Park90 / Grand Cru SQN Masterclass: 71% Roussane, 29% Viognier; 15.5% alcohol. Expressive floral aromatics, still very young and fresh on the palate. Preferred the restraint here compared to the 2019 which was too flabby. Impressive weight, but became more candied with air. Fine for S$100 but S$500? You must be kidding.
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Tasted at the Sine Qua Non Q.E.D. The Masterclass Experience, part of the Fruits of the Vine 2024 at The Singapore Edition organised by Grand Cru.
Gold in colour with a very aromatic bouquet on the nose which resembles fresh mocha. The fragrance is due to the presence of the significant amount of the Viognier. On the nose, notes of tangerine, peach, apricot, honey, melon and mountain herbs were distinct and in harmony.
The freshness of this wine is amazing and memorable, with white stone fruits and a touch of bitterness and slight hint of flint and oiliness. On the whole, this wine presented an overwhelming attack, amazing mid-palate and astonishing finish.
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Being a long time SQN lover, and have primarily focused on the reds... it is first over the last year or so, I am honing in on his whites.
As with Manfred's reds, the whites I feel his best efforts were in the 2000's and the 2010+ are of a different (but also great) period.
This SQN Body & Soul I tried in Singapore on a lark at the Summer Palace for lunch.
We gave it a good hour of decant, and on the first nose, it was almost bees wax with little excitement, and the first sip hardly had a heartbeat!
10mins into the conversation and the wine having settled, it was a cornucopia of expressive honeysuckle, apricot white peach lemon drop goodness..... I am now scrounging the net to find any bottles worldwide.
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Dinner with Dan (Chez Mike, East Greenbush, NY): Pop and pour. A little too cold at first, but opens up over 20 minutes to reveal a big floral nose of lemon custard and spice. Complex and rich in the mouth. Long finish. Excellent match to a pork cutlet.
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Notitie consistent met mijn eerdere notitie van 24-02-2019. Een ongelofelijk indrukwekkende wijn die 7 jaar na de uiterste drinkbaarheidsdatum van Parker mooier en vitaler lijkt dan ooit!
Note consistent with my previous note of 24-02-2019. An incredibly impressive wine that looks more beautiful and vital than ever 7 years after Parker's drinkability date!
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Crazy extracted, really pretty toasted butterscotch nose but the alcohol is overwhelming on the palette (and starts to dominate the nose as it opens up). Maybe great style for some but not for us!! Drank w the fam minus Mikey for tgiving in Miami!
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Ravinia at Home (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Note from memory from last night. I haven't this wine since just after release. Very rich and still nicely fresh, but still very fleshy and tropical, to a greater degree than I would prefer.
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Incredibly opulent and rich, the viognier shines through but is well balanced with the roussane adding quite impressive longevity. Still feels as if it has another 10 years of live aheaf. Great pairing for Chinese food.
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Kleur: Middel goudgeel. Aroma / bouquet: Bedwelmend rijp bouqet. Boordevol tropisch fruit, rijpe ananas, passievrucht en mango. Honing en boenwas. Vanille. Roomboter. Gebrande noten. Smaak / Afdronk: Het volle en filmende mondgevoel van Chateau d'Yquem, maar dan met een volstrekt droge wijn. Weelderig mondgevoel. Zachte zuurgraad. Romig en filmend in de mond. Overrijpe banaan, overrijpe ananas en boenwas. Algemeen / potentieel: Een kanjer van een wijn! Alcoholisch en tegelijkertijd elegant, fris en tegelijkertijd vol en romig. Briljant!!! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 97/100
Color: Medium golden yellow. Aroma / bouquet: Intoxicating ripe bouqet. Packed with tropical fruit, ripe pineapple, passion fruit and mango. Honey and wax. Vanilla. Butter. Roasted nuts. Taste / Aftertaste: The full and cinematic mouthfeel of Chateau d'Yquem, but with a completely dry wine. Opulent mouthfeel. Gentle acidity. Creamy and filming in the mouth. Overripe banana, overripe pineapple and wax. General / potential: A great wine! Alcoholic and at the same time elegant, fresh and at the same time full and creamy. Brilliant!!! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Taste / Finish: 19 + General / potential: 9 = 97/100
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G5; Cellar Temp OK; 4.9+8.9+4.9+9+8.9+4.9+4.5=95+; This was good cold, but as it warmed it really showed why it is such a great wine. 15.5% alc! How can that be elegant? But this is! Amazing. I would never have believed it without experiencing it. No wonder Manfred went on a "rant" in in his release letter about "vignerons" and wine comparisions to Pamela Anderson, Audrey Hepburn, Michelle Pfeiffer. Maybe Pamela really can be as elegant as Audrey and Michelle! Hmmmm. In Manfred's own words about this wine, "On the palate there is substantial weight, but never cloying and with rather vibrant energy." It is that clean, crisp vibrancy that carries this wine to a much higher level than possible just from all the wonderful aromas and mouth coating flavors of tropical, orchard, and citrus fruits. I dare say you could probably drink this with any food. I had it with lamb and my spouse had braised pork. It also was great with the salad course, dessert and of course, just by itself. Bravo, it made Valentine's Day extra special. Thank you to the Krankls. This is drinking beautifully now and I will likely consume my last bottles over the next 3 to 5 years.
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Impressive showing. Served blind against a number of Chave Blanc including the 2007 and this more than held its own. Very good white Rhône. This SQN whites seem to really improve with age. Nice rich waxy peach fruits with wonderful depth, purity, and sweet orchard fruit.
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Sine Qua Non (SQN) Magnum Extravaganza + Bevan, Mike Smith, Sparkling/Champagne, and others (Calistoga): From magnum. Butterscotch, lamp oil, grilled peach, bruised pear, bronze/copper, and some brown pineapple. Fairly oxidized, but still maintaining its intensity of flavors (though overly-matured) and energetic delivery across the palate. Nice drive, except for the fact that it was overtly showing its age. Decanting heightened this effect (no surprise). Past its prime. Drink now.
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Still youthful, the wine remains rich, concentrated, lush, powerful, sweet and juicy. Notes of white peach, honeysuckle, tropical fruits, vanilla bean and orange rind are all over the place. The wine was a perfect foil for the spicy pork dish.
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Drank last nite with the Marks at Ocean Grill. I pulled it from the cellar due to concern it might be getting on in years. I was wrong. The wine is in prime drinking condition with time to spare. A very interesting, and quite a bold wine with aromas of honey, tropical fruit and beeswax. Full bodied, viscous and oily. A bit sweet up front, but tons of tropical fruits including guava & papaya and banana. Also, honey, a touch of citrus, lychee and toasted almond. Acidity is there but not particularly noticeable. Great length and overall a delicious, & typically fascinating wine with wonderful complexity from SQN.
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Phenomenal wine. Great nose with tropical fruits, perhaps neutral oak, viscous mouthfeel, heady with more of the nose in the mouth, Nice acidity but well hidden as is the alcohol content (15.5%). Delivers great pleasure.
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Light yellow to yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of camphor, lychee, paraffin and mixed tropical fruits. Flavors of apricot core, kumquat and minerals. Medium acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold believe it or not. Plenty of life left in my humble opinion.
My last bottle. Hate to see it go. Upgrading my score a bit with room for improvement.
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I found this to be a very interesting wine that evolved over the course of two hours. We decanted about a half hour before drinking and throughout the evening the dominating aroma was beeswax. The first tastes started with a distinct papaya and guava flavor which faded as the evening wore on and was replaced with more and more tart passion fruit, acidity and citrus (definitely tropical). Throughout the evening this was a thick, oily wine that you could almost feel sliding down your throat and acidity towards the end helped balance it out. I still don't know if it was worth the price but it made for some fun conversation during dinner.
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Drank at the Fried Chicken and Champagne event by MWC Wines. This is a funny wine - I happen to love it, but it got some mixed and almost confused reactions from folks at our table (mostly from those that were relatively new to wine and/or SQN). Very herbal in nature - annise, vanilla prevalent, some honey, a mouthful for sure. There is that acidity that just comes in at the end which balances the wine out. Tasty and a pretty good pairing in it's own right with the fried chicken.
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I was afraid this wine wouldn't be drinkable, happily I was wrong. Perhaps it would have been better earlier, but it was still fantastic. Upon opening it did seem a little sharp, but after letting it sit a while it mellowed. It was even better on the second night.
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I opened it because I was worried it might be in decline... Far from it. A little shy on the nose and it didn't develop much either, but it more than compensated on the palate... "Lemon zest" was my first thought, quite metallic and very alcoholic... It accompanied a fairly spicy carrot and mango soup perfectly. I cannot think of another white wine that would have managed this...
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John comes to town! (Amali (115 E 60th Street, NY, NY)): As with everything else Manfred does, his whites seem to be a bit polarizing. We brought this to a large offline gathering and one of the folks at the table was quick to note it was not his cup of tea (although declined to part with the remainder in his glass). For me, it was lovely. Playful wine, very interesting, constantly changing and evolving. A bit better when it was closer to room temp (we had it stored @ 58 degrees so not served the traditional white cold). Hard to capture all of the flavors but creamy and floral and slightly acidic and hints of lime and honey. Just beautiful. I say the 1992 Montelena and the 2003 Joseph Phelps were my WOTN since I skew red, but this could compete with them.
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A blend of 71% Roussanne and 29% Viognier. Dark gold color with an incredibly bright nose of fresh mandarin orange slices, lemon zest, and oaky tropical fruits. The palate is more mature with a thick oily texture that reveals flavors of burnt creme brûlée, toasted almonds, and buttery melon. Fully developed, ready to drink, and potentially on the decline.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/111728529659
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A lovely white with complex, honeyed overtones. Went beautifully with seafood, fresh and unadorned. It was a tad straightforward next to the Kolibri but that's being spoilt for choice with both of them on the table.
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Wine introduction 202 (Morton's - Reston, VA): A lot of tropical fruits, mango, also lychee, spicy spices and a hint of alcohol as the end note. Oily, sweet fruits and good acidity. A nice contrast to the Chave blanc.
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Similar to my previous thoughts on the wine, but less alcohol as before but still in your face. Great extraction and length, but depends on your style preference. I still like it.
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Welcoming Chicago winos - Part Deux (BLT Steak - Washington D.C. - High Octane Wines): Even before I jot down my TN, RJ said Kevin’s going to write “really depend on your % alcohol tolerance and stylistic preference.” and he was right. Ripe yellow tropical fruits, also lychee, white flowers, honey, ginger, spicy spices and a bit of heat at the end for my palate. Quite thick as expected, sweet fruits, good acidity and a bit of heat at the end.
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New World Dinner at the Capital Grille Tysons (Capital Grille, Tysons, VA): As usual, really depend on your % alcohol tolerance and stylistic preference. If you like SQN whites, you will love this. Ripe white fruits, lychee, acacia, honey and spicy spices. Thick and oily but showing decent freshness, a bit of heat at the end for my palate.
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Sweet, tropical, full and long. Vanilla custard. Nicely balanced. From CA for sure, but had me thinking of Chave White Hermitage or a big style Condrieu. I was surprised I liked this so much. Really good.
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This wine is in a very harmonious spot. Decanted for about 45 minutes. Straw colored. Think, unctuous mouthfeel. Almost a lemon oil fee to it. Nice citrus and tropical fruit profile. Excellent food wine. Did not feel the heat. Served chilled
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Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Pop 'n pour, with the send half consumed on day 2. Light-medium gold, intense nose of citrus, pear, flowers. Full-bodied with a slightly oily palate feel, noticeable oak and ripe fruit well-balanced by acid unless you just not a fan of oak. The balance varies with the wine's temperature, the sweet spot for me being between cellar and room temp. Nice long finish. Outstanding.
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Deep gold color. Honeysuckle, beeswax, sautéed apples, lemon custard and pear aromas. Rich, full-bodied texture, featuring flavors of honeysuckle and quince, figs, roasted apple and pear and lemon curd. Hints of nutmeg and spice- white pepper- and just a bit of alcohol on the finish. 92+ pts.
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Opened for two hours. Oily in texture, with a forward style that balances out nicely during the lingering finish. Orange, dried mango, plumeria, white raisin, river rock and baked apple. At its most enjoyable between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. She is at her peak of development, with a few years left. Drink now - 2016.
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A big burly white, but also reallynicely done. Big bold nose of kumquats, white pepper, almon and honeyed orange peel. Thick unctuous ripe palate with tons of honeyed and caramel along with spicy tropical fruit. Got better with time in the glass, but could do with more bottle time to allow some slight heat notes to calm down and oak to better integrate.
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Sampled 11/22/12. Took about 30 minutes to open up. The vibrant acidity and tartness really open your palate and sinuses, but the sweet voignier fruit flavor profile is equally powerful and creates a balance like being on the other end of a see-saw. Like so many SQNs, a truly interesting wine that gives you something to think about.
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Deep golden color, extremely fragrant nose of pineapple, figs & melon. Very viscous, almost oily consistency to this very hefty white blend--no doubt to a not stingy use of oak, but I don't mean this as a complaint; quite the contrary. Wonderful spice on the palate, up-front tropical fruits--very ripe pineapple, orange, lemons--loads of minerality along with nice acidity to make this just an extremely well balanced wine, that is drinking beautifully at the moment. If I were to quibble, I'd say the wine isn't the most elegant of wines, and is a bit too hot, and unnecessarily so, but that's easily overlooked by this delicious blend of finely integrated fruit, spice, minerality, oak and acidity. The Ks certainly can make a great wine when they want to.
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I do not typically drink much white, but this was included at a SQN tasting and was very lovely. So much depth of flavor -- really evolved over the palette. Honeysuckle, tropical fruit and melon.
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Drinks much like a fresh Chave Hermitage with lots of melon,orange and ginger flavors along with lovely spice notes on the complex finish. Not as oily as a Hermitage. Really nice with the variety of foods at WD-50, NYC.
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Deep-med yellow. Deep sweet caramel nose with candied lemon, herbal aspects, ginger, candied ginger. Lots of sweet oak. Spicy brownness. Rich and plush on the palate. Smooth and slippery. Spicy oak lemon. Can taste the glycerol and alcohol. Salty long spicy salty finish. A little burly for the style of wine I drink now, but still good. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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Drank this last night with a cheese pairing before dinner. I think that the Sine Qua Non whites are under-rated in comparison to his reds. They are, as a friend put it, a red wine drinker's white. The nose was rich with a touch of butterscotch, bright flowers, orange peel, and maybe a bit of almond. Palate coating and viscous, this wine was sweet and rich, but had enough acid to drive some liveliness. Shared with some folks that aren't really into wine and they just loved it.
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similar notes as before. was really struck this time with the overall perfect balance of fruit, floral and spice. again no heat, just a very nice overall mouth feel. little waxiness to the fruit this time. perhaps a touch of smokiness as well. again, great balance. if lacking anything (maybe a stretch), perhaps could use a tad more acid to the mouthfeel. terrific lingering finish.
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Beautiful golden color; Lovely perfume of white flowers, pineapple, lemon zest, minerals, and slight petrol/oily aromas; chewy, dense mouthfeel, racy but sweet citrus flavors; big finsh, big wine, long finish, 97 pts
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If rhone was relocated to the US, this would be it. It is big and powerful, yet sophisticated. Nose of tropical fruits, lemon and something like petrol, but not. On the palate it offers thick viscosity that covers the mouth. Some would say it's fat, I say phat.
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Beautiful and complex bouquet with tropical fruits esp. oranges, also in the taste. Full bodied and spreading through the whole mouth. Beautiful freshness and even some minerals. Still youthful.
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An evening with Sine Qua Non (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Wow. What a beautiful, fresh and feminine yet powerful bouquet of perfectly ripe fruit and springflowers... Viognier aromatics dominate at the moment (fresh bunch of grapes, acacia, apricot and peach), but in a beautiful relatively controlled and restrained fashion. Mysterious hints of Asian spice. Citric nuances start shifting from yellow to orange now. Playful, young and clean but utterly serious and promising. And that nose.... is ingenious.... Sigh... 18,5/20
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Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of nutmeg, toast, pears and spice. Flavors of pears, apples and spice. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd like drink now myself.
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CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): My first experience with SQN's white wines and this was a joy to sip. Waxy, lemony, candied tropical fruit aromas. Palate had waves of candied fruit, petrol, bees wax and nice minerality. Little hot on the backend. Short finish. 91 pts
Day two The nose was more pronounced than the night before and the wine was more giving on the palate. Buttery-lemons, nice minerality, tropical fruit galore. long creamy finish. This wine definitely needed air time to open up. 92+ pts
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Tasted at a charity event (GGFAGC/11). Not my favourite white tonight. This bottle was quite cloudy with a slightly musty nose to it. It had a mixture of lemons and honey on my palate with a slightly bitter aftertaste to it. It's possibly in a closed down phase.
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Buttered popcorn, tart baked apples and steely minerality. In the mouth, does not show its 15.5% alcohol, but it isn't shy, either. Superb balance and surprisingly went well with Easter dinner. I will be seeking out more...
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A big thick white. Grapefruit, wax, honey, marshmellow, and citrus. A new world white cdp lacking some acidity and minerality. Just a fun wine to drink on its own.
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Very good, could have used another 2-3 years in the bottle. Straw yellow in color. The Nose was excellent, honey suckles, wax, grapefruit pith/zest, tropical citrus, a touch of sweetness. Flavors also outstanding, citrus zest, waxy, honey combs, very good weight in the mouth, very bvraod and focused.
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Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): Golden color. The waxy nose suggest Marsanne or Rousanne but I really don't know its composition. Also some lemon peel. On the palate, this has a bitter mineral quality to it. Some heat on the finish (not sure of the alcohol). Where it shines is in mouthfeel, quite rich and finish, which goes on forever. It grows on you as you sip it, each one sip being better than the last.
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Decanted one hour. Fairly restrained nose. Very rich and oily in character. Definitely a full throttle version of the Rhone blanc ideal. I think I miss the Chardonnay component that these wines used to have- it made them slightly more food friendly. Overall excellent but not my favorite SQN white by a long shot.
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I was not impressed with this wine, but I think this is as much to do with the whites I want to drink now versus what the next guy may enjoy. This SQN seemed heavy to me, lacked edges and seemed over polished. I just found it kind of ponderous and really not much to get excited about, especially for this wine going for near 100 bucks? Give me an 08 Chablis or Puligny instead.
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18 bottles of Sine Qua Non (Copenhagen, Denmark): Tasted next to the 2004 Rejuvenators. The Body & Soul is not as forthcoming and elegant as the Rejuvenators, but is still a very good wine. It was lighter in the colour and with much more acidity. The exotic fruit notes and the acidity reminded me of some of the Scholium Project wines.
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This was a bit overpowering with our first course...probably better served as a "cocktail" wine. Didn't blossom like SQN whites I've had in the past. If you're popping these now I would suggest a nice decant.
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Sine Qua Non Dinner: the Younger Wines (Custom House Tavern - Chicago IL): Very nice floral start. Massive tropical fruit with a linear citrus edge in the background of lemon, orange and candied orange peel. Has a real white Rhone sense to it, albeit with a more tropical sense, perhaps white Rhone with a paper umbrella.
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Some older Bordeaux's and a few more: This actually was the last bottle of the night opened. Not sure it had enough air to do it justice. Nor, did it have the acidity needed to cut thru the reds and food by that point. Golden in color. The nose has beeswax and some citrus (like orange essential oils). Full body. This is a big wine and despite being served cold, seemed hot to me. Lots of complexity. A bit bitter especially on the finish. I did not hear many comments on this and it may have been that we should have held this for another time. Oh well.
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Tasted in a flight with 2003 Sublime Isolation and 2006 Hoodoo Man. The 2007 Body and Soul is amazing stuff and the best wine in this flight. Very balanced it expresses an almond, lemon oil like palate and a rich voluptuous texture, probably stemming from te lack of Chardonnay in the blend (Rousanne/Viogner). Somewhat it reminds me of a northern Rhône white, but is is so much more. This wine has many years to go in the cellar. Again, highly recommended.
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Thanks to Robo for giving me a nice pour of this. Waxy in texture with some marshmallow. This would be a wine I would have wanted to decant further....maybe had a hour of air. Seemed to be light on acidity.
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WCC Blind Whites (Not Chardonnay) (Creo’ Restaurant, Albany, NY): Stunning tropical fruit nose. Exquisite, complex lemon and tropical fruit cocktail. Loads of stones and fruit. A powerhouse wine with loads of flavor and body. My #1 WOTN. Group #2 WOTN. Should drink well for 3-5 years at least.
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Aromatically - closed until 2 hours after opening. When it started to open it had tropical notes and high ethanol aromas. On the palate this wine was terrible, it had very little acid, huge amounts of alcohol, no redeeming properties.
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My first SQN white. This was consumed over two days. Day one the wine was consumed after an hour in the glass, having never had the wine before I could still tell this was not open for business. I drank the glass and put the remainder of the bottle away until day two. Day two, the nose of this wine is substantially better. lychee, tropical fruits and banana are crystal clear in profile. The palate consists of lemon concentrate, poultry herbs, honey, all in a extremely viscous mouthfeel. The finish is about 8 seconds in length and a little hot. A delicious and excellent wine. I will buy another and lay it down, as I am curious to see what this is like with 6+ years on it.
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holy cow, what a great bottle of wine. decanted one hour. not tasted blind. color of light golden hues. nose and palate of lemon, banana, lovely honey, nice floral notes ?honeysuckle. really rich but not overly viscous palate. finsihes with great depth and length. really not much heat on this bottle. what a treat.
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Tasted at a charity event (GGFAGC/10). This was my number 1 white wine of the three that were served during dinner. Mid level colour with a orange bouquet to it. Strong citrus notes with mild spices. I enjoyed this and would like to try it again in the future.
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Very sharp with lots of spicy white pepper, kerosene, and apricot pit. It seems very dominated by Viognier at this stage despite the fact that this only comprises 25% of the blend. It's a nice wine that I suspect will get a lot more interesting with age, but I strongly prefer the Hoodoo Man.
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Taste at Elysian. Lovely vivid medium golden color. Nose is extremely expressive. Shows abundant amounts of peach marmalade, banana, pineapples and a bit of smoke. Palate is awesome. Layers of golden fruit - gobs of tropical goodness. Lots of yellow flowers and super body-ful. Fantastic finish. Goes on and on with just a touch of heat on the back end. I absolutely love SQN whites and this was no exception. Fantastic mouth feel. Really gets your brain working - demands your attention. Excellent in every way.
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Medium yellow color. Very intense nose with a smoky, mineral profile, there are notes of popcorn, butter, wine gums, white pepper and flint. Full-bodied, with a harsh texture, but enough peach and plum fruit to carry through. Intense and with great length, where the smoky oak and minerals add complexity on the finish. At the moment it felt in desperate need of a couple of years of cellaring, although it opened up more and more in the glass, it never really felt like it gave all it had.
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Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 3rd Annual; 5/7/2010-5/8/2010 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): My favorite not just of this flight, but of all the SQN whites we had, the Body and Soul had a lemon oil note that I fell in love with. Stone fruit and lavender kept this from getting heavy, and there was a wonderfully long finish on this. However, the only nit I have is that it did have a touch of heat on the finish. Paired with Caramelized Sunchoke Ravioli.
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no real notes, but i remember thinking this was the 2nd best white wine & food pairing i've ever had. i roasted chicken breasts with rosemary, lemon,salt & pepper accompanied by grilled asparagus & rotini pasta with olive oil & shaved parmesan. the wine was big & fruity with a solid dose of oak; &, i thought, quite complementary. the best white wine & food pairing was several years ago when i was invited to a dinner at a private club by a friend & the pancetta wrapped scallops with the sqn albino were both incredible.
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Stern yellow color, with a knockout nose of jasmine, peaches and chalk. This is a large scaled wine that showcases rich tropical fruit, cashews with beeswax, and finishes with some acidity. What this lacks in elegance, it makes up with complexity and pleasure.
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This was another amazing SQN white wine. The nose had beautiful floral and citrus aromas with a little oak note. The palate had lemon, tropical fruits and mineral flavors. The mouthfeel was just amazing. A very nice, mouth-coating oily-like texture coming from the Rousanne. I really enjoyed the mouthfeel a lot, yet the wine still had a certain crispness to the flavors. It was really interesting how the same bottle of wine could give you the sensation of crispness and oilyness at the same time.
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not my first SQN white, but the best, like kissing an angel, viscosity you can bite, nose like a fruit stand in Chile, color is golden due drops, taste is honey poured from an oak spoon with a kiss of unidentifiable fruit. The starter for an evening of Alban and Velvet Glove, it was beyond expectations, the WOTN
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Friday Night Grand Crew: California Syrah and Grenache Shoot-out (My Place): Tight nose (relative to the more flashy McPrice Myers) that reveals sweet pears and apricot. Palate is rich and dense though tightly wound and holding back. Primary notes of toast and rich white / tropical fruits. Has plenty of upside.
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Golden yellow color, rather restrained nose with mostly floral notes and a hint of stone fruits. Palate is muted with light body, creamy/waxy texture, some honeysuckle, a curious and frustrating lack of a fruit component, and some heat on the finish. Not as enjoyable as it warms in the glass either , would definitely drink at cooler temps. There are hints of greater potential but at this stage not in the same league as the HooDoo Man which I found much more drinkable and complex. I will not touch my remaining bottles for at least 5-7 years.
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Wine group holiday dinner at Two Chefs. All wines had to be 95+ from Parker or Tanzer and were served double blind. Everyone found this to be a very intriguing wine After some discussion, the consensus was a Cali Rhone grape, which it was -- 71% marsanne and 29% viognier. Barry nalied the viognier on his first sip. Bravo!
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Huge fruit and texture. I tend to like the SQN white wines less cold and closer to room temp. I did not find this to be the case with Body & Soul. At first it seemed hot… very good but the alcohol content was a bit off putting. Sitting in the glass helped quite a bit. If this was just me getting used to the heat or something blowing off I cannot say. Once I cooled the bottle down a bit it was really singing. It was great stuff but I still prefer the HooDoo Man. I put this above the Petition however. I would start on the colder side of "normal" and work your way up.
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Wow--pretty awesome. This has the potential to equal the Hoodoo Man and/or the Rien Ne Va Plus as my favorite SQN white. Definitely works best in the 57-60 degree range right now. Spicy, waxy, plenty of stone fruits, nice acidity (although would be better with slightly more). Will be interesting to taste this one in a year or two. (PE: 95)
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1/27/2024 - melvinyeowq wrote: 91 Points
Park90 / Grand Cru SQN Masterclass: 71% Roussane, 29% Viognier; 15.5% alcohol. Expressive floral aromatics, still very young and fresh on the palate. Preferred the restraint here compared to the 2019 which was too flabby. Impressive weight, but became more candied with air. Fine for S$100 but S$500? You must be kidding.
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1/27/2024 - stayhappy21 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at the Sine Qua Non Q.E.D. The Masterclass Experience, part of the Fruits of the Vine 2024 at The Singapore Edition organised by Grand Cru.
Gold in colour with a very aromatic bouquet on the nose which resembles fresh mocha. The fragrance is due to the presence of the significant amount of the Viognier. On the nose, notes of tangerine, peach, apricot, honey, melon and mountain herbs were distinct and in harmony.
The freshness of this wine is amazing and memorable, with white stone fruits and a touch of bitterness and slight hint of flint and oiliness. On the whole, this wine presented an overwhelming attack, amazing mid-palate and astonishing finish.
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10/27/2023 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ojai Food + Wine Festival; 10/26/2023-10/29/2023 (Ojai Valley Inn): Really wonderful but first time a SQN white has felt a little bit long in the tooth for me.
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11/27/2022 - MonacoMik wrote: 98 Points
Being a long time SQN lover, and have primarily focused on the reds... it is first over the last year or so, I am honing in on his whites.
As with Manfred's reds, the whites I feel his best efforts were in the 2000's and the 2010+ are of a different (but also great) period.
This SQN Body & Soul I tried in Singapore on a lark at the Summer Palace for lunch.
We gave it a good hour of decant, and on the first nose, it was almost bees wax with little excitement, and the first sip hardly had a heartbeat!
10mins into the conversation and the wine having settled, it was a cornucopia of expressive honeysuckle, apricot white peach lemon drop goodness..... I am now scrounging the net to find any bottles worldwide.
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9/7/2022 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner with Dan (Chez Mike, East Greenbush, NY): Pop and pour. A little too cold at first, but opens up over 20 minutes to reveal a big floral nose of lemon custard and spice. Complex and rich in the mouth. Long finish. Excellent match to a pork cutlet.
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12/26/2021 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 97 Points
Notitie consistent met mijn eerdere notitie van 24-02-2019. Een ongelofelijk indrukwekkende wijn die 7 jaar na de uiterste drinkbaarheidsdatum van Parker mooier en vitaler lijkt dan ooit!
Note consistent with my previous note of 24-02-2019. An incredibly impressive wine that looks more beautiful and vital than ever 7 years after Parker's drinkability date!
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8/29/2021 - Peech Likes this wine: 93 Points
Flinty, tropical, also sweet and caramelized but not quite sugar cane. Notes of straw. Ripe and buttery on the palate.
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11/26/2020 - Big Dog E wrote: 88 Points
Crazy extracted, really pretty toasted butterscotch nose but the alcohol is overwhelming on the palette (and starts to dominate the nose as it opens up). Maybe great style for some but not for us!! Drank w the fam minus Mikey for tgiving in Miami!
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7/11/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Ravinia at Home (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Note from memory from last night. I haven't this wine since just after release. Very rich and still nicely fresh, but still very fleshy and tropical, to a greater degree than I would prefer.
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7/20/2019 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
Incredibly opulent and rich, the viognier shines through but is well balanced with the roussane adding quite impressive longevity. Still feels as if it has another 10 years of live aheaf. Great pairing for Chinese food.
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3/24/2019 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 97 Points
Kleur: Middel goudgeel. Aroma / bouquet: Bedwelmend rijp bouqet. Boordevol tropisch fruit, rijpe ananas, passievrucht en mango. Honing en boenwas. Vanille. Roomboter. Gebrande noten. Smaak / Afdronk: Het volle en filmende mondgevoel van Chateau d'Yquem, maar dan met een volstrekt droge wijn. Weelderig mondgevoel. Zachte zuurgraad. Romig en filmend in de mond. Overrijpe banaan, overrijpe ananas en boenwas. Algemeen / potentieel: Een kanjer van een wijn! Alcoholisch en tegelijkertijd elegant, fris en tegelijkertijd vol en romig. Briljant!!! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 97/100
Color: Medium golden yellow. Aroma / bouquet: Intoxicating ripe bouqet. Packed with tropical fruit, ripe pineapple, passion fruit and mango. Honey and wax. Vanilla. Butter. Roasted nuts. Taste / Aftertaste: The full and cinematic mouthfeel of Chateau d'Yquem, but with a completely dry wine. Opulent mouthfeel. Gentle acidity. Creamy and filming in the mouth. Overripe banana, overripe pineapple and wax. General / potential: A great wine! Alcoholic and at the same time elegant, fresh and at the same time full and creamy. Brilliant!!! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Taste / Finish: 19 + General / potential: 9 = 97/100
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2/14/2019 - learningandenjoying wrote: 95 Points
G5; Cellar Temp OK; 4.9+8.9+4.9+9+8.9+4.9+4.5=95+; This was good cold, but as it warmed it really showed why it is such a great wine. 15.5% alc! How can that be elegant? But this is! Amazing. I would never have believed it without experiencing it. No wonder Manfred went on a "rant" in in his release letter about "vignerons" and wine comparisions to Pamela Anderson, Audrey Hepburn, Michelle Pfeiffer. Maybe Pamela really can be as elegant as Audrey and Michelle! Hmmmm. In Manfred's own words about this wine, "On the palate there is substantial weight, but never cloying and with rather vibrant energy." It is that clean, crisp vibrancy that carries this wine to a much higher level than possible just from all the wonderful aromas and mouth coating flavors of tropical, orchard, and citrus fruits. I dare say you could probably drink this with any food. I had it with lamb and my spouse had braised pork. It also was great with the salad course, dessert and of course, just by itself. Bravo, it made Valentine's Day extra special. Thank you to the Krankls. This is drinking beautifully now and I will likely consume my last bottles over the next 3 to 5 years.
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10/7/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Impressive showing. Served blind against a number of Chave Blanc including the 2007 and this more than held its own. Very good white Rhône. This SQN whites seem to really improve with age. Nice rich waxy peach fruits with wonderful depth, purity, and sweet orchard fruit.
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8/4/2018 - csimm wrote: 91 Points
Sine Qua Non (SQN) Magnum Extravaganza + Bevan, Mike Smith, Sparkling/Champagne, and others (Calistoga): From magnum. Butterscotch, lamp oil, grilled peach, bruised pear, bronze/copper, and some brown pineapple. Fairly oxidized, but still maintaining its intensity of flavors (though overly-matured) and energetic delivery across the palate. Nice drive, except for the fact that it was overtly showing its age. Decanting heightened this effect (no surprise). Past its prime. Drink now.
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6/4/2018 - Acohen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and lush with pear, peach and white stone fruit. great mouthfeel, balance and long finish
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3/9/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Still youthful, the wine remains rich, concentrated, lush, powerful, sweet and juicy. Notes of white peach, honeysuckle, tropical fruits, vanilla bean and orange rind are all over the place. The wine was a perfect foil for the spicy pork dish.
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8/24/2017 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank last nite with the Marks at Ocean Grill. I pulled it from the cellar due to concern it might be getting on in years. I was wrong. The wine is in prime drinking condition with time to spare. A very interesting, and quite a bold wine with aromas of honey, tropical fruit and beeswax. Full bodied, viscous and oily. A bit sweet up front, but tons of tropical fruits including guava & papaya and banana. Also, honey, a touch of citrus, lychee and toasted almond. Acidity is there but not particularly noticeable. Great length and overall a delicious, & typically fascinating wine with wonderful complexity from SQN.
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8/22/2017 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Phenomenal wine. Great nose with tropical fruits, perhaps neutral oak, viscous mouthfeel, heady with more of the nose in the mouth, Nice acidity but well hidden as is the alcohol content (15.5%). Delivers great pleasure.
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6/4/2016 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Less fat, showing bottle age, drink now
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5/26/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Light yellow to yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of camphor, lychee, paraffin and mixed tropical fruits. Flavors of apricot core, kumquat and minerals. Medium acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold believe it or not. Plenty of life left in my humble opinion.
My last bottle. Hate to see it go. Upgrading my score a bit with room for improvement.
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4/6/2016 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dry honeysuckle.
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2/13/2016 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious full-bodied, fat, very ripe honey and oaky tropical fruit flavors, excellent structure, low acidity, ample finish
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12/29/2015 - lopaka wrote: 94 Points
I found this to be a very interesting wine that evolved over the course of two hours. We decanted about a half hour before drinking and throughout the evening the dominating aroma was beeswax. The first tastes started with a distinct papaya and guava flavor which faded as the evening wore on and was replaced with more and more tart passion fruit, acidity and citrus (definitely tropical). Throughout the evening this was a thick, oily wine that you could almost feel sliding down your throat and acidity towards the end helped balance it out. I still don't know if it was worth the price but it made for some fun conversation during dinner.
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12/8/2015 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Drank at the Fried Chicken and Champagne event by MWC Wines. This is a funny wine - I happen to love it, but it got some mixed and almost confused reactions from folks at our table (mostly from those that were relatively new to wine and/or SQN). Very herbal in nature - annise, vanilla prevalent, some honey, a mouthful for sure. There is that acidity that just comes in at the end which balances the wine out. Tasty and a pretty good pairing in it's own right with the fried chicken.
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11/4/2015 - JennyVB Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was afraid this wine wouldn't be drinkable, happily I was wrong. Perhaps it would have been better earlier, but it was still fantastic. Upon opening it did seem a little sharp, but after letting it sit a while it mellowed. It was even better on the second night.
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5/31/2015 - george61 Likes this wine: 95 Points
I opened it because I was worried it might be in decline... Far from it. A little shy on the nose and it didn't develop much either, but it more than compensated on the palate... "Lemon zest" was my first thought, quite metallic and very alcoholic... It accompanied a fairly spicy carrot and mango soup perfectly. I cannot think of another white wine that would have managed this...
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5/7/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
John comes to town! (Amali (115 E 60th Street, NY, NY)): As with everything else Manfred does, his whites seem to be a bit polarizing. We brought this to a large offline gathering and one of the folks at the table was quick to note it was not his cup of tea (although declined to part with the remainder in his glass). For me, it was lovely. Playful wine, very interesting, constantly changing and evolving. A bit better when it was closer to room temp (we had it stored @ 58 degrees so not served the traditional white cold). Hard to capture all of the flavors but creamy and floral and slightly acidic and hints of lime and honey. Just beautiful. I say the 1992 Montelena and the 2003 Joseph Phelps were my WOTN since I skew red, but this could compete with them.
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2/21/2015 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION Likes this wine: 96 Points
A blend of 71% Roussanne and 29% Viognier. Dark gold color with an incredibly bright nose of fresh mandarin orange slices, lemon zest, and oaky tropical fruits. The palate is more mature with a thick oily texture that reveals flavors of burnt creme brûlée, toasted almonds, and buttery melon. Fully developed, ready to drink, and potentially on the decline.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/111728529659
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10/29/2014 - bengti Likes this wine: 95 Points
A lovely white with complex, honeyed overtones. Went beautifully with seafood, fresh and unadorned. It was a tad straightforward next to the Kolibri but that's being spoilt for choice with both of them on the table.
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10/19/2014 - Ricky99 wrote: 95 Points
tasked alongside Hoodoo Man and Kolibri
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10/1/2014 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
Wine introduction 202 (Morton's - Reston, VA): A lot of tropical fruits, mango, also lychee, spicy spices and a hint of alcohol as the end note. Oily, sweet fruits and good acidity. A nice contrast to the Chave blanc.
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8/9/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to my previous thoughts on the wine, but less alcohol as before but still in your face. Great extraction and length, but depends on your style preference. I still like it.
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8/9/2014 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Welcoming Chicago winos - Part Deux (BLT Steak - Washington D.C. - High Octane Wines): Even before I jot down my TN, RJ said Kevin’s going to write “really depend on your % alcohol tolerance and stylistic preference.” and he was right. Ripe yellow tropical fruits, also lychee, white flowers, honey, ginger, spicy spices and a bit of heat at the end for my palate. Quite thick as expected, sweet fruits, good acidity and a bit of heat at the end.
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8/9/2014 - Uglypinga wrote:
A bit woody still. Caramelly notes. Rousanny tasting. I like it though
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5/22/2014 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
New World Dinner at the Capital Grille Tysons (Capital Grille, Tysons, VA): As usual, really depend on your % alcohol tolerance and stylistic preference. If you like SQN whites, you will love this. Ripe white fruits, lychee, acacia, honey and spicy spices. Thick and oily but showing decent freshness, a bit of heat at the end for my palate.
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3/30/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice.
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3/23/2014 - BobJohnson1 Likes this wine:
Sweet, tropical, full and long. Vanilla custard. Nicely balanced. From CA for sure, but had me thinking of Chave White Hermitage or a big style Condrieu. I was surprised I liked this so much. Really good.
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12/23/2013 - rdsboca Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is in a very harmonious spot. Decanted for about 45 minutes. Straw colored. Think, unctuous mouthfeel. Almost a lemon oil fee to it. Nice citrus and tropical fruit profile. Excellent food wine. Did not feel the heat. Served chilled
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12/6/2013 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Pop 'n pour, with the send half consumed on day 2. Light-medium gold, intense nose of citrus, pear, flowers. Full-bodied with a slightly oily palate feel, noticeable oak and ripe fruit well-balanced by acid unless you just not a fan of oak. The balance varies with the wine's temperature, the sweet spot for me being between cellar and room temp. Nice long finish. Outstanding.
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11/23/2013 - jlgnml wrote: 88 Points
Nice, high alcohol on the palate, good but not great.
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9/23/2013 - RMundell Likes this wine: 95 Points
As good of white wine that I have ever had. Pretty amazing.
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8/22/2013 - EMichels wrote: 87 Points
Dark color; Palatte a bit muted; Glycerin texture
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8/15/2013 - dbg wrote:
Identical to last bottle. Light gold. Full bodied, oily texture, ripe fruit, oak, powerful. Excellent.
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7/5/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Opened by Allred. This had a nice waxy citrus and pear quality.
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7/5/2013 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Deep gold color. Honeysuckle, beeswax, sautéed apples, lemon custard and pear aromas. Rich, full-bodied texture, featuring flavors of honeysuckle and quince, figs, roasted apple and pear and lemon curd. Hints of nutmeg and spice- white pepper- and just a bit of alcohol on the finish. 92+ pts.
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6/20/2013 - dbg wrote:
Light gold. Full bodied, oily texture, ripe fruit, oak, powerful. Excellent.
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5/3/2013 - ews3 wrote:
Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): no note
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5/2/2013 - Melli wrote: 97 Points
This was a terrific wine from a terrific producer. Wouldn't wait too long to drink it up
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4/28/2013 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for two hours. Oily in texture, with a forward style that balances out nicely during the lingering finish. Orange, dried mango, plumeria, white raisin, river rock and baked apple. At its most enjoyable between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. She is at her peak of development, with a few years left. Drink now - 2016.
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2/23/2013 - Cashious wrote:
A thought provoking, challenging wine. Interesting for sure, but I found it a little short on pleasure.
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2/22/2013 - jreis wrote:
A big burly white, but also reallynicely done. Big bold nose of kumquats, white pepper, almon and honeyed orange peel. Thick unctuous ripe palate with tons of honeyed and caramel along with spicy tropical fruit. Got better with time in the glass, but could do with more bottle time to allow some slight heat notes to calm down and oak to better integrate.
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1/1/2013 - patespo1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multi layered, unctuous, long finish
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11/23/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 93 Points
Sampled 11/22/12. Took about 30 minutes to open up. The vibrant acidity and tartness really open your palate and sinuses, but the sweet voignier fruit flavor profile is equally powerful and creates a balance like being on the other end of a see-saw. Like so many SQNs, a truly interesting wine that gives you something to think about.
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10/27/2012 - cephomer wrote: 95 Points
Deep golden color, extremely fragrant nose of pineapple, figs & melon. Very viscous, almost oily consistency to this very hefty white blend--no doubt to a not stingy use of oak, but I don't mean this as a complaint; quite the contrary. Wonderful spice on the palate, up-front tropical fruits--very ripe pineapple, orange, lemons--loads of minerality along with nice acidity to make this just an extremely well balanced wine, that is drinking beautifully at the moment. If I were to quibble, I'd say the wine isn't the most elegant of wines, and is a bit too hot, and unnecessarily so, but that's easily overlooked by this delicious blend of finely integrated fruit, spice, minerality, oak and acidity. The Ks certainly can make a great wine when they want to.
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9/27/2012 - ageverett Likes this wine: 92 Points
I do not typically drink much white, but this was included at a SQN tasting and was very lovely. So much depth of flavor -- really evolved over the palette. Honeysuckle, tropical fruit and melon.
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9/15/2012 - RMundell Likes this wine: 96 Points
As good of white wine that I have ever had. Great balance. Loved it.
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8/11/2012 - dream wrote: 91 Points
Drinks much like a fresh Chave Hermitage with lots of melon,orange and ginger flavors along with lovely spice notes on the complex finish. Not as oily as a Hermitage. Really nice with the variety of foods at WD-50, NYC.
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8/5/2012 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 91 Points
Deep-med yellow. Deep sweet caramel nose with candied lemon, herbal aspects, ginger, candied ginger. Lots of sweet oak. Spicy brownness. Rich and plush on the palate. Smooth and slippery. Spicy oak lemon. Can taste the glycerol and alcohol. Salty long spicy salty finish. A little burly for the style of wine I drink now, but still good. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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4/20/2012 - mmurmac Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank this last night with a cheese pairing before dinner. I think that the Sine Qua Non whites are under-rated in comparison to his reds. They are, as a friend put it, a red wine drinker's white. The nose was rich with a touch of butterscotch, bright flowers, orange peel, and maybe a bit of almond. Palate coating and viscous, this wine was sweet and rich, but had enough acid to drive some liveliness. Shared with some folks that aren't really into wine and they just loved it.
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2/18/2012 - jc-mmb wrote: 98 Points
similar notes as before. was really struck this time with the overall perfect balance of fruit, floral and spice. again no heat, just a very nice overall mouth feel. little waxiness to the fruit this time. perhaps a touch of smokiness as well. again, great balance. if lacking anything (maybe a stretch), perhaps could use a tad more acid to the mouthfeel. terrific lingering finish.
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1/12/2012 - RScholl wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful golden color; Lovely perfume of white flowers, pineapple, lemon zest, minerals, and slight petrol/oily aromas; chewy, dense mouthfeel, racy but sweet citrus flavors; big finsh, big wine, long finish, 97 pts
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12/25/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 93 Points
If rhone was relocated to the US, this would be it. It is big and powerful, yet sophisticated. Nose of tropical fruits, lemon and something like petrol, but not. On the palate it offers thick viscosity that covers the mouth. Some would say it's fat, I say phat.
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12/25/2011 - shadow wrote: 95 Points
thick and tasty, has that varnish back bone that coats and delivers a mix of taste that challenge description, top shelf experience
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12/11/2011 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful and complex bouquet with tropical fruits esp. oranges, also in the taste. Full bodied and spreading through the whole mouth. Beautiful freshness and even some minerals. Still youthful.
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12/10/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
An evening with Sine Qua Non (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Wow. What a beautiful, fresh and feminine yet powerful bouquet of perfectly ripe fruit and springflowers... Viognier aromatics dominate at the moment (fresh bunch of grapes, acacia, apricot and peach), but in a beautiful relatively controlled and restrained fashion. Mysterious hints of Asian spice. Citric nuances start shifting from yellow to orange now. Playful, young and clean but utterly serious and promising. And that nose.... is ingenious.... Sigh... 18,5/20
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12/10/2011 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 93 Points
SQN Body and Soul 2007 () Kleur: Vol goudgeel Aroma / bouquet: Vol, maar voor SQN-begrippen toch 'relatief gesloten', honing, tropisch fruit, steenfruit, beetje notig. Smaak / Afdronk: Vol, dik-sap, fris-zuur, wat sinaasappelschilletjes, alcoholisch, prettig bittertje Algemeen / potentieel: Nieuwe-wereld Condrieu. Nu niet het optimale drinkmoment. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 93/100
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6/25/2011 - floydtp wrote:
CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. My note taking by this point in the evening was tilting toward the side of brevity. In general, this wine was very big with a lot of heat and butter. Not my cup of tea but an interesting wine to be sure. No rating.
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6/25/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Three - Grand Finale (Madison, WI): WIML93+/-?
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of nutmeg, toast, pears and spice. Flavors of pears, apples and spice. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd like drink now myself.
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6/25/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): Tremendous nose, complex and floral. With air, the alcohol overpowered the palate just a bit for my tastes, but this was a fun wine.
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6/25/2011 - IWineAlot wrote: 92 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): My first experience with SQN's white wines and this was a joy to sip. Waxy, lemony, candied tropical fruit aromas. Palate had waves of candied fruit, petrol, bees wax and nice minerality. Little hot on the backend. Short finish.
91 pts
Day two
The nose was more pronounced than the night before and the wine was more giving on the palate. Buttery-lemons, nice minerality, tropical fruit galore. long creamy finish. This wine definitely needed air time to open up.
92+ pts
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6/25/2011 - cadams wrote: 91 Points
Floral and tropical, too sweet for me. It is very tasty but almost ore of a desert wine feel on the palate.
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6/18/2011 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 4th Annual; 6/17/2011-6/18/2011 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): oaky peach flavors come through on this. medium acidity. this really shines on the finish, which crescendos to a climax, but then extends well beyond what i expected. well balanced.
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6/18/2011 - Rosengoo wrote: 87 Points
Tasted at a charity event (GGFAGC/11). Not my favourite white tonight. This bottle was quite cloudy with a slightly musty nose to it. It had a mixture of lemons and honey on my palate with a slightly bitter aftertaste to it. It's possibly in a closed down phase.
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5/6/2011 - KristianT wrote: 94 Points
Even better than the "Kolibri". Top-wine. Full-bodied and elegant.
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4/24/2011 - Berno wrote: 95 Points
Buttered popcorn, tart baked apples and steely minerality. In the mouth, does not show its 15.5% alcohol, but it isn't shy, either. Superb balance and surprisingly went well with Easter dinner. I will be seeking out more...
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4/16/2011 - MC wrote:
Served a bit warmer than normal and it showed a bit more than the previous bottle. I wine to drink on its own or with cheese. A-
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4/13/2011 - Vinsant wrote:
A big thick white. Grapefruit, wax, honey, marshmellow, and citrus. A new world white cdp lacking some acidity and minerality. Just a fun wine to drink on its own.
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3/20/2011 - MC wrote:
Good, but nothing special. More reserved than previous SQN whites. A-
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3/14/2011 - Rikster wrote: 95 Points
Very good, could have used another 2-3 years in the bottle. Straw yellow in color. The Nose was excellent, honey suckles, wax, grapefruit pith/zest, tropical citrus, a touch of sweetness. Flavors also outstanding, citrus zest, waxy, honey combs, very good weight in the mouth, very bvraod and focused.
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3/6/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): Golden color. The waxy nose suggest Marsanne or Rousanne but I really don't know its composition. Also some lemon peel. On the palate, this has a bitter mineral quality to it. Some heat on the finish (not sure of the alcohol). Where it shines is in mouthfeel, quite rich and finish, which goes on forever. It grows on you as you sip it, each one sip being better than the last.
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2/21/2011 - Mike Toast wrote: 89 Points
NR
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2/6/2011 - bwaverley wrote: 90 Points
More earth and oak than I was expecting. THe fruit is prevalent in the bouquet and fades quickly in the finish. A modest disappointment for SQN.
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2/1/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Body and Soul offers a boat load of spice, honey, bees wax, cinnamon and citrus aromas and flavors in this big, fat, juicy, concentrated wine.
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1/22/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour. Fairly restrained nose. Very rich and oily in character. Definitely a full throttle version of the Rhone blanc ideal. I think I miss the Chardonnay component that these wines used to have- it made them slightly more food friendly. Overall excellent but not my favorite SQN white by a long shot.
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12/20/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I was not impressed with this wine, but I think this is as much to do with the whites I want to drink now versus what the next guy may enjoy. This SQN seemed heavy to me, lacked edges and seemed over polished. I just found it kind of ponderous and really not much to get excited about, especially for this wine going for near 100 bucks? Give me an 08 Chablis or Puligny instead.
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11/24/2010 - jdlee1232 wrote: 94 Points
A terrific wine, just what you expect from Manfred and Elaine: unctuous, complex, powerful; a delightful nose. Enough alcohol to slay a horse.
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11/21/2010 - Blue Oval wrote:
Seamless/balanced/floral/no heat/lasting. One hour decant...
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11/20/2010 - KristianT Likes this wine: 90 Points
18 bottles of Sine Qua Non (Copenhagen, Denmark): Tasted next to the 2004 Rejuvenators. The Body & Soul is not as forthcoming and elegant as the Rejuvenators, but is still a very good wine. It was lighter in the colour and with much more acidity. The exotic fruit notes and the acidity reminded me of some of the Scholium Project wines.
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10/26/2010 - pll4 wrote: 89 Points
This was a bit overpowering with our first course...probably better served as a "cocktail" wine. Didn't blossom like SQN whites I've had in the past. If you're popping these now I would suggest a nice decant.
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10/23/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Sine Qua Non Dinner: the Younger Wines (Custom House Tavern - Chicago IL): Very nice floral start. Massive tropical fruit with a linear citrus edge in the background of lemon, orange and candied orange peel. Has a real white Rhone sense to it, albeit with a more tropical sense, perhaps white Rhone with a paper umbrella.
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9/26/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 89 Points
Some older Bordeaux's and a few more: This actually was the last bottle of the night opened. Not sure it had enough air to do it justice. Nor, did it have the acidity needed to cut thru the reds and food by that point. Golden in color. The nose has beeswax and some citrus (like orange essential oils). Full body. This is a big wine and despite being served cold, seemed hot to me. Lots of complexity. A bit bitter especially on the finish. I did not hear many comments on this and it may have been that we should have held this for another time. Oh well.
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9/21/2010 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted in a flight with 2003 Sublime Isolation and 2006 Hoodoo Man. The 2007 Body and Soul is amazing stuff and the best wine in this flight. Very balanced it expresses an almond, lemon oil like palate and a rich voluptuous texture, probably stemming from te lack of Chardonnay in the blend (Rousanne/Viogner). Somewhat it reminds me of a northern Rhône white, but is is so much more. This wine has many years to go in the cellar. Again, highly recommended.
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8/28/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Thanks to Robo for giving me a nice pour of this. Waxy in texture with some marshmallow. This would be a wine I would have wanted to decant further....maybe had a hour of air. Seemed to be light on acidity.
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8/23/2010 - spotfin wrote: 90 Points
Good wine, but it does not live up to the hype and certainly not worth the coin. My other bottles are going to auction.
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7/22/2010 - kenv wrote: 96 Points
WCC Blind Whites (Not Chardonnay) (Creo’ Restaurant, Albany, NY): Stunning tropical fruit nose. Exquisite, complex lemon and tropical fruit cocktail. Loads of stones and fruit. A powerhouse wine with loads of flavor and body. My #1 WOTN. Group #2 WOTN. Should drink well for 3-5 years at least.
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7/18/2010 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
P&P - Viognier/floral notes at opening....after about an hour well integrated and enjoyable. Needs time.
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7/18/2010 - Harrypotter wrote: 87 Points
Aromatically - closed until 2 hours after opening. When it started to open it had tropical notes and high ethanol aromas. On the palate this wine was terrible, it had very little acid, huge amounts of alcohol, no redeeming properties.
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6/28/2010 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 93 Points
My first SQN white. This was consumed over two days. Day one the wine was consumed after an hour in the glass, having never had the wine before I could still tell this was not open for business. I drank the glass and put the remainder of the bottle away until day two. Day two, the nose of this wine is substantially better. lychee, tropical fruits and banana are crystal clear in profile. The palate consists of lemon concentrate, poultry herbs, honey, all in a extremely viscous mouthfeel. The finish is about 8 seconds in length and a little hot. A delicious and excellent wine. I will buy another and lay it down, as I am curious to see what this is like with 6+ years on it.
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6/25/2010 - jc-mmb wrote: 98 Points
holy cow, what a great bottle of wine. decanted one hour. not tasted blind. color of light golden hues. nose and palate of lemon, banana, lovely honey, nice floral notes ?honeysuckle. really rich but not overly viscous palate. finsihes with great depth and length. really not much heat on this bottle. what a treat.
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6/17/2010 - Rosengoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at a charity event (GGFAGC/10). This was my number 1 white wine of the three that were served during dinner. Mid level colour with a orange bouquet to it. Strong citrus notes with mild spices. I enjoyed this and would like to try it again in the future.
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6/10/2010 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Very sharp with lots of spicy white pepper, kerosene, and apricot pit. It seems very dominated by Viognier at this stage despite the fact that this only comprises 25% of the blend. It's a nice wine that I suspect will get a lot more interesting with age, but I strongly prefer the Hoodoo Man.
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5/29/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Taste at Elysian.
Lovely vivid medium golden color. Nose is extremely expressive. Shows abundant amounts of peach marmalade, banana, pineapples and a bit of smoke.
Palate is awesome. Layers of golden fruit - gobs of tropical goodness. Lots of yellow flowers and super body-ful. Fantastic finish. Goes on and on with just a touch of heat on the back end.
I absolutely love SQN whites and this was no exception. Fantastic mouth feel. Really gets your brain working - demands your attention. Excellent in every way.
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5/27/2010 - Terkel wrote: 93 Points
Medium yellow color. Very intense nose with a smoky, mineral profile, there are notes of popcorn, butter, wine gums, white pepper and flint. Full-bodied, with a harsh texture, but enough peach and plum fruit to carry through. Intense and with great length, where the smoky oak and minerals add complexity on the finish. At the moment it felt in desperate need of a couple of years of cellaring, although it opened up more and more in the glass, it never really felt like it gave all it had.
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5/8/2010 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 3rd Annual; 5/7/2010-5/8/2010 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): My favorite not just of this flight, but of all the SQN whites we had, the Body and Soul had a lemon oil note that I fell in love with. Stone fruit and lavender kept this from getting heavy, and there was a wonderfully long finish on this. However, the only nit I have is that it did have a touch of heat on the finish. Paired with Caramelized Sunchoke Ravioli.
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4/24/2010 - gfleener wrote: 95 Points
no real notes, but i remember thinking this was the 2nd best white wine & food pairing i've ever had. i roasted chicken breasts with rosemary, lemon,salt & pepper accompanied by grilled asparagus & rotini pasta with olive oil & shaved parmesan. the wine was big & fruity with a solid dose of oak; &, i thought, quite complementary. the best white wine & food pairing was several years ago when i was invited to a dinner at a private club by a friend & the pancetta wrapped scallops with the sqn albino were both incredible.
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3/24/2010 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
Stern yellow color, with a knockout nose of jasmine, peaches and chalk. This is a large scaled wine that showcases rich tropical fruit, cashews with beeswax, and finishes with some acidity. What this lacks in elegance, it makes up with complexity and pleasure.
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3/6/2010 - last chance wrote: 96 Points
This was another amazing SQN white wine. The nose had beautiful floral and citrus aromas with a little oak note. The palate had lemon, tropical fruits and mineral flavors. The mouthfeel was just amazing. A very nice, mouth-coating oily-like texture coming from the Rousanne. I really enjoyed the mouthfeel a lot, yet the wine still had a certain crispness to the flavors. It was really interesting how the same bottle of wine could give you the sensation of crispness and oilyness at the same time.
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3/1/2010 - mike l. wrote: 93 Points
excellent viscous butter, honey, nutmeg bomb. a bit one dimensional but a lovely place to be nevertheless.
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1/23/2010 - shadow wrote: 100 Points
not my first SQN white, but the best, like kissing an angel, viscosity you can bite, nose like a fruit stand in Chile, color is golden due drops, taste is honey poured from an oak spoon with a kiss of unidentifiable fruit. The starter for an evening of Alban and Velvet Glove, it was beyond expectations, the WOTN
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1/22/2010 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Friday Night Grand Crew: California Syrah and Grenache Shoot-out (My Place): Tight nose (relative to the more flashy McPrice Myers) that reveals sweet pears and apricot. Palate is rich and dense though tightly wound and holding back. Primary notes of toast and rich white / tropical fruits. Has plenty of upside.
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12/30/2009 - vinocerus wrote: 91 Points
Golden yellow color, rather restrained nose with mostly floral notes and a hint of stone fruits. Palate is muted with light body, creamy/waxy texture, some honeysuckle, a curious and frustrating lack of a fruit component, and some heat on the finish. Not as enjoyable as it warms in the glass either , would definitely drink at cooler temps. There are hints of greater potential but at this stage not in the same league as the HooDoo Man which I found much more drinkable and complex. I will not touch my remaining bottles for at least 5-7 years.
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12/18/2009 - mouton45 wrote: 93 Points
Wine group holiday dinner at Two Chefs. All wines had to be 95+ from Parker or Tanzer and were served double blind. Everyone found this to be a very intriguing wine After some discussion, the consensus was a Cali Rhone grape, which it was -- 71% marsanne and 29% viognier. Barry nalied the viognier on his first sip. Bravo!
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12/14/2009 - quigley13 wrote: 94 Points
Huge fruit and texture. I tend to like the SQN white wines less cold and closer to room temp. I did not find this to be the case with Body & Soul. At first it seemed hot… very good but the alcohol content was a bit off putting. Sitting in the glass helped quite a bit. If this was just me getting used to the heat or something blowing off I cannot say. Once I cooled the bottle down a bit it was really singing. It was great stuff but I still prefer the HooDoo Man. I put this above the Petition however. I would start on the colder side of "normal" and work your way up.
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12/4/2009 - MarkC wrote: 92 Points
Wow--pretty awesome. This has the potential to equal the Hoodoo Man and/or the Rien Ne Va Plus as my favorite SQN white. Definitely works best in the 57-60 degree range right now. Spicy, waxy, plenty of stone fruits, nice acidity (although would be better with slightly more). Will be interesting to taste this one in a year or two. (PE: 95)
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