2003 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Omega

Community Tasting Notes

Community Tasting Notes (118) Avg Score: 93.4 points

  • My 1st SQN and not the least since it comes from a cuvée that is no longer produced due to some obvious logistical problems, namely an Oregon Pinot Noir from Shea Vineyard which is then vinified 1500km further south at the iconic Manfred Krankle.

    Cap fully soaked.

    The nose is overflowing with richness, on black fruits, cranberry, plum, crushed strawberry and sandalwood.

    With its 15.5% alcohol, we are far from the evanescent Burgundian Pinot. So what?

    It's terribly tasty without ever being heavy with an underlying sweet acidity and a juice of enormous density. It's complex, sweet but powerful, both floral and spicy on the palate and with bright fruit sprinkled with blackcurrant liqueur. It's masterfully complex and yet I really like the so-called Cistercian Pinots. But here richness, complexity and freshness are present with a wine with an enormous and stratified texture where each facet has its place with pepper, sandalwood and raspberry in particular. It is reminiscent of a beautiful Syrah with an airy side that you can hardly believe for the alcoholic strength. Magnificent finish where raspberry and liquorice intermingle to explode over an enormous length.

    A wine that surprised me with every sip. Kaleidoscopic, rich but airy, I loved it.

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  • Drink them if you have them. It still has life to it but really not more than 1 yr of 90+ life in my opinion. Gave it a 1 1/2 hr decant and drank it over 1 more hour. Cork was soft and came out in pieces but no sediment. Slight medicinal smell when opened but disappeared quickly. Still has some dark fruit up front, smooth on the tongue. It was a great opener before consuming a Dark Blossom Grenache.

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  • An eccentric but terrific Pinot Noir. Very fruity and powerful at the beginning, then become more and more complex. Smooth and balanced. Doesn’t like anything in Burgundy or other places where also have Pinot Noirs. This surprising taste is what we expect for the great Sine Qua Non, a new and nice experience.

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  • Not your typical Pinot at all, but that in itself makes this a terrific find.
    Huge, bold wine that is drinking really well after a 3 hour decant. Lots of fruit but with a smooth finish and alcohol really well balanced. Hard to find but well worth a try!

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  • So...back in 2013 I opened my last bottle of this(750) because I noticed the cork had a fracture the whole length of the cork, and wine had seeped to the top. The wine was in fine shape, not a blockbuster, but not flawed. Manfred saw my post, and offered to replace it because of the 'faulty' cork. Awesome gesture...a big thanks to him! So I received the replacement bottle...and it was this MAGNUM! I think I remember him saying they ran out of the 750's so magnum it is! Shocked, and VERY appreciative!
    Well now...the Omega has been in my cellar, in a mag rack for the last 7 years...and recently I noticed some drops of wine on a bottle below it. Damn...the Omega has a slow leak! Not a fractured cork like the 750, but I suspect a spongy cork that lost it's seal, as there was a faint stream of wine coating the cork on one side, to the top. No no Manfred...no need to send me another bottle...especially a 3L since you probably ran out of mags! ;-) The wine is just fine!
    Open in bottle for 3hrs...dark cranberry with slight rose rim...ripe plum, cherry, tilled strawberry field, hay bale, sous bois, sandalwood nose. Still quite youthful in the mouth...yet there is that trace of heat that has always shown in this wine. Smooth and opulent wild berry fruits...some aged plum liqueur, sarsaparilla...really intense crancherry tart acidity rips through the ripe fruit...nice earth tones and crushed rock minerality...a big boy Pinot for sure, yet with transparency. What I like best here is the florals and spice! Sandalwood, white pepper, dried red licorice...kirsch liqueur, raspberry bush, smoked cherry wood. This wine is gaining and gaining as I type! Yet...as great as those flavors are in this wine, it doesn't have that SQN magic touch of balance, as that alc heat(15.5) still persists. Subtracts a little from the pleasure...but still extremely enjoyable non the less. Sad to see my last bottle go...as drinking Pinot Noir from the hands of MK, has gone the way of the dinosaurs to extinction. Wish he made more...

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  • Super interesting Like stinky cheese and aerated wine from a diesel barrel. Very acquired taste but super thoughtful and layered. Could love it or find it weird. Which it is. 90 - 93. Be weird and rejoice.

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  • Massive pinot, full throttle fruit. Showing minimal signs of its true age. Out of magnum.

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  • From magnum. Remarkably youthful and fresh for a heavy Pinot approaching 15 years of age. black fruit, raspberry, dark chocolate, wood spice, smoke. lots of oak on this, but not tired in the least.

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  • Sometimes you just have to open something, because reasons. Decanted for 30 minutes before service. In the glass, a faint hint of auburn at the rim, but other than that, no sign of age; dark, opaque crimson. On the nose, crushed raspberries, a slight reductive note, and hints of alcohol, which had me concerned - but on the palate, lush, rich, expansive, and ample fruit, pine, nutmeg, and secondary mineral notes, with a long finish. This is a big wine, skirting the edge of overblown, but for our tastes, it still worked. I'm not sure there is any improvement ahead, but I think the wine will be at this level for at least a couple more years.

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  • Totally adorable and a true star effort, the 2003 SQN Omega Pinot Noir reveals some of its very best sides tonight. The nose is super complex, hedonistic and the end-palate just continue to sing and make itself heard throughout the night... At first, the nose reveals classy wet forest floor, but also ample sun warm red fruits like morellos, boysenberries and of course the classical strawberries. But after some time in the glass - we are talking one hour or more - the nose shifts and expresses cigar box and rich cedar wood. There is no one not understanding the amount of luxurious and expensive oak going into this bottle. The palate is best described as voluptuous but it is also seamless, silky and actually rather elegant. The end-palate is pure magic, it just keeps on lingering in the mouth forever and talks to the taster from the glass even when left alone for a while. This certainly is one wonderful wine! (score is 95+)

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  • Still going strong at close to 14 years of age, the wine is full bodied, rich, plushly textured and loaded with smoke, espresso, wild strawberry, spice and cherry liqueur notes.

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  • The bottle was a magnum, probably accounting for its lack of any sign of decline. Beautiful Burgundy color without any brown in the edge. Wonderful bouquet and flavor of huckleberries, dark cherries, and even plums, mixed with toast and allspice. Extraordinary balance with a silky feel in the mouth. Great depth and nuance with a long satisfying finish. This puts all those expensive, overrated Burgundies to shame.

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  • Opulent, rich, complex and fragrant with fantastic fruit definition and high level Pino-sity even if very different from Burgundy. Mouthcoating texture with fat mouth caressing tannins and everything in balance.
    The wine shows no sign of tiring at all. Has all the pinot fruit, spiciness, mint and as Yiannis pointed to me a remark our friend Lazaros made about the Pinot aromas, Chios mastic, which really rang a bell.
    Delectable.

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  • Served blind and I recognized as a pinot noir despite the anusual ripeness, opulence of fruit and high alcohol given the variety. My friend Stefanos T. who offered me this, told me afterwards that he was expecting it very evolved if not overevolved, but to our pleasent surprise this was absolutely youthful and vibrant. Dark ruby color. Fragrant nose with intense Chios masticha, violets, red and darker cherries, raspberries and sweet spices. Full-bodied with vibrant and generous fruit, perfectly integrated alcohol, balancing acidity and silky tannins. Very long, almost endless aftertaste. A great pinot noir, combining pinosity with the winemaker's idiosyncratic style.

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  • Drank from a magnum with a leaky cork. Not the best showing for this wine but still damn impressive. An effervescent mouthfeel leads into a highly extracted palate of syrupy cherry liqueur and herbaceous spice. Enjoyed with Gjelina Take Away in Venice Ca.

    http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/83279562792

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  • Even 11 years out this puppy is still BIG. Very California style pinot which is fine by me. Big, deep and dark pinot. Tons of flavors. Almost thick. Will definitely hold my last two bottles for a while as I think these have a long ways to go. In spite of its size all in balance. 93+

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  • Cellar Reduction, The Fun Way (Santa Ynez Valley): From a magnum whose signs of seepage compelling me to bite the bullet and crack this one open. Slow-ox'ed for 6 hours, the wine remained monolithic all evening, then revealed more on the next day. The nose of ripe, mature red fruits and cedar gives way to concentrated, rich fruit, very much in balance with the oak notes. I found the extraction to be a welcome complement to the layered, pure fruit. Opulent and somewhat unique, not for everyone to be sure.

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  • high alcohol, sweet

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  • Sorry to see my last bottle go, but the cork had a fracture along the side, so it had to be put down! Still holding well..big and powerful ripe fruit that has darkened with age.....cloudy, rustic, yet smooth and opulent....reminds me of a Bertheau BM on steroids! Wonderful candied berries, raspberry, strawberry...earth dust, sarsaparilla, sandalwood.....not as balanced as usual for a sqn wine...does have some heat. Tasty big Pinot!

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  • An explosive bouquet of blood orange, lavender, rosemary, pine forest floor, spice (cloves), burning embers, rose petals and dark fruits announces one of the most compelling USA Pinots I've ever tasted: what profound complexity! The aromas require no coaxing whatsoever. On the palate, great concentration, full body, and a supple texture. This wine is surely at peak maturity!

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  • My first time having a SQN Pinot Noir and drank it next to a Marcassin! This was fully mature with a lot of dark red and black fruits but also had some earth and game flavors. Super complex, the finish lingered for minutes on the palate. 15.5% alcohol but certainly not hot by any means. Preferred this to the Marcassin early on but the Marcassin gained some steam towards the end of the night.

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  • was a sublime start to the night followed by fe100 and just for the love of it.

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  • Drink now

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  • Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): from magnum. not what i remembered. lots of fruit with still quite a lot of tannin for a pinot. not as much depth or complexity as i recall from past bottles. still a lovely finish and overall very pleasant. others liked this more than I did. (my bottle)

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  • Kleur: De diepst gekleurde Pinot Noir die ik ooit in mijn glas heb gehad. Diep donker rood. Aroma / bouquet: Typerend Pinot Noir: bosaardbeitjes à la Sine Qua Non. Geconcentreerd en zoet-kruidig. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtig, sublieme concentratie, opvallende frisse zuurgraad, krachtige en wat zoetige tannines. Dik-sappige wijn. Extreme lengte met een zoetige afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Indrukwekkende Nieuwe Wereld Pinot Noir. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100

    Color: The deepest colored Pinot Noir I've ever had in my glass. . Deep dark red Aroma / bouquet: Characteristic Pinot Noir: wild strawberries à la Sine Qua Non. Concentrated and sweet-spicy Taste / Finish:. Powerful, sublime concentration, remarkable fresh acidity, strong and slightly sweet tannins. Thick juicy wine. Extreme length with a sweet aftertaste. General / potential: Impressive New World Pinot Noir. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 8 = 92/100

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  • best wine of the night. a darker Pinot than some but went with coffee rubbed bison and smoked sides the best of the night!!!!

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  • Excellent.

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  • An amped up Pinot from CA. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but not worth the price tag by any stretch. Very dark, rich fruit, but definitely Pinot Noir. Still a bit hot after all these years. Had to try it, but my interest is now satisfied.

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  • love this still. still bright color to rim. clean and full aroma of cherry and blue fruits, high mountain air with a touch of cinnamon spice. the palate again shows a little zip on the tongue and then spreads evenly thorughout the palate - just enough to coat without being too suffocating. really nice cherry and blueberry with cedar and floral undertones. little bit of cinnamon type spice. nice soft tannins. the finish has faded just a tad but lingers long enough to pull you back for another taste. so sad - my last bottle.

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  • This is really impressive. I would never have guessed this was a Pinot. Much more Syrah on the nose. Spices and herbs. Super intense on both nose and palate. Rather earthy finish on the palate. Lots of fruit, perhaps raspberry being the dominate flavour. Shame they have up on Pinot.

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  • My last magnum of this wine, so sad. This is a sensational Pinot. Still going strong 9 years out - not showing any signs of its age. Gigantic flavors booming from the glass yet as always with Manfred in perfect balance. This is California Pinot at its best. If you havent tried one yet - get a hold of these treasures. 94+

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  • The last of it’s kind. Big and untraditional Pinot. Creamy oak, dark chocolate, bright cherry and spice. Velvety mouth feel with mellowed alcohol.

    See more detail at
    http://maximumsatisfaction.tumblr.com/post/31506786701

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  • Hallmark of this wine is sort of finessey purity. Reminds me of a Turley in that way. Almost wants to be red fruity but comes down to black fruit, black cherry on the palate. A bit of heat and still has a bit of bite. This is a very easy drink and a wine you can very much respect, but at $200 a bottle, I'll go find two high quality bottles of Chambolle Musigny.

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  • Lost Friday Wine Lunch - Blacksalt (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Out of a mag, terribly corked.

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  • Goodbye Dinner for Gabriel's Restaurant (Gabriel's - Highwood IL): Lush black Pinot Noir fruit, still quite fresh aromas. Deep black cherry and boysenberry flavors with some cocoa and licorice. Good length, but hints of alcohol at the very end.

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  • Upon first opening the bottle at Club Car in Mamo, I thought the wine might be a bit old. That thought blew away on the 2nd sip. The wine shows a beautiful deep ruby red color. Hints of cigar box and tar on the nose. The tannins, though still slightly noticeable, were extremely smooth and well integrated into the wine. The fruit just explodes in the mouth, lots of red AND black fruit in my opinion. I loved the wine, though was more brooding and darker than I had expected--not your typical cherry fruit bomb that I typically expect from California pinots (perhaps because SQN gets its fruit for this wine from Shea Vineyard in Oregon). Great wine!

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  • No decant.

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  • Absolutely delicious and a star effort, the 2003 SQN Omega Pinot Noir shows its very best side tonight with a multi-facetted nose and lovely end-palate. The nose first exhibits wet forest floor, mature red fruits like morellos, tayberries and strawberries, but then it shifts and boasts from cigar box and cedar wood. The full throttle palate is best described as voluptuous but there is actually a perfect balance between fruit, oak and acidity: 100 percent of everything is the keyword here. The end-palate is magical, it just keeps on lingering in the mouth forever. A wonderful wine! (I suggest drinking any remaining bottles now as it most likely will not get any better.)

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  • We decanted this wine for 30 minutes. I found it to be not overly deep in colour. It had a slightly musty bouquet but not enough to be a turn off. Lots of strawberries in the glass with light tannins and very nice alcohol levels. This was a nice wine but I suspect that it is time to drink these up if you have them.

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  • 1.5 hour decant. Dark cherry, strawberry, spice, and vanilla. Dark fruit, leather, and a smooth tannic backbone on the initial mid-palate; leading to waves of layered, velvety fruit and tannins and a very long finish. Full bodied. Highly extracted, excellent structure, and dense. Simply amazing juice and another great SQN wine. Paired beautifully with filet and a cherry, pinot noir sauce.

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  • Soft, round, black strawberry/black cherry fruit with chocolate flavors, excellent structure, long finish, liked wine better than when last tasted probably because it was best of flight which included wines from Domaine Serene and Acacia

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  • Spectacular. Amazing extraction of fruit and flavor - if this is your style its a masterpiece.

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  • Huge rich Pinot on steroids and alcohol was quite evident and so it was not as balanced as last outing in 2007 but still outstanding.

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  • Tasted from magnum. Dark ruby to purple color. Huge nose of black cherry, spice. Similar palate with dense, velvety mouthfeel. OK, I get the idea but just find that I'm not the biggest fan of monster Pinots--even if made by Mr. Krankl.

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  • Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 4th Annual; 6/17/2011-6/18/2011 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): My favorite of the pinots. Darker fruit profile, with blackberry and plum. Dusty tannins lead into a really nice finish. This wine always is a bittersweet reminder that SQN no longer makes pinots.

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  • Tasted at a charity event (GGFAGC/11). A very nice pinot noir. Mid colour depth with slightly too strong levels of alcohol on the nose for my liking. This one opened up over a short time with tons of strawberry flavours to it. I'm not usually a lover of pinot noir wines but I really enjoyed this.

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  • initially the nose was raspberry, chocolate, and tree bark. on the palate there was blueberry, earthiness, with a touch of spice and tobacco. another amazing sqn pinot... only if manfred would bring them back.

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  • I think this is a nice wine but I am not a big fan of american Pinot Noirs but this is fresch and nice. Not at all as jammy as they normally come. Nice effort. Its a pity Krankl does not do Pinots anymore

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  • This is the second bottle of this wine that we have enjoyed. It is the best or one of the best pinots I have ever had. Enjoyed over a two hour period and better than the first bottle we had a few years ago at a restaurant. Dark fruits dominate and it is well balanced, not a fruit bomb by any means, just delicious. Wish they were still making this great wine.

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  • A wonderful bottle. Beautiful nose, deep dark color - very purple. Drank from a magnum. This was better than I remember the last bottle I had about a year ago. No hard edges on this wine. Silky smooth on the palate with a good 45 second finish. Loads of blueberries, blackberries mixed with a little spice and all perfectly balanced.

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  • 18 bottles of Sine Qua Non (Copenhagen, Denmark): Next to the 2002 Hollerin' M - the Omega was much different. A little darker in colour and much more spicy. The spicy character was very interesting and very forthcoming as soon as it was poured into the glass. A very good Pinot. Unfortunately the very last of the SQN Pinots on Oregon grapes.

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  • Tasted in flight with 2002 Hollerin' M Pinot Noir, 2004 Covert Fingers Pinot Noir and 2005 Over and Out Pinot Noir. This wine shows a greater maturity than the 2002 Hollerin' M tonight, revealing tobacco and soft light leather. But there is also a massive presence of fruit like tayberries and strawberries. Finish is pleasant but not more than 40 seconds. Nicely integrated. Drink now. Recommended.

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  • another great bottle. consistent with my previous notes. color clean and clear to the rim. nose is big but not hot or too big. full of bright fruits and spice that complements. palate again seamless and consistent. just a slight fizz on fore tongue. fruits start in - black and blue. then spice and flower all rolled in a luscious velvety wrap. tannins and heat well integrated in the package. finish just lingers like a warm blanket on a winter night. lasts a good minute or so.

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  • Lovely color. Scents of red berries. Well balanced and lingering finish.

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  • Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 3rd Annual; 5/7/2010-5/8/2010 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): From mag. This was rocking. Dark berry fruit, strawberry. Acid provides a nice balance to the alcohol and cuts through with a nice freshness. Great softness and medium tannins with a medium(+) finish.

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  • I'm not usually a Pinot fan but I really enjoyed this one right from the start. Drank from a magnum. It had none of the usual Pinot "funk" or "barnyard" bouquet. I tasted lots of maple in this with a very smooth finish. A pleasant surprise all around.

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  • Mix of Wines -- 2006 and others (Roberts House): Dark fruit -- raspberry,, black cherry. Very coating on the medium(+) bodied palate had milk chocolaty tannins. Shorter finish than I remember from prior bottles, although still medium - medium+. Really nice wine, and I'm glad I have more!

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  • Smorgasbord of Wines With Focus on 2006 (Our House (2033 Brandywine)): A mild disappointment, but I still have this as 93 so it is a very good wine. Chocolate milk dominates the nose, with raspberry and lighter fruit. Smooth and decadent on palate. Chocolate dipped fruit, mocha, etc. Maybe a little too unfocused. Could use a bit more backbone and while this has a very nice finish, it is shorter and less intense than I remember. A little nip of heat? Possible. This is really lovely but its missing that extra oomph.

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  • last of three, sipped with a salad with just a touch of raspberry dressing. The nose, in your face, dare too touch, taste, had to check the date, hard to believe this wine has waited this long, the river of sweet but not too sweet, fruity but perfect, good stuf.
    I'm buying more pinot. Wonderful for years too come.

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  • Massive fruit attack, cherries together with smoky bacon (!). Semi-long finish with some heat permeating a full and lush palate, but not too much - not over the top. After two hours in the glass the wine started showing mature red fruits. Strawberries and tayberries joined by a symphony of sun and a present but very humble touch of oak. This may not be a typical Pinot but it is an impressive effort which should be embraced for what it is - a very fine bottle of wine.

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  • Varinsh aromas blow off to reveal toasty oak, underbrush, mushroom and cherry nose. Rich, ripe flavors with dominate oak which leads into cherry and secondary flavors of underbrush and mushrooms. Already owing aged characteristics, coupled with the prominence of the oak leads me to believe that the oak will never fully integrate. Drink now. 88 pts.

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  • Appearance is clean with mid to deep intensity. Garnet color with a bit of tawny on the brim. The nose is mature, clean and medium to pronounced. Red fruit of raspeberry and some cherries. Spicy notes of licorice and vegetal notes of mint, coffee and some dark chocolate. A smoky oakiness is there but quite subtle and not overpowering. Good acidity but balanced with the fruit. The lenght of the wine is short to medium. A great wine but not iconic. Drink now or keep for 5 years.

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  • Very fruit forward pinot, heavy lengthy finish.

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  • Huge, luscious pinot. KT thought it was a Shiraz when blinded and I can see why.

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  • from magnum, not decanted, taken to a holiday party. this, for me, is the best pinot manfred has made, nudging out the 98 veiled when i consider it's performance over a life in my cellar. in this format, it was stellar tonight, displaying beautifully bright and expressive fruit with deep complexity that i don't normally get from oregon pinot. my only mag, and i have only one 750 left. dang! a sophisticated wine group went crazy for this wine. drink or hold thru 2013.

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  • Aromatically - brown sugar, super ripe black plum. On the palate huge density almost syrah like. did not seem like the shea vineyard very sweet confectionary finish. the group liked it a lot more than i did.

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  • As many of you know, I'm not a huge pinot guy but was excited to try SQN's take. More purple than red, this wine was like no other domestic pinot I'd had in that it seemed to have all blue fruit and not much red. Blueberries and blackberries. Tons of oak still left. Needs lots more time, I think. 88pts.

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  • My first SQN. Not too shabby. Not as big as I was expecting but also not very Pinot-like. Pleasant strawberry and raspberry along with some nice spice. Wife really enjoyed it. Some heat on the finish. Tasted out of a magnum.

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  • 09 cayuse dinner quick notes - this was fruit city w/some major spices and was very good. But in no way reminded me of a pinot.

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  • Very good but not as good as I hoped. Finish was somewhat lacking to me.

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  • stellar. this bottle drank terifically. loaded with fruit, smoke, earth, spice all very well mingled. palate was full and lush. finish just kept going. not hot, not too much. just a fine bottle of wine.

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  • Pow! Black fruit from the first pour. Wooooo-hoo. On the finish some notes of spices and .... damn good wine.

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  • This is day old leftovers from my friend Erich (ews3) from the Great Grapes benefit. The secondary notes are most prevalent here. Thick dark color. Good amounts of black and red cherry with some raspberry on the nose. Dark mocha and coffee on the nose with caramel, with the fruit playing second fiddle here. Long finish. Good density and complexity with great finish. This is a fabulous wine, with good subtlety. However, when it comes to Pinot Noir, give me a Burgundy any day.

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  • Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 2nd Annual (Le Paradou, Washington DC): from magnum. awesome. black and red cherry, raspberry, some other black fruit i couldnt put my finger on. secondary notes of tobacco and earth are starting to poke in as well, with some sweet spice. long, mellow fruit-driven finish. got better with air, so it has some life ahead of it. 96 is conservative.

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  • Had with dinner after a Tuscan tasting, came off as a little too sweet. Nive finish, pleasant aftertaste

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  • 6 courses paired with SQN, Schrader, and Torbreck wines (Bellevue, WA): Decanted about 2 1/2 hours. Deep Purple color. The nose had sweet black cherry, caramel and note of a vanilla/spice blend. The palate brought terrific cherry, cola and earthy flavors with a touch of espresso. This Pinot was really intense and almost Syrah-like. One of the fullest bodied Pinots that I've ever had and very representative of some of the better 03 OR Pinots that I've tasted. Great mouthfeel and a long finish as well. Not a style that everyone would enjoy, but WOTN for many in this group. Paired nicely with Salmon & a Buerre Blanc sauce.

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  • Just a ridiculously good botle of pinot. Very much one of SQN's most "New World" pinots with great flavors of dark cherry with a touch of sweetness. Excellent mouthfeel. Truly spectacular!

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  • Sine Qua Non Tasting (Lush): Deep purple core of color. Big purpley black cherry nose. Big dusty tight black cherry on the palate. Decent, but as usual nothing special in the pinots here...

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  • NYC Sine Qua Non Dinner at Eleven Madison Park (New York): Nose of black cherries and blackberry. Very complex and balanced, long finish. The alcohol was not overbearing and this was a crowd pleaser.

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  • Perfect balance of big deep Cali-like Pinot flavors...seductive coffee aromas, dark wild berry fruit, earth toned spices. Love it!

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  • dark fruits with just the right amount of cherries. medium body. despite the high alcohol content, there was no heat. well balanced. another winner. still young. could benefit from several more years in the cellar.

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  • I generally don't favor Oregon pinot's, but SQN has always been an exception. In the past, they have seemed like pinots on steroids, almost syrah like. This one is very different, far more feminine and elegant as opposed to being a bruiser. It has a wonderful mouthfeel to it. On the nose, strawberry caramel. Has softened since my last bottle, and will most likely continue to do so. A very nice enjoyable wine.

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  • Bummer. I think the bottle was oxidized. Flat, no fruit, and lots of alcohol.

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  • This may have been the best bottle yet I've had of the Omega. It seems to have shed a little of the lushness that I remember from the last bottle, but it's got tons of focused cherry and blackberry fruit, with a nice thread of spice running through. It seems like it's moving away from "powerful" towards "elegant" and it has both a velvety mouthfeel and more noticeable acid than I remember, but there is even better balance. Too bad that a) I haven't been able to hang on to these and b) SQN isn't making Pinot anymore.

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  • Maria's Birthday '07; 11/3/2007-11/4/2007 (Rosen House): Cork was stained about 1/3 of its length and smelled of vinegar and Brett and alcohol for the first minute. Bottle was left open not decanted and in 30 minutes generous floral and berry aromas came and lasted. layers of fruit and smooth smooth tanninsunfolded for another 3+ hours, universally agreed WOTN!

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  • just can't keep my hands off these bottles. i love this wine. great dark color to the rim. nose is full of dark fruits and not too sweet at that. blackberries, blueberries, dark black cherries predominate. a wild brambly thing going on that deepens the complexity of this wine. those dark fruits hit the tongue and fore palate and the fruit is lush. just washes over the tongue. mid palate exceptional. the wine fills the mid palate and gives more fruit and spiceiness character. very complex. the finish is huge. no fall off here. lingers for 45-60 seconds.

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  • Powerful heavy pinot not very complex but good.

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  • G7 (Jeff): Strawberries, cola, cherries and caramel. Huge extraction and richness. Syrah like in style. Nice complexity on the finish. This was the last Pinot Noir produced by SQN from Shea Vineyard in Oregon. 15.5% alcohol.

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  • Very consistent with the last bottle I had but seems to be improving in complexity. Great wine night for me as this was followed by the 1990 Cheval Blanc which was exceptional.

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  • The nose was the best part of this one. Truly beautiful aromas of blackbrerry and black cherry were very inviting but the taste didn't match as it was somewhat clenched and never opened over the course of the evening. Seems to have tons of promise so I'll hold off on the score and wait a couple years for the next one.

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  • WIML93+,WA93,NOWS

    Tasted May 19, 2007 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Garnet color in the glass, slightly dusty looking in the glass. Nose black berries, cherries, plums and a little bacon fat. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and a little black licorice. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Good balance and structure overall. I’d recommend holding a little longer. Just a smidge behind the last time I tasted this wine.

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  • Had this with assorted bordeaux and burgundies at Michael Mina's. The wine held its own and thensome. Drinking perfectly after 1/2 hours breathing it could use a little more time in bottle but is wonderful right now.

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  • This is a beautiful wine. Dark and red fruits present. Has a seductive silky mouthfeel with great palate weight. Brings earth and very mild spice to the mix as well. Complex flavors that change with each sniff. Made in a big style, but does not collapse or present as overoaked, why can't everyone walk this line? Great structure. Not many better from this country.

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  • this has never seemed to be in a bad place regardless of when i have had it, or how it has been prepared...decanted, popped and poured, transported and opened; it is apparently indestructable. it is VERY structured, but not over the top, and really shines as a shea vineyard superstar. somebody has a tough act to follow manipulating this relinquished fruit in the future. and speaking of that, i've got to put the skids on drinking and giving this wine away because i'm dangerously low. power and silk, a rare combo.

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  • Showed a bit better than the last bottle. Great mix of eartniness and fruit. Reasonably complex. Dark color and big extracted style. Silky mouhtfeel. Mostly dark fruit.

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  • Almost as good as it gets. My first SQN and it lived up to all expectations. Amazingly, the 15.5% alcohol was completely in the background, not a hint of heat. Opened up beautifully over a couple hours, with an amazingly complex bouquet of cherry, red fruits and flowers. Very Sonoma is taste and structure, actually did not sense Oregon at all. Complex palate. Cherry (not tart), spice, floral.

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  • Great dense american pinot with expressive fruit and full bodied on the palate. Super intense finish that got longer and more complex as the wine opened up. Great!

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  • My 2nd bottle of Omega. Drank at Pinot Provence for our annual Christmas-time dinner. Interestingly, it doesn't have a sense of place, in that it is very different than it's Shea brethren. More California in style, it's a voluptuous and forward, with some well hidden alcohol (did Krankl splash a tiny amount of Syrah in here?). A real fun drinker - with all the right attributes. I'm going to hold the rest for a few years to check the evolution. Good stuff!

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  • Sine Qua Non "Postcard" Dinner (Chez Hill - Barrington IL): Lots of ultra ripe fruit with a Syrah-like character and clear signs of sweetness. I'd give this a few years to shed some baby fat, and hopefully it will integrate better and not seem too hot. Others liked this more than I did tonight.

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  • Chicago SQN Postcard Offline (Mel Hill's home - Barrington, IL): Whoa --- this is a syrah like Pinot to be sure! Hugely concentrated with black cherry fruit, smoke and brown sugar notes. Acids lend vibrancy and balance pulling this together. Quite young and primary.

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  • eBob Dinner with Marc Christenson (onesixtyblue): Full red. Mediuma aroma of red fruit with canned notes and some heat. Full tight tannic black cherry fruit. Another disappointing SQN pinot...

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  • An intense but relaxed wine; surprisingly plummy and just slightly raisiny with violets, blueberries and vanilla oak, but with very firm acidity and impossibly silky texture. Imagine a Rubenesque ballet dancer. A very nice, indeed very interesting wine, but subtlety and finesse are missing, and they should be the sine qua non of pinot. Had I tasted this blind, I would have guessed Zin, which to me is what unrealized potential tastes like in a Pinot Noir.

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  • WIML95,WA93,NOWS

    Tasted September 9, 2006 at an offline. No notes taken. This is arguably one of the best domestic Pinot Noirs I’ve ever tasted. Wonderful nose and palate of plums, raspberries, black cherries and just a dash of blueberries that really top things off nicely. Wonderfully structured and perfectly balanced. I can only imagine what this might taste like in 3-4 more years but very difficult to keep your hands of right now.

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  • Floral nose (violets) with some spice (nutmeg, cinnamon) and lt. red fruit. Palate comes at you with more spice (including some black pepper?) and a strong cherry note. Just ripe, sweet, cherry with oak underneath. Too young? I'm still struggling with this as it doesn't seem integrated (this is my 2nd bottle, btw) but yet presents "well". Some vanilla on the palate as well.. this and the oak lead me to think it in need of time. Decent finish, but not exceptional. A "good" drink but still consider this (Pinots in general) the poorest values of the SQN portfolio, and am not exceptionally sad to see this portion go away. Would tend to hold for a bit, but don't see this going for MANY years.. drink over the next 3-5..

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  • Excellent bottle - improved from my last tasting - more complexity

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  • after several attempts to get together, the uber educated mr noble stops by the humble abode on monday, and i opened a 2003 sine qua non omega pinot noir. while exchanging life histories on a sultry evening in scottsdale, we manage to get in a few words about the wine. my third go 'round with it, and clearly the worst showing. there is no thrilling finish, and the palate is considerably more eathy and tannic than previous bottles. the fruit remains lush, and the balance was there, but it seemed hollow to me.

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  • a perfect Pinot Noir, dark, slight acid, smell like roses from accross the room, little weak on the finish, as it fades from memory

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  • 15.5 % alcohol. shea vineyard, oregon.

    first, a word from our sponsor. the mailing list allocation was 750 x 3 + 1500 x 1. when wine is scarce like this, you have a tendency to hoard...sometimes too much. we burned one (gratefully) when mr krankl came to town in february for the big tasting. no problemo. the wine was over the top wonderful. based on that experience, i knew i would give up my remaining 750's only for visiting royalty, or for a hygienist named judy (that's a whole 'nother story ). whew, i have to collect myself. ok. where was i? oh, yeah, the omega pinot. anyway, this is a long winded thank you to patrick albright who sent me six extra 750's via commerce corner. now, i can drink these babies pretty much anytime i want. good thing, 'cause my chances with that hygienist are pretty low.

    on to the wine!

    don't let the alcohol fool you. there is no heat in this wine. last time i had it, it was decanted for 4 hours. tonight, it was right out of the bottle. there was a very nice earthy texture to the wine and a voluptuos mouthfeel that oozed complexity. i thought there was a hint of licorice on the finish, but my drinking compadres weren't on board with that note. dark berry fruits dominated. truly one of the best pinots from oregon i've tasted. not profound, but damn good, and highly recommended. this is the last vintage SQN will make from the shea source. too bad.

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  • Opened to celebrate the arrival of the Spring '06 wines. Wow - this is fantastic. Intense, fruit-driven nose - somewhat reminiscent of some Linne Calodo Zin blends, but imagine being toned down and made varietally-appropriate for a Pinot. On the palate this is lush, with great mouthfeel. Great acidity providing structure to the layers and layers of fruit. Black cherry, plum, blackberry and kirsch along with some red wine-infused pear. Hints of dark chocolate and spice. This bottle seemed to be all about the fruit, vs. the last bottle (a few months ago) which showed some meaty/earthy components. All-in-all, this is a kick-ass wine that is surprisingly well-mannered - especially given it's 15.5% alcohol.

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  • 15.5% alc!!! This is PN, have no fear, Manfred is in the hiz-ouse...

    Starts out on the nose, all earthy, spicy in a baking spice sort of way, pinot-funk...after the initial taste indicated some trapped CO2 or maybe spritz, this settled down on the palate to include a full-bodied, extracted yet balanced behemoth, outrageously, enormously long finish that still tickles the acidity nodes on the tongue...THE FINISH GOES ON AND ON AND ON...then my girlfriend, whom I saw Brokeback Mtn with last night, exclaims it is so big, YET SO GENTLE AT THE SAME TIME!!! That actually sums it up perfectly. One more bottle in the cellar...bought two bottles in Aspen on Thursday for an average price of $90!! Yeeehaw. Will drink this after the No. 6 in a few years. Though, if I were independently wealthy, I would drink nightly!!! ***** out of *****.

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  • this wine reminded me of the veiled (98 vintage). it is quite possibly, the best pinot i have ever tasted from oregon. jeez, the fruit just oozed between the teeth, and almost stuck to my tongue. this is a wine that makes you want to lobby manfred to rethink his departure from the state, as this is the last of the mohicans. boy, he went out with a bang. really superb.

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  • Distinctly more Oregon than other SQN Pinots, though considerably more concentrated as well. Spicy, with a good dose of plummy fruits. Considerable structure and density serves to hide the alcohol well. Not everyone's flavor, but my favorite SQN Pinot to date.

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  • Drank at Manresa is Los Gatos, CA for my birthday! Very much like their No6 with good fruit, but this had a very smooth velvet mouthfeel while No6 seemed like it needed more time (tannins) last we tasted it. Took half the bottle home and it was very nice on day two after inerting it.

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  • Deep, clear purple. Bright, sweet nose of black raspberries, black cherries, pears, and clove spice. Medium-to full bodied with sweet palate entry and loads of purple and red fruit. Has a nice earthy element - very clean and not at all barnyardy. The finish is strong and reflects the considerable grip this wine is holding in reserve. 50+5+13+17+8=93

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  • Wow - this was great Pinot! The nose had a sweet element that I couldn't place, but that was really seductive. In addition there were nice notes of cherry and some earth. On the palate this wine had plenty of acid, but not so much as to keep it from being immediately accessible and enjoyable, allowing the red fruits (cherry and maybe blueberry?) to show through. After 90+ minutes and as the wine warmed up, it showed some more meaty/earthy/funky tones. Went awesome with a pork loin roast covered in orange/honey/teriyaki sauce.

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  • Opened at 5:30 and poured into a wide-bottomed decanter. Went back into the bottle at 6:30 and our first pour was shortly after out 7:30pm dinner reservation. Drank from large Burgundy glasses which the restaurant provided.

    Well balanced with very nice acidity, which I wasn't expecting from the 2003 Oregon vintage. A large style, but definately pinot. I would not have guessed syrah, like some bigger new world examples. Black cherry and Asian 5-spice. Still very young and tight - worthy of some time in the cellar. I'm not opening my remaing bottles for a few years and they should gain some complexity. Very promising.

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  • at a resturant. nice big, forward, new-world pinot nose. big cherry wine with a nice, long finish. i would say as expected for the better u.s. producers - very good but not a standout. i think the '03 sea smoke botella the other night was as good as this. B

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