1/24/2024 - tacman wrote:

bouquet is nice, but very thin on the palate ... disappointing over the course of 3 hours

5/4/2020 - tacman wrote:

This screams Beckstoffer Tokalon fruit ... but the Cab Franc (although only 25%) sings mid to late palate.
At first I thought it was lavender in the chocolate I was having, but it was there again the next night ... and still there on day 3. Love love love this bottle of wine

3/11/2020 - tacman wrote:

Wonderful w/ chicken pot pie ... initial pear/peach, with beautiful honey notes as the wine opened up

1/26/2020 - tacman wrote:

Smooth, balanced tannins, great fruit

9/24/2019 - tacman wrote:

Tasting notes lost in the celebration, but an amazing wine!

4/24/2019 - tacman wrote:

According to Jeff Pisoni, this was the first year PM bottled Pisoni fruit. Still going strong after 22 years, with elegant aromas of sandalwood and a bit of funk reminiscent of an old Pommard. Still bright fruit ... cranberry and red cherry, with some asian spice. A delicious wine!

3/21/2019 - tacman wrote:

crazy good ... rich, hint of cassis sweetness w/ a bit of graphite and tar ... give me more

3/3/2019 - tacman wrote:

72 .... dull and flat, no fruit and no tannin, no structure
jeez ... I have a case of this left ... I hope this was a random bad bottle

12/25/2015 - tacman wrote:

30+ bottles opened and this was one of only 4 not emptied (the other being a No Girls Grenache) ... Flat fruit and just not exciting. Flat and sour. This is the third btl I've opened and found this to be very consistent with the previous two. While I've enjoyed most of the Cayuse, I need to rethink the No Girls and Horsepower labels ... and not just me, the crowd did not drink this wine.

12/25/2015 - tacman wrote:

30+ bottles opened and this was one of only 4 not emptied ... Flat fruit and just not exciting

9/27/2015 - tacman wrote:

Stunning ... beautiful carmelization on the color, soft tropical fruits on the nose, nutty/almond and honey. It took about 40 min to warm up, open up, and really shine.

12/29/2012 - tacman wrote:

Interesting in that I came back to this wine after 2 days (gassed and vacuumed) and clearly got notes of petrol ... unusual from a chardonnay

10/23/2012 - tacman wrote:

Actually opened and tasted the night before ... closed and not showing much love. Left the bottle open overnight and decanted the next afternoon (4-6 hrs). Big, rich and chewy syrah with dark plum and a hint of tobacco and leather. Mid-palate shows some nice black/blue fruts and spice. Really enjoyed this!

1/6/2012 - tacman wrote:

Very bright, crisp/acidic, lively mousse, green apple early with a hint of lemon curd on the finish.
Too sharp for my liking, this may turn out to be great in 3-5 years.

1/6/2012 - tacman wrote:

Flavours extremely muddled ... while the nose clearly identified this as New World Pinot, the fruit was indistinguishable.
On day 2 both nose and flavour less unpleasant, hence the improved score. May try decanting next time.

10/29/2011 - tacman wrote:

This absolutely rocked ... tannins ever-present but soft and beautifully balanced, with dark prunes/plums and gentle spices.
Worked beautifully with the incredilby clever food being put out in front of us in this private dining experience.

6/19/2011 - tacman wrote:

Serious potential ... tasted out of the cellar/bottle and then drank with dinner 3 hours later, and the wine clearly opened up more with each passing minute. Gobs of dark dark berry with some bacon fat and just the right amount of smokiness. Tannins there, but balanced.

6/19/2011 - tacman wrote:

Almost cloying sweet ... someone thought it has some RS, I just thought it had too much port-like overtones.
Blinded, I would have called this just about anything but a Cali cab ... almost Aussie-like in its extraction.

6/18/2011 - tacman wrote:

Crisp, acidic, apple and some lemon peel ... none of the bready characteristics I enjoy. Short on flavour and finsih.

6/4/2011 - tacman wrote:

Dark in color, rich in nose with some dark brambly fruit.
The syrah gives off some spice and white pepper, reminsicent of a No. Rhone; the Petite Syrah giving some tannins and chocolate.
Big but balanced ... a great wine!

1/29/2011 - tacman wrote:

I have not tried the "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" but shared this with 3 people who have ... they liked this better!
Decanted for 3 hours ... rich, soft tannins, chocolate with a hint of anise.
Wish the other 25 people didn't grab the rest ... would have loved a second glass.
Looking forward to the next bottle

12/25/2010 - tacman wrote:

Poured from a 3 litre bottle, this was served against at least 5 Beckstoffer ToKalon cabs (all 2006-2007) and was the unanimous WOTN.
Beautifully balanced, soft tannins, nice chocolate on the mid-palate with dark fruit on the front and a nice dark cherry late finish.

11/29/2010 - tacman wrote:

A beautiful BBQ ribs wine ... stands up to the spice and still carries a great jammy flavour, enough spice to cover the sauce.

11/28/2010 - tacman wrote:

Can't explain why there was nothing there ... not corked, but just blah.
Didn't even finish the last 1/2 btl ... no change the second night and I just poured it down the drain.
Better wines in the cellar screaming to be opened.

11/20/2010 - tacman wrote:

Opened at LTWT during the UT football game, along with many other wines. This was clearly one of the top 3 (along with the '07 Pegau).
Loads of blueberry, soft fruit, gentle oak and vanilla, a hint of leather and all in all a very pretty wine

11/14/2010 - tacman wrote:

Rich milk chocolate poured over blackberries, just enough hint of tannin to provide some structure against a bacon-wrapped filet

11/1/2010 - tacman wrote:

don't hate me because all i can say is that this was a rich, dark, viscous wine that reeked of dark blue/blackberry fruit, was beautifully blended with soft tannins, had a hint of smoke/leather and was outstanding with my grilled/smoked babyback ribs.

10/9/2010 - tacman wrote:

Slightly corked

9/23/2010 - tacman wrote:

Fun to watch cherries popping

9/23/2010 - tacman wrote:

Drank opposite a '96 Salon with most excellent Thai food (with Hollowine, Drycab, Izzy & Kim): beautiful mousse, rich with a nutty almond hint, slightly doughy ... much different than the leaner and citrusy Salon (also incredible ... 95 pts). Both a great match with the Thai food.

8/20/2010 - tacman wrote:

Paired with a parmesan/artichoke dip, this was wonderful. A soft undertone of honey and some almond flavor. Very sexy and voluptuous.

8/20/2010 - tacman wrote:

Very tight and oaky out of the bottle ... decanted and after 2 hours started to soften up a bit. Unfortunately, had to leave at that point, so left 1/2 btl at the wine store. Will need feedback for 2-4 hrs later

8/13/2010 - tacman wrote:

Happy 20th Birthday! (to the wine). Probably at its apex ... don't know that it will get much better. Silky smooth tannin, great fruit (cassis, cherry) and a chocolaty mid-palate. Wonderful 20+ sec finish.

8/14/2010 - tacman wrote:

Since my last tasting, the oakiness is gone, the dark cherry remains, the dark chocolate is there but without any bitterness ... very voluptuous indeed.

7/21/2010 - tacman wrote:

Hard to tell if this was off at first ... almost seemed like a little secondary fermentation.
Let it sit overnight and that went away, but there was just nothing there. Poured 2/3 of the bottle down the drain and popped a competitor.

6/26/2010 - tacman wrote:

see previous ... a killer rose

5/31/2010 - tacman wrote:

a bit thin, lacking the depth that the central coast rhone whites have ...

5/28/2010 - tacman wrote:

Beautiful with a cold potato/corn chowder and with seared scallops.

5/24/2010 - tacman wrote:

dark, dark and juicy ... olive/tapenade and beef blood. rich ... tannins starting to settle but this remains an infant. wait another 1-2 years at least

5/21/2010 - tacman wrote:

A big rose, the Syrah elements really come through up front. Not your summer poolside quaffing Rose, this stood up to bacon cheeseburgers and then a cigar!
Initial nose was reminscent of watermelon, but that blew off and left a great strawberry flavour.

5/8/2010 - tacman wrote:

WOW! Raspberry up front, but lingering tastes of darker fruit that suggest as much syrah as grenache
Had this with meat, with spicy food, and it stood up to all.
Expensive for Rose, but what would you expect from SQN? A treat.

3/15/2010 - tacman wrote:

"This wine is now hitting full stride. Always excellent, this is an example of rising up a point or two in the right setting with the right friends and food. Rich and supple, dark fuits (blueberry/cassis) and a sublime sweetness on the palate." My review from 1 year ago holds true to form ... if anything slightly better! Perhaps a touch more blueberry this time around, still soft/gentle tannins and a lingering finish. Don't know how much better this wine can get.

3/15/2010 - tacman wrote:

consistency is the key here ...

3/14/2010 - tacman wrote:

Dark, inky purple (opaque) in color, with prunes and bloody meat on the nose (but in a good way!).
Loads of bacon fat, prunes/plums in flavour. Very rich and big ... will probably continue to develop over the next 1-2 years.

12/31/2009 - tacman wrote:

Crisp, acidic, and very minerally, with a hint of pineapple and lemon.

12/11/2009 - tacman wrote:

Still youthfull acidity and a steeliness to this 1989, maybe reflective of the late disgorgement ... however, the mid-palate is starting to show some more classic characteristics of older champagnes, with a slightly nutty flavour.

11/28/2009 - tacman wrote:

Starting to soften up a bit, decanted for 6 hours and full of dark earthiness and a rich chocolate finish. The dark cherry tones are still nicely balanced in the middle.

10/22/2009 - tacman wrote:

What a beautiful mouthful of California claret! This really shows off what people talk about in Cali cab-based wines ... bright plummy fruit both on the nose and in the mouth, with a bit of graphite and leather in the mid-palate and a great finish that comes back with darker berries. Much more than I would have expected from 2000. Wish I would have waited 1-2 more years ... well, maybe not.

10/16/2009 - tacman wrote:

Tired after a week of night call ... maybe why I cut the score a couple of points. This has to be one of the better QPR wines out there. Tongue-staining purple, smooth with no bite of tannin, dark plum and leather/smoke. Served with bacon/bleu cheese burgers off the grill ... would go great with just about anything off of the grill

10/2/2009 - tacman wrote:

See previous note ... tremendous consistency now in this wine and great with food!