8/1/2022 - Papies wrote:

By the glass at St John's, London.
Rich, soft sweet edge, oxidative and nutty . Chose it to be paired with the rich dishes a St John's and worked very well albeit could have helped if it was a bit sharper. Pretty one though.

2/16/2018 - ageverett Likes this wine:

Double decant and let breathe for 90 minutes. Drank over 3 hours.

This almost seems like it's from another planet. Just keep sticking your nose in for another whiff. Burning embers. Unlit cigar. Leather. Currant. White pepper. Super dark in color. Pretty heavy in weight on the palate, but it just explodes with waves of deep, dark flavors. Massive finish.

Plenty of spine here -this can go for a long time. As amazing as the first few sips were, after that, it was better with food. Almost needed the food given the grip on the back end.

Stunning wine.

11/29/2017 - bengti Likes this wine:

SQN Big Guns Night, Beefbar HK. SQN In Extremis.

This continues to be an unfailing warhorse of the SQN pantheon. It shows really well. Deep garnet red, opaque and dark. A heady perfumed nose of blackberries, dark fruits, ripe apricots, chocolate, soft leather.

A palette of plush, silky velvet. Superb integration and ideal acid levels make this a beguiling drink. Time in glass allowed the wine to unfurl further notes of candied toffee, straw, gravel, licorice, game. A long sophisticated finish of soft tannins. Overall, elegance understated strength and balance come to mind.

Left to stand in the glass, this as all Krankl Syrahs do gave off an aroma of sweet glazed cherries, cherry liquer, cherry chocolate. Mesmerising.

With its age of 16 years in bottle, it is cool and elegant with no hint of heat from its high alcohol levels. It’s performed this way for several years now, and shows no sign of moving past prime yet.

10/14/2017 - Zweder wrote:

Dave's 40th birthday. My most exclusive tasting ever!!! (@ Bottles; Sas van Gent, Netherlands): 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre in this wine. Enormously concentrated. Juicy dark berry fruits with good acidity, tannin and pleasant sweetness. Beautiful and complex wine.

8/4/2017 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine:

15.8% abv. Dark ruby, plus + aromatics - intense and exotic. Boysenberry, cassis, floral notes and Asian spice on the palate. Extraordinary concentration, depth and length without being ponderous. Exceptional!

3/17/2017 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine:

It was a really bad day. We spent the whole day working to close a complicated, four party, four property, two loan deal and the seller of one of the properties decides to storm out of my conference room at the last minute in a hissy fit and refuses to listen to the other side, which is trying to concede all issues just to get the deal done. We stop $1,800,000 of incoming wires at the last minute so my client doesn't lose a weekend of fed funds sales on that part of the deal, you slump back in your chair and say F* it. You've got to do something as a futile gesture to Dionysus and besides it's not the borrower's fault that the seller was a jerk. He wants gin and tonis, all you have is 12 year old MacCallan. What's a person to do?

Ding Ding Ding! You've got a case of Saxum in your office, just delivered. It's a gamble, because Justin (violating the objectivity sanctions rule when you mention the winemaker by first name) says not to open in until a few months after delivery. But it's only one bottle. So you offer to open a bottle for your young associate and the borrower's team. His lawyer has to leave but tells him to stay and drink away. Besides, it's Saint Patrick's Day and he hasn't had a drop of fermented carbohydrates all day.

Pop, decant for a quick aeration and pour immediately into Costco Reidels.

From two of the civilians, the inevitable, "Wow, this is one of the best wines I have ever had." I mention this only because I know you AFWEs have never heard such a thing when pouring from your own cellar, so I thought I would share the experience so you could enjoy it vicariously.

This is a great, perfectly balanced and extremely complex wine. Gobs of red fruit, meatyness, a smooth velvet mouth feel that caresses the tongue. I get mostly cherry and plum, but there's some of the raspberry that Saxum almost always shows to a greater or lesser degree. There's an earthy forest floor component that I am not used to in this wine, which is definitely there in the background without throwing the fruit out of balance. Perhaps from the Tempranillo. This is not an 8.5% Riesling, but the alcohol is not a primary taste component. I LOVE THIS WINE!

8/6/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

Tried at Hedonism Wines in London. To be fair I was predisposed to think this was going to be my favorite of the tasting and I wasn't disappointed. It was just special - fig, strawberry, cigar, hints of spice. It's big, but somehow not overpowering and elegant in that way that Manfred makes something elegant (perhaps well balance and good acidity is what I mean). I loved it. Was opening in the glass and had more evolution to go but didn't let it get that far before we finished the taste.

6/20/2016 - acyso wrote:

The Other 7% of California (Chicago, IL): From half-bottle. This is golden raisins squeezed into juice. Layer upon layer of complexity, with lots of sweet fruit here. You keep looking for that botrytis spice (well, at least, I do, because those are the typical sweet wines I drink) but there is none here. It's as opulent and hedonistic as you can get. There's actually a nice zing of acidity on the back end to freshen things up too. Super concentrated and sweet, but this is actually quite well-balanced. Could it be that I've finally found a roussanne I like?

10/3/2013 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

PnP, served non-blind. Echoing sayward's TN, this will be drinking well past the 2014 (current) CT drinking window. Richly fruited, with ripe peach and melon in an off-dry, heavily layered style that seems to defy gravity thanks to unseen, almost magical acidic lift. Some pretty orange and orange pith notes cut through the folds of pure, rhone-styled fruit adding extra dimensions. A beauty, now and for the next 3-4 years, perhaps more.

9/1/2013 - exonian Likes this wine:

The cork broke on opening, but was otherwise perfect. This wine is now a deep garnet , with a fading rim, and impressive legs. The nose is pronounced and amazingly complex, yet so fresh. There is cassis, blackberry jam ,cedar, menthol, bay/rosemary, anise, spice, liqourice, cherries, a hint of salty minerality, and the occasional waft of tea rose florality. The palate is chewy with flavours of cooked plummy fruits, blackberry jam, coffee, and chocolate. On first opening , the acidity was medium plus, but calmed down to medium after an hour or so. Tannins are well integrated , and the 13.5 per cent alcohol is lightly worn , on the silky mouthfeel. This wine seemed in a perfect place - elegant, complex, smooth, and refreshing , yet still exhibiting hints of youthfulness. Built for the long haul, in a classic Bordeaux style, this is California Cab at its best. I' m looking forward to tasting my remaining two bottles of this vintage over the next 5 - 8 years. Went perfectly with wild venison steaks, served with a port and blackberry sauce ( our own blackberry jam and wild blackberries from the garden)

8/5/2013 - Rosengoo wrote:

Opened at home with (for the first time) the Coravin system. A clear gold coloured wine with a pronounced nose of oranges and some lemon. In the glass was a wine with tons of citrus and a slight hint of butter. The wine had a mid level of acidity but was slightly bitter.

7/14/2013 - shadow wrote:

Almost the perfect, not to red, not typical, just like a soft fiss on a hot summer nighte

12/1/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind alongside the Kistler 2010 Pinot Noir Cuvée "Natalie Silver Belt." While I haven't had an Aubert Pinot Noir in several years, it was relatively easy to identify this wine based on prior experiences in earlier vintages. Fat and lush with lots of blackberry and plum. Lots of good spice, but clearly lots of new oak protruding as well. Certainly a well made wine in its style, it's just not my preferred style of Pinot Noir. Others liked this far more than I did today.

3/22/2013 - gpowell1978 Does not like this wine:

Awful wine. No points for subtly. Confirmed everything that is wrong with this style of wine making. Tasted next to a 59 Calon Segur which offered everything you could want in a wine. A sad statement about trophy wines that offer no QPR yet seem to attract such strangely positive reviewed. I wonder if it were served blind whether anyone would rate this so highly.

1/25/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote:

TN: Syrahs, Chards, and Turkish food in NYC +; 1/25/2013-1/26/2013 (Sip Sak): I need to quit drinking the SQN wines young as I invariably like them better with age. The nose is very nice; waxy with honey and lemons. On the palate, the alcohol is prevalent. It drinks hot and a bit bitter. At the same time, there is a nice depth here. I went back toward the end of the evening and this was much better. I have no doubt that it would be even better today. The bottle was only half drained, so I suspect that others agreed. As I said though, I also think in 3 to 5 years or a lot longer, this will sort itself out and be a much better wine.

1/13/2013 - acyso wrote:

Light amber in colour. Aromas of peaches, honeysuckle, creamed corn, and almond, but the nose is quite reticent, though I'll chalk that up to this being served a little colder than it should be. On the other hand, the temperature helps keep this from becoming too cloying. The cantaloupe note on the palate is quite evocative of macvin de jura, which makes sense as it can be made from botrytised chardonnay as well. Even though this was a collaboration between the Krankls and Kracher, the Austrian hand seems to be missing here, as this wine has a tone of astringency that never shows up in Kracher's own Burgenland bottlings. All in all, an uninspiring Mr. K -- the sugar and texture is there, but there is nary a hint of acidity to help balance out the sad lack of concentration and extract.

12/16/2012 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:

Amazing nose as always. Smokey BBQ sauce and deep dark fruits. The palate is thick and mouth coating with smokey beef, bacon and a petroleum note. Long and impressive. I love this wine. I usually find black pepper in this and it wasn't there this time.

7/20/2012 - Steve Williams wrote:

Nice, bright cherry flavors. In a good place right now.

7/11/2010 - JDB Does not like this wine:

30 weight honey, holy crap is this stuff over the top, viscous, overpoweringly sweet, like drinking straight maple syrup. It has no botrytis to help cut the sweet, no acid to balance the sweet... it is just sweet. consumed over three days and time did not help any. Interesting flavors in the background but totally overwhelmed by a cloying, thick honey. I so wanted to like this... especially for $100.00

7/13/2011 - pkwoods wrote:

Opened, decanted, and followed over 3 hours. After hour 1 this wine starts to really open up. End of hour 2 it's filling out and showing much deeper, darker smells and flavors. It seems to gain in length over this time, too. By the end of hour 3 the wine can best be described as "yummy" and "gone".

12/13/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:

Expectations are a funny thing. I expected this wine to be a mammoth a la Over and Out. Not so. The nose shows some dark cherries and baking spices. The palate is full but not overwhelming. The fruits are mostly cherries and strawberries and the spice I could smell wasnt there. A significant ammount of acid prevents this from feeling overripe. Medium finish. A fine wine, but I couldnt help but feel dissapointed.

12/4/2010 - budman wrote:

Awesome!!! Brambly fruit. At first, there was a bit of heat, but 10 minutes in the fridge fixed it.
I loved it. Went very well with the Chipotle burrito.

I would love to be able to get some more of this!!!!

12/4/2010 - pakabear wrote:

Wow, finally a Papa that wasnt corked! This is very good, perfect balance.

11/12/2010 - ronlite wrote:

Big California chardonnay feel; not my favorite SQN white

11/10/2010 - G Kapoor wrote:

Good wine with soaring aromas of honey, clove spice, and sweet citrus. Smooth and round on the palate with good weight. I prefer some acidity in my whites which this was lacking, however, I can see how this could be a highly rated wine for those who prefer this style.

11/4/2010 - thenapalist wrote:

Simply put, unbelievable! The 17th Nail is amazing and in my opinion....another perfect wine but this one takes it one step further. While the nose is somewhat muted at this stage, the palate is amazingly balanced at this early stage with perfect acidity, deep rich fruit and velvety tannins. The nose will certainly come around with 6-12 months so give this time but pop it now and you won't be disappointed. The best young SQN I have tasted to date.

9/10/2010 - Screameagle wrote:

To previous tasters who said this wine was in it's prime they are absolutely right. It's definitely in it's prime and so good that it's hard to believe that it will improve with time but it might. One of the best SQNs I've ever had the opportunity to consume. A monumental effort.

8/20/2010 - King Cab wrote:

Brownish-red in color. Nose of spring flowers, blackberries, bing cherries, leather and tar. The palate has a light to medium weight and is all grenache, all the time. There was some cour cherry, licorice, damp forest floor, rubbed leather and reddish plums, and a hint of grapefruit? It lacked backbone and structure and was somewhat flabby and easy-going. Tannin seemed almost fully resolved, and acidity a tad high. Balance was off-kilter. Certainly not flawed, just not present in its full glory.
What else could I say? Oh yeah, rather simple for what it is.

7/3/2010 - jdlee1232 wrote:

Clearly past its prime. Still complex and multi layered, but a little bitter on the finish -- maybe just a bit off.

6/15/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:

Beautifully dark with purple hues. Nose is full of blueberries, a little chocolate and cinnamon. Some crushed red berries and oak in there as well. Some flowery smells on day two. The palate is full bodied (duh) with ripe blackberries and hints of baking spices. Great acid. A bit of alcohol and pretty solid tannins. Young but delicious.

6/10/2010 - rdsboca wrote:

This was a bottle that was off my radar screen. I had tucked a few away. It was a great pizza pinot. Brigt red center with a plum rim. Rasberry and cherry nose with a hint of truffles. Great mouthfeel. A bit light on the palate but the fruit burst at the back end. Cherries are a bit tart, but not Jolly Rancheresque.

5/14/2010 - *Vine* wrote:

Popped and poured. Medium-plus garnet hue. Pronounced aromas of fresh berries, black cherry, leather, fresh herbs, and a touch of smoke. With air, the aromas grow in complexity and depth. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit is striking...ever present, pure, and focused but never forceful, with flavors of dark fruits, black currant, mocha, anise, minerals, and more fresh herbs (basil & mint?). Tannins are surprisingly somewhat chalky and a bit astringent but compliment the fruit perfectly on the lengthy finish. Truly a wine that is both mentally and hedonistically fulfilling, each successive sip more enjoyable than the last. Tannic structure certainly suggests further aging, perhaps 10+ years even...but really, this is in the perfect midlife spot right now.
Well-balanced, regal and classy - what more could one hope to find in Napa Cabernet? Not much!

5/8/2010 - gravelld wrote:

Ruby colour. Nose shows berries, pepper, herbs, menthol and a bit of pastry. A little too much alcoholic burn. Palate shows bright cherry, berry fruit, very elegant yet not particularly complex.

5/8/2010 - winelovr2001 wrote:

A brilliant expression of syrah from Mike. Could be confused for a SQN syrah, awesome extraction while maintaining balance...

5/9/2010 - dougdell wrote:

Amazing wine; the smell alone released lots of endorphins. Rich color, thick mouthfeel, lots of apricots and honey without being overly sweet. Our guests tasted pineapple and caramel; I tasted heaven. Superb vino.

5/8/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote:

Every once in a while you have an experience with a bottle of wine that just simply puts a smile on your face like a 6 year old on Christmas morning. The 2005 Spottswoode Cab did that for me last July and it stood out as probably one of the best wines I've had, until last night when this 07 took it up another notch. This wine is the absolute definition of balance. We're talking Cirque du Soleil crazy acrobat balance here. The mix of dark fruits, new leather, vanilla, texture, length, and the softest tannins combine in the glass to create a magical elixir of tastiness. It's not overweight and brooding but also not at all wimpy or understated. Unquestionably the best Napa Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever had.

5/9/2010 - nvandyk wrote:

I haven't had a 40 year old d'Yquem, but this is the best dessert wine I've ever had.

5/5/2010 - rdsboca wrote:

My 2nd favorite of the night. Funky nose that blew off. Wish it hadn't. As one person said, "We should call John Alban with a message - Nirvana Dude!" Bloody neat with grapes, cherries, blue berries. A lsaughtered lamb in the forest with some sage and fresh mint. Finished with a side of Tiramisu. An 18 Wheeler hits you like a brick. I just shook my head the whole time....

5/5/2010 - pdemaio wrote:

Incredibly complex nose. Australian in style almost. Roast meat. New york cut steak. Brown sugar. Cloves and mint. A little heat in the nose.
The body has acids that go on for miles. Oak isn't overpowering, especially for 58 months in the barrel. Opening up as we speak. This 04 is amazinly young. I should have waited, but who knew. I'll save the rest for a bit.

5/6/2010 - G Kapoor wrote:

Enjoyed at the Passion Fish restaurant in the Pacific Grove area. Color is plum purple with a sweet nose of berries, licorice and pepper. On palate it has amazing concentration of fruit with silky texture. This wine evolved in the glass all night with different nuances everytime. The "style" of wine is something I don't particularly seek out. With that said, it has to be one of the best wines I have ever had in that "style".

12/31/2009 - Whine-oh Likes this wine:

Great old, well aged Napa Cab. From memory, no specifics, only that we all agreed that it was in a good place and enjoyable. Slight bricking, mellow dark fruits on nose and some fruit left on palate, with secondaries more upfront. nice velevty mouth feel. Good with country french fare.

5/7/2010 - gesusser wrote:

first night = hi alcohol burn; 2nd night nicer; 3rd night finished up even better; will hold the other bottle for at least one year

5/8/2010 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine:

If seamless is a proper way of describing the sensation of perfect balance - the 2007 SQN Grenache Pictures is a seamless wine. How strange is it when there are absolutely no edges, nothing "rough or rugged" to really touch and annoy your palate? The pure fruit, silky tannins, 60 sec+ finish, nose and deep deep color all seem to be perfectly harmonious. Like Mr Kirsch, Mrs Pepper and baby Spice all went down the road holding each others hands singing. Lovely.

5/8/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:

California Cult Wines tasting - eye openers and disapointments (WineWatch tasting and dinner, Fort Lauderdale): Very concentrated, and young, but drinking well nevertheless. Black currants, density, lots of balance and need some time to round alcohol on the finish.

5/2/2010 - Eric Likes this wine:

Pizza and "wines that don't suck" with Leslie Fisher (Seattle, WA, USA): Served double-blind. I guessed it was a Washington Bordeaux blend that was Cab dominated. JasonD responded that I was as effective as the Seattle Mariner's offense, ouch! In a word, this was pretty freaking great, and I cozied up to this bottle for a lot of the rest of the night. In the past I have tended to find the Claret to be too sweet, but this one was quite serious and really showed impeccable balance and fruit profile. The usual candied oak tones of Pride were easily kept in check. Fantastic wine, thanks Jason!

5/2/2010 - Eric Likes this wine:

Pizza and "wines that don't suck" with Leslie Fisher (Seattle, WA, USA): Wow, wow, wow! I first had a taste of this in 2004 courtesy of Jeff Nowak, and that bottle blew me away. This bottle was every bit its equal and left me wondering if it is possible to find a better domestic Syrah? The nose is intoxicating and insanely complex, oozing blood and rock and flower and tar. The palate at first, after 2+ hours of decanting, was a bit of a letdown. Just so monolithic and not really living up to the nose. However over the next two hours it kept opening and unfolding to show incredible layers of complexity, grace and nuance. Yes I said grace. This is shockingly well balanced with enough acidity to make it all work. A really special wine.

5/1/2010 - psmith wrote:

Dark, rich, meaty syrah fruits. Blackberry, graphite, floral, and a deep profile that tends more to earthy notes than most Cali syrah. Great purity. Raw, somewhat grainy tannins. Very nice.

5/3/2010 - Jody Smith wrote:

Dense, sultry liquor of blackberry juice and black olives. Super compact, but giving up beautiful aromas of fresh African Violets and road tar. Slightly sweet, and no heat. Mouthcoating, yet remarkably clean and pure, with refreshingly tense acidity. Finishes long, with notes of blue granite, or your liquid minerality of choice. There's a lot going on here, and I'm sad to see my last bottle go.

5/3/2010 - wequedad wrote:

Just a wonderful Cabneret. Fragrant nose of dark fruit and cassis. Still has some tannins but the toasted plum, tobacco and leather rise over the top. Long finish.

I have one more and will keep it for next winter. Still has yeaqrs to go.

4/30/2010 - inkana wrote:

Audouzed for for an hour or two, then one-half an hour in the glass before tasting. Inky purple and opaque. I agree with some that the aroma was a bit reticent at first, but it gave way quickly into aromas of blackberry, cedar, with high notes of black pepper and violet, and a touch of smoke and leather. On the palate, this was very full-bodied: blackberry, pepper, the subtle note of violets and a soft smokiness on the long finish. A deeply extracted style, but beautiful complexity, even this early. I will keep the rest for a of couple years, then check in again to see how they have developed. BTW- tasted and written before reading professional reviews.