Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, huckleberry, black plum, bramble, spice, anise and vanilla. Blackberry, blueberry, anise, toasted oak, bramble, spice and ripe tannins on the palate. A very long, layered finish with excellent depth. Full bodied. Served with reverse seared zabuton steak with yakiniku sauce.
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Picked up at a local grocer, had been hunting a bottle of SQN for a couple of weeks after a good experience at a pairing at Meadowood. Decanted 4 hours at cellar temp and tasted over 3 hours letting it warm to room temp. Definitely improved over the night as secondary notes got stronger and tertiary notes began to appear.
Rich red fruit with blackberry upon open. Notes of leather, loam, shiitake emerged soon after. Began absolutely huge and mellowed out. Tannins softened. As the night went on it came into its own and displayed great balance. Stood up well over that decant, holding up phenomenally next morning.
After this second SQN experience I’ve gotta say I’m pretty bought into the hype. Not quite as tuned to my palate, but still phenomenal. 96
Made a huge meal for my husband’s birthday; beef tenderloin was the star. I was thinking perhaps we could have a Clape to go along with the beef and all the heavy accompaniments. But it’s his birthday, and he said he wanted something, “Huge and with stank.” Now, a Clape can fit this bill, but, really, just, really: If this wasn’t a Sine Qua Non request, then I don’t know what is.
Decanted 3+ hours. I wish we would have gone more, because this improved as the glass got shallower. Pepper, bacon fat, plum compote, and leather from a horse saddle that has been ridden by one hell of a cowboy fills the mouth. First couple of sips the 15.9% alcohol made its presence known, then, poof! was gone.
Thoroughly enjoyed this; wish I had more. Almost gives me the strength to hang on for, oh, 13 to 37 more years until I finally make the SQN mailing list.
A very generous offering from Chris P.: 15.9% alcohol, so almost like wine soup, but the alcohol doesn't show up on the palate. Very dark and dense, with flavors of chocolate and cherry, but enough acidity that it is never cloying.
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I thought this wine was pretty nice. Drinking SQN is an exercise in bias. I signed up in 2014 to buy and nearly a decade later, lack the privilege. This bottle was shared through a friends allocation and stored in good conditions since. PnP, notes of kirsch liqueur predominate. Sandalwood but somewhat relaxed oak. High viscosity, high extraction, and high alcohol. It’s all dialed up to 11. certainly a lot of chemistry going on here but doesn’t feel inauthentic, just highly manipulated. Against 5 N.Rhone syrahs, this was the odd man out.
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Never does this fail , even on a warm Athens night at the excellent Oinoscent this just soared above it all. Intense , rich and muscular almost 16% but still with a completeness that carried it with no issues of being heavy or tiring. Expressive of course , elevated nose , energy on the palate and special. An easy 95 and with many summers ahead of it.
What a Rockstar. Dont just drink it. Open this wine and just sip it over 3-4 hours. The development is quite an experience. So much depth and power with finesse.
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Big scale wine that's surprisingly easy to drink at this stage. It's also much more velvety and softer than expected. Always a pleasure to taste what the Krankl's have crafted, thank you Cary!
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(at Bottega - Yountville) Big, bold, full of alcohol and blue fruit. Heavy and a bit tiring after the first few sips. Impactful but does this move me? Maybe needs time but I'm not sure.... (92+?)
Kleur: Diep donkerrood met een dunne rand. Aroma / bouquet: Stuivend expressief bouquet. Boordevol zoetig donker fruit (bramen, bosbessen), leer, gemberkoek, drop / zoethout. Smaak / Afdronk: Vol, verleidelijk en in alle opzichten 'heel erg Sine Qua Non'. Een serieuze smaakexplosie. Een nog iets beperkter zuurgraad, fluwelig zachte tannines. Een bijna extreme vulling en concentratie die maakt dat de 15,9%! alcohol niet als serieus storend wordt ervaren. Algemeen / potentieel: Zondoorstoofde Sine Qua Non 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 96/100
Color: Deep dark red with a thin border. Aroma / bouquet: Sparkling expressive bouquet. Packed with sweetish dark fruit (blackberries, blueberries), leather, gingerbread, licorice / licorice. Taste / Aftertaste: Full-bodied, seductive and in every way 'very Sine Qua Non'. A serious taste explosion. An even more limited acidity, velvety soft tannins. An almost extreme filling and concentration that makes the 15.9%! alcohol is not experienced as seriously disruptive. General / potential: Sun-stewed Sine Qua Non 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Taste / Aftertaste: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 96/100
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Decanted for 45 min. Big wine (as expected) with loads of red fruit, smoke, leather and violet. Still a baby wine, but it offers smooth taste. Long finishing. It has a lot of potential indeed.
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High scores from the critics for this quintessential 85% Syrah. Near black in color. We didnt decant it, but worked our glasses a lot, and it opened up in 20 minutes. Wonderful balance and drinkability for such an intense high alcohol wine. Genius, really. Like great Cote Rotie, but without sauvage, brett, barnyard. Instead , there was some dark loam and schist minerality, with the acidity, keeping the powerful kirsch/cassis notes and black fruit in harmony. We barely noticed the 17.5% alcohol as we finished the bottle with Korean bbq. The charred beef, , salty, soy , umami flavors are perfect for this bruiser. This wine will likely live forever, and not evolve much, like Pavie.
Rating is for now. Still way too early for my palate but a great wine. Very fresh and lively Syrah with layers of ripe dark berry fruit, savory and spices. This one didn’t budge with 2 days in the fridge, so I won’t touch my others for many years. Normally I like SQN with an extended decant and have seen great evolution over a few days, but this one was stubbornly young and fruity and not going to grow up (Peter pan wine? Lol)
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thoroughly enjoyed over 4 nights (coravin). what sets these wines apart is their charm, ease, and balance. friendly, comforting wine. as others have commented, hard to be this friendly and this well put together at this massive size. not at all serious, but very confident and stands up well to inspection. drink window? no idea - delicious now. could I distinguish it from other SQN syrahs? probably not - haven't had that many of them. but I know I really liked this and would have it again in a second.
I haven't had a bad SQN wine. Strong core of dark, ripe fruit that's multidimensional and complex - like a Rubik's cube for your mouth. Followed by a forever finish. It appears these wines don't have a dumb phase, they shine constantly.
A technical wine that has pretty much everything you could ask for in a Californian Syrah. Everything in this wine seemed deliberate, as if each aroma and flavor had been carefully synthesized. I would love to see whether many more years of aging could bring out a little more personality. I preferred this to the Eleven Confessions I've had, so my intrigue for SQN continues...
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Technically well done and not a bad wine for its overt richness, not oxidative and with enough acidity. Nevertheless, too much alcohol, 15.9%, too ripe, too much oak, too much blueberry, short on the finish. I stopped drinking syrup after elementary school...
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Decanted 5 hrs at cellar temp and consumed over 2hrs. Still very early in the drinking window but nice nose with a hint of smoke/meat surrounded by a ton of fruit. Lush fruits on the pallet and medium tannin which I’d expect to further integrate over time. Great wine.
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The Hunter is right on target with this masterpiece. Huge wine but (relatively) light on its feet. Still young and will leave the rest of these alone for a few years. Not forever, though. But if you have two, try one now because how much of the future, after all, is really ‘foreseeable’?
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Wowow! Yet another homerun from SQN! Sooo rich, so full, so highly enjoyable and balanced at the same time! Huge amounts of tannins, which are so perfectly ripe, that the wine just comes across as soft, luxurious, caressing! How is it possible with these dimensions and 15.9% alcohol? It even retains a sense of vibrancy and energy that is just defying what should be possible for this super ripe style of wine! Lot's of syrah smoke, pata negra, espresso roast, chocolate and an incredible length. In a way, this is perfect, so I could see it being rated a 100p eventually, when it reaches the complex plateau of maturity with the perfect balance of primary and secondary notes, which it already posseses in spades, and then when the tertiary development shows without overtaking the wine. When will this be? Probably at least 15 years from now. Great great incredible wine!
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3rd Friday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (R&D's): We filled in on short notice and so only had this and the syrah as UTB bottles within reach, and were only able to give this just over an hour in the decanter. As with its counterpart grenache, it needs 8-10 hrs and should be served at less than room temperature.
Blind, but again, easy to pick out as ours in the line up. Deep color. Terrific initial bouquet of bacon fat, black fruit, blueberry, game and black pepper. Firm tannins. Black and blue fruit, spice and pepper flavors. Terrific fruit, adding a coffee note with air. 93+ pts.
Black cherry syrup, muddled blackberry, vanillin-laced bruised strawberry, and hints of leather and olive lead the initial charge on this broad-shouldered and athletic Syrah. With air, purple plum, black olive, and warm saddle leather develop further into the overall profile, though the berry fruits are at the tip of the sword throughout most of the main execution. The finish, which was initially clipped by fleeting passings of heat, quickly rounded-out the back end and permitted its flavor-legs to stretch further, with the black cherry note dominating. Purity of fruit is evident here, as are the pulsating flavor waves that are just waiting to expand and cascade once some further integration from short-term cellaring is achieved.
As is typically the case with any Krankl concoction, the Hated Hunter may show archetypal youthful unresolve, but there is a lurking sophistication and undulating push of complex flavors interwoven with the wood and berry elements. Decanting is an absolute must at this stage (such is the case with any SQN to which one is scientifically willing to sacrifice at such a spritely age). With a few hours of decanted air at cool cellar temperature, distinguished depth and layered flavorings can be markedly achieved, making for signs of real promise here. A wine best after 2025+. 97+ points.
Specific tasting note aside, I offer a “short” epilogue sparked from this particular wine (well, short by my standards at least – so those who know me can bank on it being a stretched novella), as the Hated Hunter and some of the other comments here on Cellar Tracker caused me to ponder a bit about the SQN marvel – This is around the time I should just stop typing, but alas, here we go; so, proceed at your own risk:
For those wondering if the touting of all things SQN is worthy of the constant cult applause and if such broad acclaim actually translates into a product worth seeking out, my (emphasis on “my” and not “the”) simple answer is, “Yes.” (Some may stop reading now simply because their answer may be, “No,” or, “It depends,” or, “…But their prices keep going up!” or, “Allocation lists are for chumps.”). I certainly don’t fancy myself some blind cult follower who needs to have every goofy labeled wine from across the globe in my cellar just for the sake of collecting (for me, I drink my wine; so, ideally I only buy wine I actually like, not ones I think will gain me wine geek friends or I can flip for some pocket-lint-full of loose change). There’s nothing wrong with a cool factor or the pride in popping the cork on a rare wine in the company of friends and those who appreciate such things, but in the end, the product better deliver and just plain ‘ol taste good – otherwise, why bother?!
So then, like anything, I think it is important to keep contextual grounding when attempting to equitably gauge one’s personal desire in acquiring and coveting these wines (and you can insert any of the Harlan, Screaming Eagle, DRC, whatevers of the world that you consider some sort of trophy wine that you are willing and able to get your paws on – I get that total “worth” is entirely relative). Having been fortunate enough to sample much of Krankl’s creations since SQN’s inception (initially and primarily because of dear friends who have been gracious enough to share them with me – so full disclosure there), I’ve found that one thing is ever-present in these wines: Quality. There is an attention to detail that always seems to translate in the juice itself. We can debate the “worth” of the wine and question inflated QPR (cuz let’s be honest, prices can get wacky), or if there is an actual emotional response you did or didn’t have from the wine; these are often worthy and necessary discussions. But within the style and milieu of California domestic red Rhone, I’m hard-pressed to find much in competition with SQN, at least consistently. And yes, I know others will disagree and can spout their favorites that they believe are cheaper and deliver better for them personally. I know SQN has had misses in the past, so folks can reference those as well I suppose. And reasonably there are certainly those direct comparisons that make sense at the moment – Alban, Saxum, Andremily, and further north to Kongsgaard, Colgin, and a handful of others. Everyone has their favorites of course. “But wait, you left out Tynan.” “But wait, I like Lewis.” “But wait, you can’t talk about SQN without talking about Lato.” “But wait, haven’t you had XYZ Syrah? That blows the doors off any wine you’ve ever tried you over-extracted SQN fanboy!” Yes, I hear you…
Trends come and go oftentimes as much as one’s palate-preferences, and as quantifiers such as DTC release prices start to level-out with auction and secondary market prices and availability, “cult” interest can sometimes become watered down. But for me it’s like this… If it tastes great to you and you’re willing to cough-up the cash and internally validate your purchase by way of whatever about wine makes you smile, then it’s a win.
Some folks I know are constantly pissed-off about buying certain wines every year just to stay on an allocation list either because of some status symbolism or because they are waiting for some 100 point unicorn to pop that will somehow be better than the 98 point wine they don’t want to buy. That seems to me to be a tiresome effort full of chasing shadows (and relying too much on pro scoring – which is a WHOLE other topic). But I understand the pull to play the allocation game and recognizing that scarcity and pro reviews can conjointly drive the market. And if you’re buying SQN you’re likely not just your soccer mom or dad grocery store connoisseur picking up a bottle on your way home from work. You already know a little something about next-level collecting, or at least about what this all-consuming hobby can do to a person’s wine psyche and his or her pocketbook. So, I’m one person who likes SQN as a whole, not because they are SQN but because the wine is friggin good…to me.
As for the Hated Hunter, it’s exactly what one would expect from this house. If it’s not for you, you’re in luck! There are THOUSANDS of wineries out there to check out. Go forth and conquer! (And this is the moment where you ask yourself, “What in the heck was that rant? I’ll never get that five minutes [ten if you’re a slow reader] of my life back after reading this!”). Yes, my friend, you’re correct. Now let’s hope you at least had a decent stem in your fist while you were enduring the likes of my train wreck thoughts. Cheers! (…cuz “Cheers” is what you’re supposed to say when flipping up your salmon-colored Izod collar, giving the two-pistoled thumb and index finger salute, and sashaying off to the valet to grab your turquoise-striped Mini Cooper)…
Really too young to get any handle on. Yes, very large scale, tons of dark fruit, very primary, lots of vanilla oak yet to be integrated. Almost creamy in texture. A wafting nose of myriad scents, even at this young age. Hedonistically pleasurable for a bit, but, right now, needs to settle down. Certainly has the stuffing for a decade or two of improvement.
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Okay.. where to begin? Is this a wonderful wine? Sure. Should one be able to detect the craftsmanship? Yes. Worth the price? Absolutely not. While not over the top expensive like so many of the new "cult" wines (as in California offerings whose beginnings don't go much farther back than the 1990's) that people think are worth shelling out ridiculous sums of money to have bragging rights, this wine is still not worth the price in this man's opinion.
That said, this wine was big, teeth staining dark purple and closed enough to warrant a 6 hour decant. Floral, rich and earthy. Sweet and viscous. All the trappings of a Syrah wine that clearly is heavily extracted.
Dark berries, vanilla, syrup with a long finish that could not hide the high alcohol's (15.9%) heat. Glad I shared this with 2 other people. While tasty, it was too heavy to be able to drink more than a glass and a half.
Slow ox for 6 hours and drank over 4 hours. This bottle was great right away but improved throughout the night. Impressive wine. Dark chrries, blueberries, blackberry, with some earthiness. Sqn has such richness and this concurs
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Dried cranberry, blueberries, dried shiitake mushroom, beef jerky, dried shallots, sous bois, soy sauce and hope chest. There’s bass notes, middle and treble. The acidity is actually addicting, and of course there is so much body. Manfred’s wines have shown more acidity and balance over the years, and remind me of Renoir’s later works with their more relaxed, refined spirits, yet still an amazing sensory experience. I love the polished tannins and evident tension. The colour is quite opaque and shows as much depth with the illustrious palate, and remains very intriguing. Deftly made. Drink 2025 -.
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Double decanted and let breathe under cork for about 5 hours. Also opened the 2017 Grenache Gorgeous Victim.
This wine was bigger, darker and more closed than the grenache at this stage. Tons going on; heavy hitter. We mostly stuck with the grenache on Day 1, but did revisit this at the end of dinner . . . still pretty tight.
Day 2 had probably 2/3 of the bottle left. 24 hours later, still a monster wine. Needs food to balance out right now.
Imagine cellar time will reward. Still a very, very impressive wine.
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4/5/2024 - Neras Likes this wine: 97 Points
SQN is something special! I am amazed by the boldness and the lightness within the same wine. Licorice, pepper, blood, wet stone and gentle power.
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3/23/2024 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular. Deep, complex, rich and smooth. Decanted for 2 hours and it delivered for the rest of the evening!
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2/3/2024 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, huckleberry, black plum, bramble, spice, anise and vanilla. Blackberry, blueberry, anise, toasted oak, bramble, spice and ripe tannins on the palate. A very long, layered finish with excellent depth. Full bodied. Served with reverse seared zabuton steak with yakiniku sauce.
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1/7/2024 - Ampequot Likes this wine: 96 Points
Picked up at a local grocer, had been hunting a bottle of SQN for a couple of weeks after a good experience at a pairing at Meadowood. Decanted 4 hours at cellar temp and tasted over 3 hours letting it warm to room temp. Definitely improved over the night as secondary notes got stronger and tertiary notes began to appear.
Rich red fruit with blackberry upon open. Notes of leather, loam, shiitake emerged soon after. Began absolutely huge and mellowed out. Tannins softened. As the night went on it came into its own and displayed great balance. Stood up well over that decant, holding up phenomenally next morning.
After this second SQN experience I’ve gotta say I’m pretty bought into the hype. Not quite as tuned to my palate, but still phenomenal. 96
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12/10/2023 - ERU wrote: 96 Points
Made a huge meal for my husband’s birthday; beef tenderloin was the star. I was thinking perhaps we could have a Clape to go along with the beef and all the heavy accompaniments. But it’s his birthday, and he said he wanted something, “Huge and with stank.” Now, a Clape can fit this bill, but, really, just, really: If this wasn’t a Sine Qua Non request, then I don’t know what is.
Decanted 3+ hours. I wish we would have gone more, because this improved as the glass got shallower. Pepper, bacon fat, plum compote, and leather from a horse saddle that has been ridden by one hell of a cowboy fills the mouth. First couple of sips the 15.9% alcohol made its presence known, then, poof! was gone.
Thoroughly enjoyed this; wish I had more. Almost gives me the strength to hang on for, oh, 13 to 37 more years until I finally make the SQN mailing list.
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9/10/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine:
A very generous offering from Chris P.: 15.9% alcohol, so almost like wine soup, but the alcohol doesn't show up on the palate. Very dark and dense, with flavors of chocolate and cherry, but enough acidity that it is never cloying.
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7/28/2023 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
I thought this wine was pretty nice. Drinking SQN is an exercise in bias. I signed up in 2014 to buy and nearly a decade later, lack the privilege. This bottle was shared through a friends allocation and stored in good conditions since. PnP, notes of kirsch liqueur predominate. Sandalwood but somewhat relaxed oak. High viscosity, high extraction, and high alcohol. It’s all dialed up to 11. certainly a lot of chemistry going on here but doesn’t feel inauthentic, just highly manipulated. Against 5 N.Rhone syrahs, this was the odd man out.
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7/25/2023 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Never does this fail , even on a warm Athens night at the excellent Oinoscent this just soared above it all.
Intense , rich and muscular almost 16% but still with a completeness that carried it with no issues of being heavy or tiring. Expressive of course , elevated nose , energy on the palate and special. An easy 95 and with many summers ahead of it.
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5/28/2023 - andrewdl Likes this wine: 99 Points
Incredible
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12/24/2022 - Patman2108 wrote:
Very smooth yum
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11/20/2022 - Mjw321 wrote:
Outstanding
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10/7/2022 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a Rockstar. Dont just drink it. Open this wine and just sip it over 3-4 hours. The development is quite an experience. So much depth and power with finesse.
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10/7/2022 - Satoshi Nakamoto wrote:
Big scale wine that's surprisingly easy to drink at this stage. It's also much more velvety and softer than expected. Always a pleasure to taste what the Krankl's have crafted, thank you Cary!
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3/3/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
(at Bottega - Yountville) Big, bold, full of alcohol and blue fruit. Heavy and a bit tiring after the first few sips. Impactful but does this move me? Maybe needs time but I'm not sure.... (92+?)
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1/21/2022 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 96 Points
Kleur: Diep donkerrood met een dunne rand. Aroma / bouquet: Stuivend expressief bouquet. Boordevol zoetig donker fruit (bramen, bosbessen), leer, gemberkoek, drop / zoethout. Smaak / Afdronk: Vol, verleidelijk en in alle opzichten 'heel erg Sine Qua Non'. Een serieuze smaakexplosie. Een nog iets beperkter zuurgraad, fluwelig zachte tannines. Een bijna extreme vulling en concentratie die maakt dat de 15,9%! alcohol niet als serieus storend wordt ervaren. Algemeen / potentieel: Zondoorstoofde Sine Qua Non 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 96/100
Color: Deep dark red with a thin border. Aroma / bouquet: Sparkling expressive bouquet. Packed with sweetish dark fruit (blackberries, blueberries), leather, gingerbread, licorice / licorice. Taste / Aftertaste: Full-bodied, seductive and in every way 'very Sine Qua Non'. A serious taste explosion. An even more limited acidity, velvety soft tannins. An almost extreme filling and concentration that makes the 15.9%! alcohol is not experienced as seriously disruptive. General / potential: Sun-stewed Sine Qua Non 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Taste / Aftertaste: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 96/100
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12/29/2021 - pakabear Likes this wine:
No notes, served the holidays, constantly a great wine for my palate.
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11/25/2021 - schan109 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 45 min. Big wine (as expected) with loads of red fruit, smoke, leather and violet. Still a baby wine, but it offers smooth taste. Long finishing. It has a lot of potential indeed.
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9/17/2021 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 95 Points
High scores from the critics for this quintessential 85% Syrah. Near black in color. We didnt decant it, but worked our glasses a lot, and it opened up in 20 minutes. Wonderful balance and drinkability for such an intense high alcohol wine. Genius, really. Like great Cote Rotie, but without sauvage, brett, barnyard. Instead , there was some dark loam and schist minerality, with the acidity, keeping the powerful kirsch/cassis notes and black fruit in harmony. We barely noticed the 17.5% alcohol as we finished the bottle with Korean bbq. The charred beef, , salty, soy , umami flavors are perfect for this bruiser. This wine will likely live forever, and not evolve much, like Pavie.
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9/9/2021 - bubbachumps wrote: 96 Points
Super complex nose with notes of tree bark and some asphalt. Such great balance and texture on the palate. No detailed notes taken.
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8/29/2021 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rating is for now. Still way too early for my palate but a great wine. Very fresh and lively Syrah with layers of ripe dark berry fruit, savory and spices. This one didn’t budge with 2 days in the fridge, so I won’t touch my others for many years. Normally I like SQN with an extended decant and have seen great evolution over a few days, but this one was stubbornly young and fruity and not going to grow up (Peter pan wine? Lol)
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8/24/2021 - Jahull03 wrote:
thoroughly enjoyed over 4 nights (coravin). what sets these wines apart is their charm, ease, and balance. friendly, comforting wine. as others have commented, hard to be this friendly and this well put together at this massive size. not at all serious, but very confident and stands up well to inspection. drink window? no idea - delicious now. could I distinguish it from other SQN syrahs? probably not - haven't had that many of them. but I know I really liked this and would have it again in a second.
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7/19/2021 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
I haven't had a bad SQN wine. Strong core of dark, ripe fruit that's multidimensional and complex - like a Rubik's cube for your mouth. Followed by a forever finish. It appears these wines don't have a dumb phase, they shine constantly.
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6/20/2021 - Vinewanderers Likes this wine: 94 Points
A technical wine that has pretty much everything you could ask for in a Californian Syrah. Everything in this wine seemed deliberate, as if each aroma and flavor had been carefully synthesized. I would love to see whether many more years of aging could bring out a little more personality. I preferred this to the Eleven Confessions I've had, so my intrigue for SQN continues...
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4/7/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: 91 Points
Technically well done and not a bad wine for its overt richness, not oxidative and with enough acidity. Nevertheless, too much alcohol, 15.9%, too ripe, too much oak, too much blueberry, short on the finish. I stopped drinking syrup after elementary school...
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2/13/2021 - eschuldt wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 5 hrs at cellar temp and consumed over 2hrs. Still very early in the drinking window but nice nose with a hint of smoke/meat surrounded by a ton of fruit. Lush fruits on the pallet and medium tannin which I’d expect to further integrate over time. Great wine.
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2/2/2021 - Niagara wrote: 96 Points
The Hunter is right on target with this masterpiece. Huge wine but (relatively) light on its feet. Still young and will leave the rest of these alone for a few years. Not forever, though. But if you have two, try one now because how much of the future, after all, is really ‘foreseeable’?
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12/6/2020 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wowow! Yet another homerun from SQN! Sooo rich, so full, so highly enjoyable and balanced at the same time! Huge amounts of tannins, which are so perfectly ripe, that the wine just comes across as soft, luxurious, caressing! How is it possible with these dimensions and 15.9% alcohol? It even retains a sense of vibrancy and energy that is just defying what should be possible for this super ripe style of wine! Lot's of syrah smoke, pata negra, espresso roast, chocolate and an incredible length. In a way, this is perfect, so I could see it being rated a 100p eventually, when it reaches the complex plateau of maturity with the perfect balance of primary and secondary notes, which it already posseses in spades, and then when the tertiary development shows without overtaking the wine. When will this be? Probably at least 15 years from now. Great great incredible wine!
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9/23/2020 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Spectacular.
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9/18/2020 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
3rd Friday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (R&D's): We filled in on short notice and so only had this and the syrah as UTB bottles within reach, and were only able to give this just over an hour in the decanter. As with its counterpart grenache, it needs 8-10 hrs and should be served at less than room temperature.
Blind, but again, easy to pick out as ours in the line up. Deep color. Terrific initial bouquet of bacon fat, black fruit, blueberry, game and black pepper. Firm tannins. Black and blue fruit, spice and pepper flavors. Terrific fruit, adding a coffee note with air. 93+ pts.
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9/3/2020 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
1 of 2:
Black cherry syrup, muddled blackberry, vanillin-laced bruised strawberry, and hints of leather and olive lead the initial charge on this broad-shouldered and athletic Syrah. With air, purple plum, black olive, and warm saddle leather develop further into the overall profile, though the berry fruits are at the tip of the sword throughout most of the main execution. The finish, which was initially clipped by fleeting passings of heat, quickly rounded-out the back end and permitted its flavor-legs to stretch further, with the black cherry note dominating. Purity of fruit is evident here, as are the pulsating flavor waves that are just waiting to expand and cascade once some further integration from short-term cellaring is achieved.
As is typically the case with any Krankl concoction, the Hated Hunter may show archetypal youthful unresolve, but there is a lurking sophistication and undulating push of complex flavors interwoven with the wood and berry elements. Decanting is an absolute must at this stage (such is the case with any SQN to which one is scientifically willing to sacrifice at such a spritely age). With a few hours of decanted air at cool cellar temperature, distinguished depth and layered flavorings can be markedly achieved, making for signs of real promise here. A wine best after 2025+. 97+ points.
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9/3/2020 - csimm wrote:
2 of 2:
Specific tasting note aside, I offer a “short” epilogue sparked from this particular wine (well, short by my standards at least – so those who know me can bank on it being a stretched novella), as the Hated Hunter and some of the other comments here on Cellar Tracker caused me to ponder a bit about the SQN marvel – This is around the time I should just stop typing, but alas, here we go; so, proceed at your own risk:
For those wondering if the touting of all things SQN is worthy of the constant cult applause and if such broad acclaim actually translates into a product worth seeking out, my (emphasis on “my” and not “the”) simple answer is, “Yes.” (Some may stop reading now simply because their answer may be, “No,” or, “It depends,” or, “…But their prices keep going up!” or, “Allocation lists are for chumps.”). I certainly don’t fancy myself some blind cult follower who needs to have every goofy labeled wine from across the globe in my cellar just for the sake of collecting (for me, I drink my wine; so, ideally I only buy wine I actually like, not ones I think will gain me wine geek friends or I can flip for some pocket-lint-full of loose change). There’s nothing wrong with a cool factor or the pride in popping the cork on a rare wine in the company of friends and those who appreciate such things, but in the end, the product better deliver and just plain ‘ol taste good – otherwise, why bother?!
So then, like anything, I think it is important to keep contextual grounding when attempting to equitably gauge one’s personal desire in acquiring and coveting these wines (and you can insert any of the Harlan, Screaming Eagle, DRC, whatevers of the world that you consider some sort of trophy wine that you are willing and able to get your paws on – I get that total “worth” is entirely relative). Having been fortunate enough to sample much of Krankl’s creations since SQN’s inception (initially and primarily because of dear friends who have been gracious enough to share them with me – so full disclosure there), I’ve found that one thing is ever-present in these wines: Quality. There is an attention to detail that always seems to translate in the juice itself. We can debate the “worth” of the wine and question inflated QPR (cuz let’s be honest, prices can get wacky), or if there is an actual emotional response you did or didn’t have from the wine; these are often worthy and necessary discussions. But within the style and milieu of California domestic red Rhone, I’m hard-pressed to find much in competition with SQN, at least consistently. And yes, I know others will disagree and can spout their favorites that they believe are cheaper and deliver better for them personally. I know SQN has had misses in the past, so folks can reference those as well I suppose. And reasonably there are certainly those direct comparisons that make sense at the moment – Alban, Saxum, Andremily, and further north to Kongsgaard, Colgin, and a handful of others. Everyone has their favorites of course. “But wait, you left out Tynan.” “But wait, I like Lewis.” “But wait, you can’t talk about SQN without talking about Lato.” “But wait, haven’t you had XYZ Syrah? That blows the doors off any wine you’ve ever tried you over-extracted SQN fanboy!” Yes, I hear you…
Trends come and go oftentimes as much as one’s palate-preferences, and as quantifiers such as DTC release prices start to level-out with auction and secondary market prices and availability, “cult” interest can sometimes become watered down. But for me it’s like this… If it tastes great to you and you’re willing to cough-up the cash and internally validate your purchase by way of whatever about wine makes you smile, then it’s a win.
Some folks I know are constantly pissed-off about buying certain wines every year just to stay on an allocation list either because of some status symbolism or because they are waiting for some 100 point unicorn to pop that will somehow be better than the 98 point wine they don’t want to buy. That seems to me to be a tiresome effort full of chasing shadows (and relying too much on pro scoring – which is a WHOLE other topic). But I understand the pull to play the allocation game and recognizing that scarcity and pro reviews can conjointly drive the market. And if you’re buying SQN you’re likely not just your soccer mom or dad grocery store connoisseur picking up a bottle on your way home from work. You already know a little something about next-level collecting, or at least about what this all-consuming hobby can do to a person’s wine psyche and his or her pocketbook. So, I’m one person who likes SQN as a whole, not because they are SQN but because the wine is friggin good…to me.
As for the Hated Hunter, it’s exactly what one would expect from this house. If it’s not for you, you’re in luck! There are THOUSANDS of wineries out there to check out. Go forth and conquer! (And this is the moment where you ask yourself, “What in the heck was that rant? I’ll never get that five minutes [ten if you’re a slow reader] of my life back after reading this!”). Yes, my friend, you’re correct. Now let’s hope you at least had a decent stem in your fist while you were enduring the likes of my train wreck thoughts. Cheers! (…cuz “Cheers” is what you’re supposed to say when flipping up your salmon-colored Izod collar, giving the two-pistoled thumb and index finger salute, and sashaying off to the valet to grab your turquoise-striped Mini Cooper)…
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7/3/2020 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Really too young to get any handle on. Yes, very large scale, tons of dark fruit, very primary, lots of vanilla oak yet to be integrated. Almost creamy in texture. A wafting nose of myriad scents, even at this young age. Hedonistically pleasurable for a bit, but, right now, needs to settle down. Certainly has the stuffing for a decade or two of improvement.
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6/21/2020 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Okay.. where to begin? Is this a wonderful wine? Sure. Should one be able to detect the craftsmanship? Yes. Worth the price? Absolutely not. While not over the top expensive like so many of the new "cult" wines (as in California offerings whose beginnings don't go much farther back than the 1990's) that people think are worth shelling out ridiculous sums of money to have bragging rights, this wine is still not worth the price in this man's opinion.
That said, this wine was big, teeth staining dark purple and closed enough to warrant a 6 hour decant. Floral, rich and earthy. Sweet and viscous. All the trappings of a Syrah wine that clearly is heavily extracted.
Dark berries, vanilla, syrup with a long finish that could not hide the high alcohol's (15.9%) heat. Glad I shared this with 2 other people. While tasty, it was too heavy to be able to drink more than a glass and a half.
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6/20/2020 - beau11 wrote: 98 Points
Slow ox for 6 hours and drank over 4 hours. This bottle was great right away but improved throughout the night. Impressive wine. Dark chrries, blueberries, blackberry, with some earthiness. Sqn has such richness and this concurs
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6/8/2020 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 98 Points
Dried cranberry, blueberries, dried shiitake mushroom, beef jerky, dried shallots, sous bois, soy sauce and hope chest. There’s bass notes, middle and treble. The acidity is actually addicting, and of course there is so much body. Manfred’s wines have shown more acidity and balance over the years, and remind me of Renoir’s later works with their more relaxed, refined spirits, yet still an amazing sensory experience. I love the polished tannins and evident tension. The colour is quite opaque and shows as much depth with the illustrious palate, and remains very intriguing. Deftly made. Drink 2025 -.
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5/15/2020 - pakabear Likes this wine: 96 Points
Not as good as the Grenache at this stage but showing lots of promise, especially after 3 hours of air, I’d hold off on this for 3-5 years.
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5/9/2020 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Excellent. Unexpectedly better than the Grenache? Boysenberry.
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4/19/2020 - ageverett Likes this wine: 97 Points
Double decanted and let breathe under cork for about 5 hours. Also opened the 2017 Grenache Gorgeous Victim.
This wine was bigger, darker and more closed than the grenache at this stage. Tons going on; heavy hitter. We mostly stuck with the grenache on Day 1, but did revisit this at the end of dinner . . . still pretty tight.
Day 2 had probably 2/3 of the bottle left. 24 hours later, still a monster wine. Needs food to balance out right now.
Imagine cellar time will reward. Still a very, very impressive wine.
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2/19/2020 - nmcandrew Likes this wine: 98 Points
Swear to god this stuff is as good if not better than the Eleven Confessions. HEDONISM 3!
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