3/4/2023 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

Not my favorite. Thought the first bottle was maybe off (not corked) but second bottle showed exactly the same. Thin, acidic, lacking in fruit, and overall not enjoyable. I love Alban wines but this might be the first I’ve had that I didn’t enjoy at all.

3/18/2018 - MarkC wrote:

Oxidized :-(

3/1/2018 - MarkC wrote:

Definitely needs more time. I have a hard time keeping my hands off new releases, and this absolutely is drinkable, but it will be much better in 2-3 years.

12/26/2017 - MarkC wrote:

Very tannic—suggest waiting at least 3-4 years to try another.

12/25/2017 - MarkC wrote:

Needs at least 4-6 hours of decant time.

12/24/2017 - MarkC wrote:

Needs at least 2-3 hours of decanting right now.

11/25/2017 - MarkC wrote:

Wow. That's all I got. Spectacular wine--even better given the context of the vintage. Decanted about 30 minutes, but would be better with 2-3 hours. However, pop-n-pour would be fine, too. Dense and rich, but light and ethereal--the old iron fist in a velvet glove. Few wines achieve this incredible balance, but this is worth seeking out. (PE: 100)

10/16/2017 - MarkC wrote:

I'm not much of a Bordeaux drinker, and only opened this because my wife is avoiding alcohol at the moment (and she is most definitely not a fan of Bordeaux!). Wow! What a great wine. The tannins are mostly resolved, but I'd guess this still has 5+ years at this stage. Ink, pencil, hints of black tea, some dried (but not overly sweet) and savory currants, and some blackberry. Really enjoyable.

10/14/2017 - MarkC wrote:

Once again, Manfred and Elaine have shown that they have a special ability with white wines. Being a "red wine guy" I still love their reds the most, but their whites are un-freakin'-believable and this is no exception. Dense, yellow fruits, with lanolin, clove, good acid, and a loooooong finish. I opened this one too soon (they typically start to come into their own around year 7 post-vintage) but it was phenomenal.

8/20/2017 - MarkC wrote:

I don't really write notes anymore, but this was awesome. One of the best California dessert wines I've had outside of Mr. K/SQN. Sweet, but not cloying, rich, but not dense. Apricot, honey, hints of spice--wow!

11/28/2015 - MarkC Likes this wine:

I have stopped writing frequent notes because they seem to get in the way of enjoying the wine, but this was so flippin' good I felt compelled to write a short note. From a challenging year, this was, IMO, the best NoK yet. Incredibly vibrant, but structured, with zero flab and a lot of intensity. Like a paint job that has been wet sanded and layered to achieve depth, the flavors go forever. From a quality perspective very much like SQN, but otherwise these continue to be their own thing. May have a hard time keeping my hands off the next one... (PE: 100)

9/29/2015 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Fabulous California Chardonnay. Showing hints of age (in a good way) but still fresh and ripe and full of body. Look forward to trying this at 10/12/15 years.

9/29/2015 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

Consistently an unenjoyable wine. So weird.

12/12/2014 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Killer bottle--plenty of life left, but this was singing tonight. If you have them enjoy now or hold for a couple years... (PE: 93)

10/13/2014 - MarkC Likes this wine:

My last of two bottles, purchased from an eBob board member after I posted notes about a prior vintage. Screwcapped, this was an incredibly young wine at 11 years of age. In fact, it left me wondering if corks would be better in terms of letting a wine age. I'm not sure this showed much differently than it did when I last had it 8+ years ago. Incredibly rich, ripe, and dense, I called it an ooze monster back then and that is still an apt description today. Although this would not wine any awards for perfect balance or be called an elegant or ethereal wine, it was incredibly delicious and packed with flavor. Lots of dark fruit--black berry, some plum, raspberry hints, blueberry--with almond and vanilla. Fairly complex, quite frankly. Unbalanced on the fruit site (although if I am going to have a wine that isn't perfectly balanced, I'd prefer it to be showing "too much" fruit--that is, after all, why I drink wine), and with a bit of residual sugar, but at 15.9% alcohol (on the label) it didn't show ANY heat whatsoever. I'd love to try one of these in 10+ years--my guess is that it would show similarly. The only really bad part of this wine is a bit of melancholy knowing that Mat isn't making wine anymore :-(

10/12/2014 - MarkC Likes this wine:

I haven't been writing notes a lot, but this was such a standout I had to make mention. Spectacular nose--rich red fruits reminiscent of strawberry and blackberry and plum. Palate was rich and added baking spices to the fruits. Would've been better decanted, but pop-and-pour wasn't the end of the world. Outstanding stuff! (PE: 98)

8/6/2014 - MarkC wrote:

Not sure what to say about this. On the one hand, the nose and palate are so different from one another it could be that I'm smelling Sauvignin Blanc and drinking Port. Which might be interesting if it was good SB and good Port. Medicinal, chemical, artificial--that is what comes to mind. The finish, however, almost redeems the wine. Glorious baking spices, and incredible length, make for a good end to a bad day. Still can't rate it, and probably won't seek it out except as an experiment (which is a bummer because I have two more bottles left).

5/3/2014 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Not an official note, but this was a spectacular bottle. The professionals suggest that the prime drinking window closed in 2011, but I'd say this was close to as good as this wine has ever been. Still plenty of body and solid mouthfeel, notes of clove, but has lost some of the baby fat that these have when young. Would be interesting to see how long this lasts, but it may be hard to keep my hands off the remaining bottle. (PE: 97)

6/6/2014 - MarkC Likes this wine:

If this is indicative of the vintage, then this might be my favorite Turley vintage since 2004. Hated the '05s and '06s, while most vintages since have been good. This is the epitome of Turley to me--ripe, juicy, but plenty of structure so it isn't like drinking blueberry syrup. This is missing some complexity, but has a great mouthfeel and great purity of the fruit profile that is there. (PE: 93)

12/30/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

After the last bottle (which was dismal) I felt the need to weigh in. This was really tasty. Perhaps not the lofty heights from a few years ago, but it still has plenty of fruit, with a good backbone of acidity and some secondary flavors are starting to come through. Hints of cola, pronounced dark berries, some herbs and floral notes as well. Well done! (PE: 94)

9/2/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

I was a bit concerned based on the most recent CT note. Like that person, I have found that Central Coast wines of this age are often disjointed, unbalanced, devoid of fruit, hot, etc. This wine, however, was not any of those things. Truly a superb expression of New World Syrah, this had fruit in spades, but was backed up with solid tannins, good acidity, and was still full of youthful voluptuousness. I'd guess this wine has a year or two left at this level.

9/2/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

My favorite Bedrock to-date--too bad this was my only bottle. Rich and complex, yet balanced. This seemed to show a lot more breadth in flavors and was a lot more accessible than some of MTP's newer releases (obviously age has some impact as well). Will be interesting to taste some of the newer ones at 5 years of age and see how they stack up.

9/2/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Really awesome bottle of wine. Definitely not a wine for the faint of heart, but for a wine that claims 16.9% alcohol, I was surprised that there was no evidence of heat, either on the nose or the palate. The nose ruled this evening, and I could have smelled it all night--lots of notes, more complex than the taste. On the palate it was still excellent albeit more subdued and without as much complexity. I tend to think Zins need to be consumed within 5 years, but this one seems to not only be in a good place, but I think it has some decent life left--will be interesting to see it in 2-5 years.

8/18/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

In the last 2-3 years I have come to realize I have made grave errors drinking the SQN white wines way too young. Don't get me wrong--I like most of them young--so much so that I go through them quickly. But in the last few years I've noticed that they seem to hit a sweet spot around 7 years of age, and I've had both the Rien Ne Va Plus and the Whisperin' E this year (12+ and 10+ years of age respectively) and both were phenomenal (to be fair, both were from magnum). This bottle of The Petition is every bit as good as every other bottle I've had--vibrant, rich fruit, great balance, beautiful gold color. (PE: 96)

8/18/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

I think this wine has been one of my dark horse favorites that got lost in the wake of JFTLOI, Papa, Poker Face, and Atlantis. Reminded me a bit of the Atlantis--just like the last bottle nearly 18 months ago. There is a streak of raciness, and something like black pepper, along with a grainy (in a good way) aspect that gives this a really interesting mouthfeel. Decanted for only a couple hours, it was nonetheless showing well, with plenty of dark fruit balanced by a lightness that, to me, is the hallmark of SQN Syrahs and Grenaches. As a bit of a soapbox moment, I'm always amazed when these are referred to as "heavy" or "ponderous" or "over the top"--I don't believe I've ever gotten that, even with brand new releases fresh off the GSO truck. This is starting to soften a bit and integrate, but just barely. I hope I can hang on to these for at least 10 more years. (PE: 96)

8/16/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

I like big, young wines. I had this 4 years ago and said it would be pretty good in five years--that is still accurate although I couldn't wait the fifth year. This is about as young as this wine should be consumed (IMHO). Intense, dark fruit, fine but dense tannins, a bit of ink and blacktop on the nose. Would be interesting to see this one in five more years.

7/8/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Incredibly youthful wine--tasted like a new release, and wish I had one or two of these to see what it tastes like in 10 years! Deep purple in color, nearly opaque, with herbal and menthol notes on the nose. The palate was Chambord, blueberry, kirsch, noticeable tannins still, but a good balance overall. Good, good stuff. (PE: 92)

6/10/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Wow--this is so good. Succulent is actually the word that came to mind, and I started thinking that for a lot of Pinot fans that's probably the wrong word. But whatevs :-) This is succulent--plenty of ripe, juicy fruit, but balanced by zingy acids and decent tannins, although they are already seeming to be resolving. Should've probably bought more :-) (PE: 94)

6/5/2013 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

Kind of a weird mix between a hefeweizen, and IPA, and Champagne. Not my cup 'o tea.

6/8/2013 - MarkC wrote:

Solid wine--and 90 points is definitely not a bad score by any stretch, although in recent years people seem to gravitate towards 95+ as if everything else is crap, which simply isn't true in my book. This had a lot of things to like--ripe fruit, soft/fine tannins, solid finish, good balance. It also didn't exactly stand out--there wasn't anything particularly memorable about it. (PE: 90)

6/7/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Needs some air--decanted about 30 minutes ahead of drinking, and the last glass (90 minutes after opening) was the best and this was still on the upswing. Out of the gate this was a bit reticent on both the nose and the palate, but it really came alive with tasty white peaches, floral elements, and some tropical notes. I think this has plenty of life left. (PE: 92 on the first taste, 96 on the last glass--give it air!)

6/7/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

A rare treat. This wine is showing great at 15 years of age. It reminds me of the '98 E-Raised, although perhaps not quite as dense and perhaps a bit more elegant. The tannins appear to be pretty resolved on this wine, whereas the E-Raised seems to have a bit more aging potential. I never had this when young, but I'd assume it was typical SQN--deep, dark, dense, yet light on its feet and well-balanced. What is fun is being able to see how these wines age (quite well, thank you very much) and evolve (better than when young? Perhaps not, but certainly as enjoyable in a different way). Based on this wine, and knowing that the Krankls' wine craft has continued to grow, I can't wait to taste the more recent wines at similar ages and beyond. (PE: 96)

5/13/2013 - MarkC wrote:

Corked.

5/13/2013 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

Not my style at this stage of development--kind of stinky, with a weird, "rotten" fruit note on the palate. Bummer.

5/13/2013 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

I tend to love R-M Pinots, but, unfortunately, this bottle was all alcohol and very little fruit, both on the nose and the palate.

1/14/2013 - MarkC wrote:

Fizzy and prunes and residual sugar. A mess, really.

1/3/2013 - MarkC Likes this wine:

I've only had this wine one other time, nearly 6 years ago, and at that time it was one of if not my favorite white wine. I was a little concerned about this considering the additional age as well as the fact I bought this on the secondary market and one is never certain of provenance. I need not have worried. This wine was superb, even before considering it was 11 years old. I haven't had many white wines that were good let alone great at that age. Incredible ripeness and depth of fruit, but laser-like focus brought about by the acidity. Some citrus overtones that I don't normally get from Rhone-style whites, in particular those that are, like this one, 100% Roussanne. Sad that I don't have more of these, as I think it has plenty of life left and it would be fun to taste again in 3-5 years. (PE: 97)

12/22/2012 - MarkC wrote:

Cranberry, menthol (?) and strawberry on the nose. Palate is quite balanced and lush, but with a really nice zing of acidity. Warm, red fruit colors the palate with highlights of rhubarb and watermelon. This is in a really great place. Not sure it will improve or even hold for very long--probably should drink up in the next year or so. (PE: 94)

10/30/2012 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Wow! I confess in advance that whatever the Krankls do just happens to work for my palate. That said, this was amazing. Especially given it is fresh off the truck. One of the best Grenaches I have ever had. Ripe, but not jammy or juicy. Rich, but not sweet or over the top. Big, but not extracted or reduced. It had incredible balance, and was so light on its feet. This is one of those wines that feels like it should permanently stain your teeth, but is like drinking water. Contradiction in terms? Yes, but such is the magic of SQN. (PE: 100)

10/10/2012 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Very tasty, this didn't seem like a 14-year old wine. Plenty of primary fruit (currants and cranberry tartness) along with hints of chocolate. Soft mouthfeel as the tannins have been resolving nicely, with a long finish. Surprisingly, the nose was a bit disappointing compared to the palate.

10/10/2012 - MarkC Likes this wine:

No formal note, but this was smokin' good...

9/27/2012 - MarkC wrote:

A friend of ours received some good medical news this week. We were not able to celebrate with them in person, so we did the next best thing and opened a spectacular bottle of wine on date night. Popped and poured, this was really approachable. This is the first SQN wine in recent history that I haven't opened while the UPS truck is still in the driveway, so as a result it has had almost a year sitting in storage which may have contributed somewhat to the experience. Huge nose, redolent of meat and berries and ink. The palate was a smorgasbord of flavors, and they seemed to constantly change, with first blackberry then charred meat then plum then "ripe flowers" then something else paraded across the palate. The mouthfeel was typical SQN--rich but light at the same time. Great balance--I have no idea what the abv is, but it doesn't matter because it wasn't hot--and plenty of room for growth I think. Will be interesting to taste this one at 10+ years. (PE: 98)

8/25/2012 - MarkC wrote:

Huh. Drinking two 98-point California "Rhone" blends tonight (coincidence) and both fall short of the expectation set by the score. And let me start by saying that I love Saxum wines. I have been on the list since the '05 vintage, and have been able to taste some earlier vintages as well (a former neighbor is Justin's cousin). That said, this one is, I dare say, overblown and way too one-dimensional. The fruit is a combination of blueberry syrup and hints of cherry cough syrup. Reminds me of a combination of a Washington state Cabernet and a Barossa Shiraz, without actually showing any varietal typicity. Too young? Sure. Hopefully some air (I recorded the bottle and will try again tomorrow) will make a difference. From some of the notes, it appears I may have made a mistake by popping and pouring.

UPDATE (Day 2): What a difference 24 hours makes, although this is a singular experience for me. Normally, I find that big, young wines need air in order to show their fruit, otherwise they tend to be a mess of big tannins and structure and not much else. In this case, the wine showed a lot of fruit, to the point of being "gloppy" out of the gate, but a day later it has actually come more into balance. And it tastes like both Grenache and Saxum--two things it didn't have yesterday. If it had tasted like this yesterday, I would have said it needs time, but has the making of something outstanding. Weird, weird experience for me...

8/25/2012 - MarkC wrote:

This is nothing if not consistent. Still a chunky, fruit forward, rustic wine that is great with pizza or burgers but I would never think of with finer food. I confess that were it not for the 98-point score from Parker, these would get drunk without consideration and probably no notes. But I keep hoping to get whatever brilliance he saw when he bestowed that august score. (PE: 89)

8/23/2012 - MarkC Likes this wine:

Wow--incredible wine. Popped and poured, but still showed tremendously well. I think it will be even better in another couple years, but it will not disappoint if you open today. Would recommend a 4-hour decant right now. Heady nose, redolent of dark fruit and flowers, followed by a palate that weaves strength and grace together, and oozes dark fruit while also showing animal scents, decomposed granite, and a raciness that I'm not sure I've noticed before. Sofa king good. (PE: 98, only because I can see it getting even better.)

6/20/2012 - MarkC Likes this wine:

This wine just got better and better over the course of the night. The best taste was the little bit left in the bottle that I consumed directly from said bottle. Still plenty of tannin and quite a strong frame, but oozing with gobs of fruit--mostly blue and black--and complimented with black pepper and meat. Still the most Old World-like SQN Syrah for my palate, this has somehow managed to get even more voluptuous in the last couple years. In a great place right now, but I expect it to get even better. (PE: 98)

4/15/2012 - MarkC wrote:

Good stuff from Morgan Twain-Peterson. The nose is somewhat reticent, but the palate has opened up and shows more luscious fruit than a year ago, but still plenty dense and structured (as is fitting from a Sonoma County wine), with good acid and fine tannins. Blue-black fruit dominates, along with a streak of coal/tar to keep things interesting. (PE: 92)

4/10/2012 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

I tend to be a fan of Wells' wines, but this one doesn't work for me. Thin, insipid, tasting more like a rosé of something. Last one I have is free to a good home if you come get it :-)

4/9/2012 - MarkC wrote:

A little thin, lacking the oomph that I expect from these wines. Nice notes of red fruit, hints of clove, good acid, no noticeable alcohol (despite the 15.3%--another data point showing that the empirical measurement usually means nothing--all that matters is how the wine tastes). Wonder if this is in a closed/awkward phase?

4/7/2012 - MarkC Does not like this wine:

About as unenjoyable as a wine (that isn't damaged, tainted, etc.) can be for me.