7/8/2021 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank with DMS. This was fantastic. Would have guessed it was old bordeaux blind, like a Cheval Blanc. Deep fruit/earth combination. Hint of tobacco. Cherry blossom. Loved it.

1/3/2021 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank with DMS. Very good. Not quite as good as the one I had from 375 a few years ago, but still top notch. Excellent depth of fruit as pretty much all of the Materiums I've had.

1/3/2021 - Fid wrote:

Very disappointing. A bit astringent and not much fruit. Must be an off bottle.

8/2/2020 - Fid wrote:

Not bad, but not very charming. Too smoky and tight. Quality obviously there, but probably a ways away from ready. Needs a 24 hour decant at this moment.

5/10/2020 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank over two days. Beautiful wine. Hits all the spots and deserving of its reputation.

5/6/2020 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP from split. Very nice. Not the overwhelming richness of many other Scarecrow but very nicely balanced and has a deepness if not a lushness to it. Drank 1/2 the split. Other 1/2 tomorrow.

Update: Better 2nd day. A bit more lush.

5/6/2020 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank over 4 days. Each day kept getting better. Day 3 and Day 4 were almost identical.

5/6/2020 - Fid wrote:

Split was corked. What a shame.

5/2/2020 - Fid wrote:

Disappointing. Not much there. Hopefully, just an off bottle.

1/30/2020 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP with dinner at home -- pasta with black truffle. Another excellent Materium with deep lush fruit, long finish. Reminds me of the 2013. Much better than the 2014, which is still solid.

12/28/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at the Bel Air Hotel for PV’s Birthday. Really nice and approachable Cabernet blend. Great fruit on the palate and nose was to die for. More than held it’s own against the ‘15 Quintessa that followed. Top notch.

8/30/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at Panzanella for CF birthday. Excellent and ready to go out of the gate. Nice fruit and great balance. Went very well with pasta and truffles.

8/25/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank with friends at Piccolo Paradiso. Decanted for about 20 minutes. A little funk on the nose to open but it blew off in about 15 minutes and added weight and complexity over the hour we drank it. Last sip was the best. Great older Bordeaux notes. Hot rock and forest floor with good linear fruit and nice long finish. Tannins were evident but very soft. Good to go but I don’t think any hurry either.

5/19/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

Lineup was a 2009 Pol Roger, followed by the 2000 Leoville Poyferre, a 2015 Opus One and finally a 2001 Rieussec (750ml).

The LP needed about 30 minutes in the decanter and then 15-20 in the glass to really show its stuff. An excellent Bordeaux, coming off much, much younger than a nearly 20-year-old wine. Dark to the rim, nose of cedar and black fruit, just smells like the heart of Bordeaux. Deep and medium-full bodied with a great earthy quality with enough fruit to balance it nicely. Went great with pasta and veal piccata. This is why you drink Bordeaux—in my opinion.

5/15/2019 - Fid wrote:

Corked. Bummer.

4/28/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank this after a 2012 Booker “The Ripper”. No formal notes. Only to say this is great stuff. Has that wonderful depth of great Napa reds. Top notch in every way.

4/20/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank at Seder (night #1) following a 2015 Ganevat La Graviere (which was unusual but enjoyable) and a 2016 Maybach Irmgard pinot noir (which was probably too young and I didn’t think anything special), the Saxum was very good. A bit tight, but very in line with the Saxum Syrah profile. Could have probably also used more air but still nice black fruit, a bit of tar, and good balance. I think this is a few years out from its prime. 91+

4/15/2019 - Fid wrote:

Drank for 50th. All were excellent.
#1 2013 Ultramarine Blanc de Noirs
#2 2004 Scarecrow
#3 1989 Montrose
#4 2002 Lokoya Diamond Mountain
#5 2014 Maybach Materium
#6 2010 Colgin Syrah
#7 2009 Scarecrow M Etain
#8 2014 Altamura
#9 2013 Carte Blanche

4/14/2019 - Fid wrote:

Flawed. Bummer

3/17/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

Decanted for about 7 hours then back into the bottle for the trip to Il Segreto. This needed all 7 hours and frankly another 7 certainly would not have hurt. This is excellent, if not the tiniest bit still closed. Great CdP notes of garrigue, red fruit and a hint of something earthy. Not funky at all. Perfectly balanced. My first CSJ-SS and not my last. Hoping to try again in 3-4 years and maybe even a longer decant. I have a feeling that if any were left, it would be even better today. 94+

3/8/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP. Very dark. Dark fruit spectrum. Very good fruit, but balanced with nice tannic bite. Opened up over 2 hours and just got better and better. 93+

2/27/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

A crowd pleaser.

2/22/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank at Heisman’s Wine dinner. Just great.

2/3/2019 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. Open for business immediately. Could smell the red berries 3 feet away. Very lush, incredible fruit that was very deep and kept hitting in waves on the attack, mid-palate, finish. This is up there with the best expressions of Scarecrow, Maybach, Schrader, etc.

12/24/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at Christmas eve dinner at N.’s house. Great SQN flowery nose. Good fruit in the red spectrum. Tasty accompaniment to turkey and potatoes.

12/15/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

Very good. Not too syrupy. Not exuberant either. Moderately sweet, with notes of citrus, caramel and toffee.

12/15/2018 - Fid wrote:

Decanted 2 hours. I think it needs a day. Quite closed. Maybe a phase? While it was still drinkable, it wasn’t charming at all.

12/9/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

Decanted for 5 hours. This was excellent. Big nose of spice, red and black fruits that you could smell 3 feet from the decanter. Rich, full palate with the same red/black fruit and spice profile which balanced the grippy tannins. A little bit of sediment at the bottom of the last glass. If the ‘13 is even better then this, wow!

9/22/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP with JG, LC, R&SF, R&KS, W&CD. Ready to go. Classic Napa Cab you hope for with deep, lush fruit on the palate. Punches above its weight at this price.

9/10/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

Lush and deep.

7/29/2018 - Fid wrote:

Didn’t love it. Surprised. Kind of tannic and closed. Ok fruit but never gave up much.

6/29/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP with DS and SS. The usual crowd pleaser.

6/9/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP an ND’s house. This is a very concentrated fruity pinot. It’s very good for what it is. Very upfront in your face. No subtlety. The kind of wine that you either really like or really don’t. It’s the Howard Stern of pinot noir.

6/8/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP for Shabbat dinner with RS, KS, JG, LC. Ready for business right out of the gate. Deep, dark, lush. Red and black fruits. As good as Napa cabs 2-3x as expensive.

5/31/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at Il Pastaio. Excellent again. Cork came out in pieces but Wine was in great shape. Could smell it from 2 feet away. Lush pinot. In a great spot.

5/25/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

WOTN at Rich's dinner.

5/25/2018 - Fid wrote:

Good not great

5/25/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank after an hour decant. Very concentrated but very closed. Can tell this will be top notch in several years.

5/25/2018 - Fid wrote:

Decanted about 30 minutes. Not a lot of fruit, astringent. Maybe an off bottle.

4/22/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at Il Segretto with Sam and Seppie. Nice nose of red fruits. A little light on the palate at the outset but with 20 minutes of air really filled out. Red and black fruit, hint of tobacco, sweet red pepper too. Nice complement to the lobster and asparagus risotto.

4/20/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank at Melisse with MT, RP and MH. Excellent, fully mature. Great flowery SQN signature nose. Soft red fruit on the palate. Tannins fully integrated. Balanced. Loved it.

2/9/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP. Great nose as always. A little more restrained palate than last bottle. Still very good if not a tad less exuberant.

1/5/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at Vincenti with T and Saken families. No formal notes but suffice it to say this was outstanding and immediately open for business. Incredibly precise red fruits and perfectly balanced. Fruit forward without being fruity. Great Napa cab in a perfect part of its window. Such a crowd pleaser. 99.

1/1/2018 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP on NYE at Ungar’s house. No real notes but suffice it to say this is excellent. Great balance and fruit. Not overpowering and not too young.

11/6/2017 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP Saturday at Il Pastaio after a 2003 Cos d'Estournel. Very enjoyable, fun wine. Needs time though.

10/18/2017 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank after an Aubert pinot. Very lush.

10/18/2017 - Fid Likes this wine:

Drank at the Shapiro's house. Consistently solid.

10/9/2017 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at L&J's house. Very nice. Great fruit.

9/10/2017 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP and N's house. This needed a longer decant but it was still clear that this was top notch. Tight but lots of fruit. Started opening after 30 minutes in the glass. Red and black fruits, baking spices. 93+

9/3/2017 - Fid Likes this wine:

PnP at home with friends. A little subdued at the outset but with 20-30 minutes of air filled out nicely and showed very sour cherry and a hint of violet. A touch -- just a touch -- too sour but still very nice.