5/27/2011 - O>-< wrote:

This is Powell's version of a big Barossa fruit bomb. The '01 and '02 are classic IMO. The '04? Not so much - at least not from this bottle. Standard dark, dark purple with ample, delicious blackberry and pepper on both the nose and the palate, but this seemed very one-dimensional, I miss the creaminess of my favorite Factors, and this had too much heat on the finish for my taste. Not a bad pairing with whiskey pulled pork, but all-in-all, this fell well short of my high expectations for Torbreck.

5/19/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Dark crimson color and a fairly herbal nose with supporting dark red fruit aromas. Black cherry and blackberry on the palate, more minerality than I've experienced with any other American Syrah, and a long, spicy finish. Put me in the mind of a young La Landonne, if not quite as complex. Still, really impressive wine that's still showing some youth at age 10. Borderline classic for me.

4/17/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Slow-O'd for six hours before pouring, and enjoyed over the next three hours. Still youthful in appearance, with a dark ruby color (maybe a hint of crimson) and no bricking at all. This is not closed by any means, but the palate is still dominated by sweet, elegant red fruits, some star anise, and smooth but noticeable tannins on the finish. With aeration, a welcome note of leather joins in, but the fruit is still front and center. Polished, pure and delicious, if a bit simple for my taste and expectations of Fuligni. A very bright future ahead for this gracefully aging charmer.

4/17/2011 - O>-< wrote:

I'm beginning a tradition of opening the newest Extended Barrel Aged SQN each spring, so I've made some comparisons to the 2005 17th Nail, my personal WOTY last year. Dark purple/black (darker than I recall the 2005). Straight out of the bottle, it had mind-blowing caramel and dark fruit aromas and a smooth, modern palate of slippery blackberry cobbler. With aeration, it showed a much more sauvage nose, with plenty of barnyard, iron, and roasted meat aromas. The palate exhibited at least as much coffee and pepper as bright blackberry and cassis, and a fairly long but very clean finish. Those who prefer Manfred's characteristic explosive, fruity nose and polished, layered fruit on the palate may prefer the 2005 17th Nail, whereas those seeking a more Cote-Rotie-like character with less overt fruit and more secondary and tertiary elements (especially sauvage notes) will likely prefer the 2006 A Shot in the Dark. As such, the 2006 seems a bit more 'evolved' than the 2005 did last year. Going beyond stylistic preferences (as far as I'm able), I'd say the 2005 is a smidge better, but that's really splitting hairs. I'd put both in the 98-100 range.

2/16/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Amber/copper color, with plenty of apricot, honey, and clove on the nose. I love bot-babies with a syrupy texture and weight, but this was a touch heavy for me. Intense flavors of honey and apricot, with a long, notable finish of bitter apricot peel. As much as I enjoy these Mr. Ks, I have the opposite opinion as Parker, as I've enjoyed the 'To the Rescue' and Atlantis VdPs more. Impressive wine, but shy of classic for me. Perhaps more complexity will develop in time.

2/14/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Double-decanted (for traveling) in the 1.5-2 hour range, and enjoyed over the next 3 hours. Upon first opening, the nose seemed unexpectedly reticent for a SQN Syrah, but it opened up rapidly. Typical opaque purple/ruby color. Not as powerful on the nose as Atlantis, but more effusive than Poker Face or Raven, and so beguiling with sweet spices and coffee bean, with blackberry pie and spring flowers in the background. Mmmm. The palate centers on blueberry and blackberry, supported by a certain doughiness and a hint of coffee, with sweet spices and mild white pepper on the finish. Typical lithe, slippery texture. Later evolution added some sour cherry and caramel aspects. Really fun and intriguing to drink. On the positive side of borderline classic for me, with room for improvement for such a young wine.

What consistently distinguishes SQN for me is the nose, and this vintage really delivers beautiful, exotic aromas.

1/28/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Deep golden color and a moderate nose of toast and spice - surprisingly not much fruit. The palate is rich and full-bodied with lots of toast and butter, as well as rich pear and melon - very smooth. Medium long finish. While this is clearly well-made, it lacks some freshness and elegance to my mind, and considering how much I enjoy Chasseur's Pinots, this did not quite measure up. I'd describe it as a bit shy of outstanding, but if you dig rich, pure, velvety Chards with substantial oak, you may rate it higher than I.

1/16/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Surprisingly elegant, fresh, and delicate on both the nose and the palate. Charming aromas of cherry and blackberry, as well as star anise and a floral element, pairing admirably with the salad with fresh raspberries. With aeration it seemed more plush but always maintained a dancer’s physique. Will hold next for several years, but this was very enjoyable already.

1/16/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Dark purple color and most effusive nose of the evening with sweet honeysuckle, berries and spice; palate was deep and pure with dark fruits, a hint of buttered toffee, and a long, polished finish with plenty of acidic lift. Not enough complexity to merit a classic score, and having had this wine a few times now, I believe that Parker over-rated it – recognizable as SQN from the aromatic verve and polished tannins, but not on the same level as my favorite SQNs.

1/9/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Ruby/garnet color - fairly transparent. Medium nose of cherry and warm spices. Palate is much more in the cherry and cranberry realm (unlike Kosta Browne's blackberry and raspberry). Medium long finish with a touch of heat. Outstanding, IMO.

1/8/2011 - O>-< wrote:

Pretty bright ruby, almost cherry red. Nice nose of cherries, leather, and star anise. Palate is well-balanced and refreshing, with delightful cherry flavors, good typicity, and harmonious tannins, but a bit short in complexity IMO. Still outstanding.

12/19/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Vibrant - color, aroma, and palate! Dark, extracted color, effusive nose of briar berries, and a juicy palate of cherry, blackberry, and red raspberry. I get a hint of coffee and pepper on the finish, but this wine is really about the fruit. Remarkably food-friendly, especially considering the 16.1% alcohol, though there is a touch of heat on the finish. Really, really good, and has plenty of life ahead, but I say, "Why wait? Drink now."

12/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Golden/copper already at 5 yrs old. Decent aromas of apricot, honey, and faint spring flowers, but the real impact is on the palate: wow! Layers of vibrant tangerine, peach, apricot, buttery pineapple, and honey - just fantastic! Absolutely nervy acidity allied to full-bodied weight and depth, creating a wine that shows wide-eyed exuberance. Better than the '05 Straw Man I had earlier this year, IMO. Beyond my already high expectation. Bravo!

12/13/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Dark ruby/crimson color; fairly extracted. Nose shows lots of cherry and a touch of smoke. The palate leads off with cherry and plum, but there's a grilled steak aspect to the mid-palate, with a medium-long finish and fairly grippy tannins. Suckling described this as having silky tannins; I find them a bit more fibrous and austere than 'silky.' This is my first taste of any La Rasina, and from this one sample I'd put them in the middle of the spectrum of traditional/modern: ripeness/extraction and oak influence seems fairly modern, but the fruit profile and tactile sense seems more traditional. Comparable to a Castelgiocondo, from my experience. Outstanding potential IMO, but just shy of that right now. I'd give it another two years for an official drinking window.

Fwiw, this wine showed a marked difference between a Riedel Brunello glass and a Spiegelau Bordeaux glass. The Riedel tamed the tannins and acidity of the wine significantly and brought out the steak component much more, compared to the Spiegelau.

10/25/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Very dense, dark color, but also already very smooth and 'drinkable' (went down really fast for some tasters). What struck me was the pleasant balance the mild bitterness (rather coffee-like) of the tannins gave to the wine, along with a welcome earthiness on the finish. The opening is all luxurious, black fruit; it's the finish that brings in the interest for me. Well done! Delicious now, but I expect improvement in the short-term. Potentially classic IMO.

10/5/2010 - O>-< wrote:

This wine has such fresh crispness allied to its lean but exciting peach, quince, lime and honey. Not overly sweet, and plenty of zippy acidity. Medium long finish and an ideal match for a summer-fruit dessert. Drink now or hold several years. Excellent!

10/5/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Less than ideal decanting at the mercy of a total ignoramus. This needs a minimum of 3+ hours aeration at this stage; unfortunately it didn't get it. Lots of promise in this tightly-wound youth, but not rated out of respect for the potential that was not allowed to show. :(

10/5/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Nice savory aromas with pleasant but slightly fading blackberry fruit on the palate. Paired well with pork tenderloin, but I enjoyed this wine a bit more when it retained more youthful exuberance. Nice, but not in the same league as The Factor, or The Descendant from this vintage.

9/26/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Much lighter in color (still primarily golden) than the #12 from 2002. Very clean, refreshing apricot and honey, not as viscous as many Krachers (including the #12), but a nice appearance of that apricot skin that I often find in good Sauternes. Delightful. I plan to hide the rest of these from myself for at least 2-3 years (it's the only way to keep me from drinking them!), as this is one of the few Krachers I've had that actually seemed 'young' to me.

9/15/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Syrah definitely dominates the character of this wine. A really big wine that carries its 16.3% alcohol remarkably well and exhibits lots of deep, dark fruits, a hint of licorice, and mild pepperiness on the finish, and a degree of minerality throughout that keeps it from getting plump. Big and impressive, but not wildly aromatic or complex. Definitely outstanding.

9/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Really impressive for it's chameleon-like development in the glass. It started out very focused on both the nose and the palate, with a very assertive red fruit character and just a bit of minerality to it. It later went through various stages of showing some spice and incense on the nose, and the palate adapted admirably to various foods. I still see this as a very young wine, and I'd expect it to be healthy and rewarding in another three years or more.

9/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

I've had plenty of Vin Santo in the past, but never anything like this. Dark brown color with burnt sugar, coffee, and a faint sauvage note on the nose. Lots of fig and toffee on the palate, with a reappearance of coffee and something wild on the finish. Truly a unique experience for me. The best way I could describe it would be to take an Aussie Rare Muscat, decrease the alcoholic burn, and trade in the maple syrup/caramel for a background briary note. My only bottle; it was great to share it with wonderful people who enjoyed it so much.

9/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Opened, poured about 3 oz. to get the top level into the shoulders, and gave it an hour+, as advised. This took over two hours to open, and even then the nose was fairly reticent with just hints of cherry and leather, and the color was as dark as the SQN Atlantis Syrah next to it, but with a brick-ish color at the rim instead of a purple glow. The palate was rich but reserved with dark cherry, and the midpalate and finish added that classic combination of star anise and refined tannins that I associate with the best BdMs. I had intended to serve this first and then follow it with the SQN Syrah, but because of the slow-development of the BdM, I brought out the SQN at about the same time and encouraged people to follow them through their evolutions in the glass, and I think this suffered in the comparison, though I think I enjoyed this more than my dinner-mates.

9/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Gave this a five-hour decant, and it seemed just about right. I wish I could capture the aromatic explosiveness of this wine when it's first opened to share with tasters, but the combination of acid and alcohol on the palate is searing at that point. When we finally tasted together, the aroma was much more elegant, with notable blackberry and raspberry and a gorgeous floral element, as well as a subtle caramel note with further aeration. The berry profile is mirrored on the palate, with a just a hint of grilled meat and white pepper, and a long aftertaste of red fruits and minerals that keep this tidy. Many folks commented that it was equally enjoyable alone or with the grilled steaks, wrapped in bacon, and I got a clear impression that it was the favorite wine that night. My third bottle of this, and clearly the best one yet. 2005 remains my favorite year from SQN so far; everything from that vintage (the white "The Petition," the reds - especially the 17th Nail, the Mr. Ks, and the Atlantis sweeties - especially the wonderfully unique Grenache VdP) has been wonderful and memorable. (I admittedly have not had the Rose from this vintage.)

9/6/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Lots of spicy botrytis on the and palate. Still fairly tart and refreshing, with plenty of quince on the mid-palate, followed by a touch of bitterness on the long finish. Really outstanding, but I honestly don't see this ever reaching the classic quality of the '95. I hope I'm wrong, as I've got plenty of it to drink. Stelvin closure; on the slow-track in aging. The '02 and '03 are better drinking now, IMHO.

9/6/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Still very youthful. Dark garnet color, some very pleasant rose and earth aromas, and a serious, dark berry and mineral palate. Moderately long finish. Required over 3 hours in a decanter for tannins to be manageable. While wonderful now, I will wait at least another 2+ years to open another.

9/6/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Still very youthful. Not so aromatic, but focused berry and cranberry flavors. With significant aeration, got a little mushroom. Very concentrated and focused. I think this wine's best days are still ahead.

8/29/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Still pretty youthful in appearance. Not very active in aroma, but the palate is wonderful with subdued red fruits, sweet baking spices, and mint! Deep but refreshing. Needed 1 1/2+ hours to shed some drying tannins. No rush to drink IMO.

8/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

This was the fourth bottle of this I've tasted (all of them classics!), and I am forever in love with this wine. Unimaginable coexistence of uber-juiciness and sweetness on a highly viscous palate of peach, apricot, tangerine, honey, and clove. Paired decadently with a fresh-from-the-oven strawberry and dark-chocolate pastry. It's just so refreshing!

8/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

First taste showed lots of spicy oak, but that quickly melded with a really nice tropical fruit profile (mango, banana, citrus), which took on a honeyed character with the grilled pork shoulder. While Kongsgaard seems to be most highly regaarded ;) for their Chards, I'm finding that I enjoy this wine just about as much. Clearly outstanding.

8/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Opened a second bottle of this last night with grilled pork shoulder. While it paired wonderfully with the meat (including a fantastic lemon, lime, and epazote sauce), this bottle wasn't nearly as spectacular as the first (rated that 96+). Still red-fruit dominated, very smooth, and admirable depth, but I didn't get as much aromatic fireworks or complexity, and the finish was notably shorter than the first bottle. I'd still call it 'outstanding'; just not as 'wow' as the first. Withholding a score, due to less-than-ideal decanting and my belief that this was a slightly 'off' bottle. The '05 Atlantis fe Grenache remains my favorite SQN Grenache from the regular, non-extended aging series.

8/16/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Ironically, this looked younger than my previous bottle, tasted over three years ago. As always, a nice transparence to this wine, but not much bricking - still rather youthful in appearance. I'm always amazed how at firts this wine seems like a moderate, pleasant, cherry-flavored, sipping red - like a decent Barbera. Three hours later, this transforms into a sophisticated, aristocratic dream of a Barbaresco, with refreshing red fruits, but backed up by tobacco, leather, and truffles. A chameleon with the right food, and a delight no matter how it's consumed. Once again: Bravo, Giacosa!

8/16/2010 - O>-< wrote:

I am a huge fan of 'Pax' wine's Syrahs, so I was excited to try what is essentially a late-bottled Syrah blend from material that was left-over from the split between Mahle and Donelan. All I can say is, "Don't drink this now, and hope that it improves." The initial "sniffy-sniff" actually burnt my nose (my GF literally reacted in pain). The initial taste also has an intense burn which seems to be both from alcohol and acid. The wine was left to aerate and tasted for over four hours without any real improvement: always hot, disjointed, and really unpleasant. Thank God for a short finish! I'm hoping that this was just an off bottle, but I'm almost afraid to try again to find out. Not rated - at best an off bottle. :(

6/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

LOTS of barnyard when first opened. With 2 1/2 hours in the shoulders, the bretty aromas had dissipated a great deal. Barely a hint of age; still basically ruby. A bit austere in the nose, with hints of cherry and animal fur. The palate impression is fairly vertical and reserved, lots of spicy earth, dark-dark cherry fruit, and a hint of anise, with fine but noticeable tannins on the finish. More structure than fruit. This is still young, but with aeration is approachable. Cries out for a fatty steak. I will wait at least another 2 years to open my next.

6/17/2010 - O>-< wrote:

2nd bottle. Decanted (3/4 of bottle) for 2 hours, in-glass for another 3 hours; 1/4 of bottle was left in bottle, resealed, and consumed over the next 2 days. Dark purple color and typically effusive nose of blackberries and sweet spices. The palate is full, round, and smooth. Well-integrated flavors of blackberry, plum, sweet dough, and a mild pepperiness on the finish. The following days revealed more floral aromas, and the palate added a honey-bacon element, and remained in balance for the duration. Impressive now, but I'm certain that this wine's best days are still a good 2+ years out. Far better than the first bottle (about a year ago), and nearly as good as the Atlantis Syrah.

5/25/2010 - O>-< wrote:

After reading the notes from Wine Spectator's 2009 NYWE Celebrity Chef Food-and-Wine Pairing, I sought out this wine, and now I'm glad I did. Concentrated but nowhere near opaque ruby color. The nose showed fantastic, sweet, brambly fruit and char, which were reflected on the palate. Plenty of wild raspberry and blueberry fruit, delicious sweet spices, toast, and a long, saturating finish. Zin-haters might be put-off by the sweet palate and presence of some heat, but I loved it, and it was perfect for burgers and chicken breasts grilled over lump mesquite charcoal. As Lagasse said at the above-mentioned tasting, “Is that Zin not smoking, or what?!” I agree completely. This is an archetypical old-vine Zin.

5/2/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Still dark, opaque purple color. VERY aromatic; my GF actually said, "This literally smells like perfume!" On the palate, this is still all about the fruit, with rich, pure blackberry supported by mild vanilla oak, but there's actually some bitter tar on the finish, which I often enjoy, but this seemed somehow antithetical to the sweet fruit of the opening. Amazing concentration that carries its 15.2% alcohol well. I say drink now; it showed a pretty steep decline after being open a few hours. Still really nice, maybe 92-3 range, with lots of credit for the amazing nose and delicious fruit.

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Glowing golden color with lots of lemon-butter on the nose. Rich palate of ripe pear and melon, kissed amorously by oak, and a very long finish. Quite a contrast to the Chablis! This clearly has better days ahead, but I still quite liked this now. Didn’t pair well with the Halibut, but it was passable with the carrot and spring pea sauce, and it was even better by itself.

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Dark ruby almost purple hue for a PN. Effusive nose of black raspberry and cherries, as well as a subtle floral note. Still very young and exuberant (even after being decanted for over 2+ hours) with lots of primary fruit on the palate. I wasn’t crazy about the choice of food for pairing, but this wine actually held up to the duck.

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Medium ruby color, with a lovely nose of red fruit and spices. 100% Grenache, and it smelled like it. This still seems young to me, with very pure, primary fruit but it was very enjoyable, with a clean, fairly long finish. Others seemed to enjoy it even more than I did. Outstanding, with lots of upside.

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Bright golden in color, with an intense spiced apricot nose. Very intense, full-bodied, and primary, but oh-so-delicious. Better than a bottle of ’01 I tried recently IMO.

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Early coppering color. Lots of botrytis character, but not overly sweet – not as similar to an Eszencia as I expected. Very bright acidity to balance the sugar, and it actually had a light footprint on the palate. Borderline classic (more complexity would raise my opinion)

4/26/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Dark, opaque root beer color, and a nose that reveals its fortified history – apparently there’s 60+ year-old material in this bottle. Lots of raisin, coffee, toffee, and a mild nuttiness, but there’s still a beam of red fruit that runs through this. Very sweet, very full-bodied, and a touch of heat. Loved it. Classic

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Ruby/black color and a serious, terroir-driven nose that reminded me of black truffles and burning embers. The palate was much more balanced, with an incredible core of black fruit and smoked meats, and a long finish with more meat and pepper. Really, this had such depth and seriousness, one could easily get lost in contemplation in this wine. Long, long, penetrating finish that could be detected minutes after the last sip. Easily classic and WOTN for me.

4/24/2010 - O>-< wrote:

At the event: Ruby/purple color, with a typically effusive nose of black fruits and a floral note. Lots of showy cassis and blackberry on the palate, but still wound-up pretty tight, with a presence of heat that I didn’t notice in a previous bottle. A nice finish with plenty of pepperiness, but again shy of previous bottles. 94+ AFTER THE EVENT: Poured the left-over amount (?!) and found the smoother texture, more complex, longer finish wine (without the heat) that I’ve come to associate with SQN. This wine needs a bare minimum of 2 hours of air (at least at Denver's elevation). I still enjoyed what we tasted at the restaurant, but it’s clear that we tasted it during its ascent, not at its apex… which can also be said for the wine in its long-term evolution – it’s still a really young wine! 96

4/19/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Nice ruby/garnet color, not showing much age visually. Good typicity on nose, with an aroma I've come to associate more with 'Pinot Noir' than any other fruit descriptor, as well as a faint wet mushroom aroma - nice! The cherry fruit has faded a bit, and forest and cola are now at least equal on the palate. I would definitely recommend drinking now; it may hold on, but I don't see it improving. I seemed to enjoy this more than others at the dinner, and I'd put it in the 92 range.

4/19/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Fairly cloudy and lots of green tinge. This somehow manages to be both full-bodied and incredibly refreshing (a word that was repeated by several tasters). Mildly lemon/citrus nose with a pleasant spring flower aspect as well. Pure and deep on the palate, with lemon and pineapple at the core, and a long, crisp finish – not at all buttery. Just oh-so-delicious. Borderline classic, and a notch above the ’04 Marcassin Three Sisters.

4/19/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Starting to develop some orange/copper color, but still more in the realm of a deep honey gold. Smelled like a rich apple/spice cider, with honey and quince. The palate is not OTT sweet and reveals the 15% sugar vs. 12.5% alcohol – almost vertical and aristocratic in its palate impression. More spiced-apricot/botrytis on the palate than the nose reveals, along with golden-delicious apple, honey, and more minerality than I’ve ever experienced in a bot-baby. The apple flavor actually had a sherry-like aspect that reminded me of a 1990 Krug Champagne, with a dash of chalk thrown in for good measure. If ever a dessert wine could be called ‘balanced,’ this is it.

4/19/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Very dark red w/ a purple hue. Effusive aromas of red fruits and spices (particularly a sweet star anise note). Full-bodied and luxurious on the palate, with lots of red raspberry, cherry, and other red fruits which a musician-friend described as “a forte-piano and crescendo with a long climax,” followed by a long finish with gentle baking spices. Whereas the ’05 17th Nail was much more complex and exotic, this was purer and more straightforward, much like the ’02 Les Amis, but with more vibrancy at its peak from an acidic lift. Well into classic territory, but a step behind 17th Nail in my estimation.

2/21/2010 - O>-< wrote:

Pulled the cork and let it slowly aerate for four hours, then gently poured into a smallish decanter for another hour. Dark, dark ruby-black in color. The volcanic soil is immediately obvious on the nose. It literally smells like burning embers and cherry cobbler - loved it! Still rather taut and reserved on the palate, but the dark, brooding cherry and mulberry is wonderful IMO. Fairly tannic finish with lots of minerality and earth, but the tannins are very fine - not at all harsh or chunky. Very similar in profile to the '99, but there is greater weight and depth to the palate. I enjoyed this more than the others at the tasting. ~96 for me with lots of upside to this wine that should age gracefully for decades.