/8/2007 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Edward Roberts Pre-Auction Tasting (Columbia Yacht Club): Pale yellow color with notes of apple, oak and a faint floral tone. Rather lengthy, fruit-filled finish.
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9/8/2007 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
ERI Auction and Tasting (Chicago, IL): I've never had the privilege of sampling a SQN wine previously so this was an interesting experience. The more so because it was juxtaposed with a 1993 Chateau Beaucastel Blanc. The latter all minerality and terroir, the former all extract, concentration and oak. Noticeable yellow-green colour and a floral nose, it really attacks on the palate with massive concentration, tropical fruit, swingeing acidity and oak. It makes its considerable presence felt and is really seems to define its own category, since I can't find anything with which to compare.
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7/30/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
G7 (Jeff): Pears, flowers, cat pee and caramel. Rich and concentrated. Good depth. Heavy handed with the oak which lacks integration and is very noticeable on the nose and palate. Some bitterness on the finish.
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7/20/2007 - jc-mmb wrote: 97 Points
wow. huge bottle of wine. i've had this two other times and this was clearly the best of the three bottles. magnificent color. nose was perfumey, floral and full of tropical and white fruits and flowers. initial mouthfeel was smooth and cashmere-like. just flowed over the tongue. the mid palate is bold and bright. white peaches, mangos other fruit with a touch of an exotic nature that must be tasted to appreciate. finsih is up to the task with complete integration of fruit, tannin, spice and earth. wow.
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7/20/2007 - ryker01 wrote: 95 Points
Great length. Citrus, Floral, Hazlenut oil nose. Crisp and pure on the palate. One of the best whites I've had from california.
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7/17/2007 - jeff nowak wrote: 98 Points
54% roussanne, 26% viognier, 20% chard. simply smashing! a truly unique domestic white rhone blend.
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6/8/2007 - docsdoc wrote: 94 Points
Awesome
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5/31/2007 - MarkC wrote: 96 Points
Wow - even better than I remember it being from six months ago. Rich, honeyed nose of orange marmalade, key lime pie, and a mineral element that keeps it from being candied or over-the-top. The palate is both rich and balanced, with plenty of acid bolstering the citrus and tropical fruits. This doesn't have the waxy component I typically find in Roussanne or Roussanne-based wines and, for me, I think it is a good thing. Really, really tasty white wine - one of the best I've had, ranking close, in this case anyway, to the Rien Ne Va Plus.
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5/30/2007 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Anwar opened a bottle of this wine at his home over Memorial Day weekend for some of the CWM. The WA gave this 96 points. It is a blend of 56% Roussanne, 24% Viognier and 20% Chardonnay. SQN white wines have never wowed me (albeit in limited experience) since many seem to fall into the overmanipulated category. This was no exception. It was somewhat of a beast but was impressive for the intensity of its flavors. Notes of charcoal smoke, Indian spice, vanilla oak and waxy white fruit. Very concentrated. Full bodied. If this were a style I liked I would certainly score it closer to the Parker rating. Still this is one of the highest scores I have given to a Chardonnay blend. 91 points.
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4/28/2007 - jbaron wrote: 93 Points
I'm finding it difficult to judge this wine. On the basis of it being a SQN "chardonnay and roussanne blend", it seems somewhat out of sorts. It's not that the usual flavors aren't there - the waxy roussanne component is VERY present, and the fruity components of the chardonnay and the viognier are also present; rather, it's that this wine doesn't seem to fit into the mold established by the previous WE and SI; this one is more sublime and restrained than those efforts. This one certainly has the same incredible nose and fascinating length, and to be frank, this bottle of The Rejuvenators more closely resembles the very, very sublime Rien ne vas Plus that I adored. It'll be interesting to see if this one turns into a sublime wine or just a very good version of the SI as it opens up over the next little while...
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3/18/2007 - Mrbuzz wrote: 95 Points
Had at Passionfish in Pacific Grove....for $90! Great wine! Wonderful creamy tropical fruit, hazelnut, lemon creme, beautiful florals/spice. Not as good as the Sublime Isolation...but close!
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3/13/2007 - futronic wrote: 90 Points
Sacramento Offline w/ Brent Null et al (Enotria Restaurant, Sacramento, CA): Medium-gold colour. Aromas of butter, honey, apricot, and cream. Full-bodied, unctuous, with replays from nose that are joined by spice and alcohol notes. Moderate-long finish with more spice and apricot.
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2/3/2007 - AJG wrote: 91 Points
Big, complex wine with a lot of fruit and a long finish. A real crowd-pleaser.
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12/8/2006 - Colima74 wrote: 91 Points
Jay brought this to monthly white wine tasting.. this at China Panda... complex, rich mouthfeel, big, long finish, stone fruit... very very good.
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12/3/2006 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
RICH FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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11/22/2006 - MarkC wrote: 95 Points
Medium- to light-gold in color. The nose shows a lot of buttery fruit, petrol, white flowers, and hints of lanolin. On the palate this has loads of sweet and tangy citrus - lemon, lime, orange - as well as a pleasantly waxy and nutty character. The fruit is backed up by a great tangy acid that seems to be missing - to me! - in many Roussanne-based wines and leaves many said wines somewhat plodding. Not so in this case. Similar to his reds, Manfred has crafted a wine that manages to be something of a gentle giant - quite big in terms of flavors, but not at all over-the-top. As much as I enjoy the Sublime Isolation, I would give this a point or two more.
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10/28/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Sine Qua Non "Postcard" Dinner (Chez Hill - Barrington IL): Lots of stone fruit with a few tropical hints. Lightly floral, good spice. Big fruit on palate with good acidity and balance. Long and vibrant. Easy to enjoy, this was my white WOTN, probably for most people at my table as well. Probably also at its peak now.
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10/28/2006 - Nanda wrote:
Chicago SQN Postcard Offline (Mel Hill's home - Barrington, IL): Complex and full throttle aromatic profile with white fruits intermixed with minerals and floral notes. The palate is multi-layered with at times lush fruit and other times waxy fruit. Excellent minerality and freshness from acids. Huge finish full of vibrant honeysuckle and peach notes. Delicious.
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