4/28/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Had this as a pop and pour from a magnum. This was drinking beautifully, and was a crowd favorite. Still plenty of red and black fruit, with smooth tannins, and a long finish. The Saxums that are more heavily Syrah based are usually my favorites, and this was no exception. Sadly, it is my last bottle of the 2012. At least from the magnum, it would have had many more good years left.

4/26/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Beautiful! Still a good amount of red and black fruits, some hints of spice. Smooth, with a long finish.

4/27/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Incredibly soft and smooth. Muted red and black fruits, with a little leather and cocoa, and a long finish. Excellent!

4/25/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Drinking very nicely. Smooth, soft tannins, berry fruit, and did well as a pop and pour.

4/25/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Very complex, as might be expected given the unusual blend, and very tasty! Went down nicely as a pop and pour.

4/21/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Cherry, figs, vanilla, smooth and tasty. 5 years after first trying it, this remains one of my all time favorite Turley Zins.

4/18/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

This wine has aged gracefully, and has definitely benefited greatly from more than a decade in the cellar. The tannins are soft and mellow, there is still some nice red and black fruit, with a smooth and well-balanced finish. This is probably around its peak, but should still have a few good years left.

4/14/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Smooth and well-balanced. Not a lot of fruit when first opened, but over 30 to 60 minutes there were some nice red fruit flavors near the finish.

4/14/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

This wine seems to be improving, from very good to great! This was very enjoyable, with ripe red and black fruit, soft tannins, and well balanced. Very good QPR for a top-end Napa Cab / Bourdeaux blend.

4/14/2024 - sonodoc wrote:

Very enjoyable, very nice nose. Paired very nicely with a pasta bolognese.

4/12/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

An awesome wine! Even as a pop and pour this wine was subtle and elegant, while still rich, powerful, and flavorful. I can see why Jeb Dunnuck gave this 100 points; red wines really don’t get much better than this!

4/12/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

As always, the Buccella Cabernets are big opulent Napa Cabs. Dark and rich, with plenty of red and black fruit, cocoa, cassis, and oak, I thought that for me the taste was a little overpowered by charred oak and could use more time in the bottle, however of the four of us, the two women preferred this wine over the more subtle but stunning 2018 Schrader CCS.

3/29/2024 - sonodoc wrote:

Fabulous again! Was delicious but not overpowering, so was able to have as a pop and pour at a local restaurant with a pan-seared snapper. Opened up nicely through dinner.

3/25/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Loved this just as much as almost 2 years ago. Plenty of dark fruits, super silky smooth with soft tannins. Superb!

3/24/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

No change from January. This wine is dark, rich, flavorful, and fabulous.

3/22/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Stunning! I can absolutely see why this got 100 points from The Wine Advocate. Dark purple red color, with a fragrant nose. dark red and black fruits, with lots of flavor,while still being incredibly smooth almost understated and sublime. Even as a pop and pour with aeration in the glass this wine shone brightly, without being overpowering. While expensive, this wine stands with any others that I have had at and above its price range.

3/24/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

This was excellent again, but it got beat out by the 2021 Myriad Rarefied Air that we had first.

3/23/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Smooth and flavorful. Had as a pop and pour, with aeration in the glass. Dark red and black fruits, soft tannins. Remains a crowd pleaser, and for high-end Napa Cabs, a good QPR nowadays.

3/23/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Bright cherry, blueberry. A little acidic and sharp, but very enjoyable.

3/16/2024 - sonodoc wrote:

Red berries, medium tannins. Pleasant, but nothing special.

3/8/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

I can see why this got 100 points from James Suckling! Dark purple color, thick and rich intense red and black fruit flavors. Smooth and flavorful, this was fabulous even as a pop and pour.

3/8/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Big dark and rich, flavorful mix of red and black fruit. Very enjoyable. I find the Buccella Cabs to be consistently good each year, and as mentioned before, the bottle is incredibly heavy, feeling as heavy empty as some bottles feel when full.

2/22/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Simple, smooth, elegant. Well balanced. Had as a PNP. Nothing especially exciting but very pleasant and enjoyable.

2/22/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Bright red and especially blue fruits, with a burst or flash of intense flavor that had a different character to many other Saxum wines, perhaps due to a higher acidity. Had as a pop and pour, very enjoyable.

2/15/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Fabulous! I was worried that I might be trying this too early, but my fears were misplaced. This was very fruity, with plenty of red and blue fruits, very smooth, with soft and supple tannins. This was not a thick dense or chewy Cab, just very flavorful, which was good for me tonight as I was able to pair it successfully without overpowering a barramundi dish with salsa, while my wife had a better pairing for it with a wild mushroom ravioli.

2/11/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Dark purple color, with thick velvety texture, very smooth, with lots of red and black fruit, and firm but supple tannins. Drinking beautifully now, and will likely continue to do so for many years.

2/6/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Beautifully smooth, plenty of red and black fruit, long finish. Was very similar to a 2019 Schrader LPV that we were drinking at the same time.

1/20/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

I should have read the reviews on here before I opened this! I had this as a pop and pour, having taken it to a local restaurant to go with beef bourguignon. This wine was almost overpowering, with intense flavors that I would normally love, but they seemed just a little too harsh or astringent or tannic (or all of them). I suspect a nice long decant would have taken care of it, and a couple more years in the bottle should also help. I usually love my Napa Cabs bold and intense, but this was just a little too much.
What a difference a day makes! After being overnight in the bottle (half empty but with a cork), this wine was so much better! More well integrated and balanced, with a loss of the harshness and loads of fruit. At least a 94 on Day 2.

1/19/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Smooth and easy drinking. Lots of red and black fruits, with medium tannins. Stood up well to the 2014 Continuum that we had first.

1/19/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Nice nose, and plenty of fruit on the palate. Firm tannins, but softened, so should continue to age well. Smooth with a long finish,

1/13/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Rich bold fruit flavors! Smooth and well-balanced. I can see why Justin Smith thought that this might have been his best Bone Rock ever!

12/25/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Aging beautifully. Had as a pop and pour from a magnum. Still plenty of dark fruit, a little spice, soft tannins, and a long finish. One of favorite Saxum wines; I hate that they aren’t making it any more.

12/23/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

This was like a completely different wine than the one I had a few months ago. While still a very nice Napa Cab, I didn’t taste the spices and the more intense fruit flavors from my previous bottle. I had thought my last bottle was one of the best wines I had ever had, while this was a more run of the mill expensive Napa Cab. Not sure why there was such a difference, although I got this bottle direct from the winery while the other was from a store.

12/21/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Absolutely a very good wine, but somehow this disappointied me a little tonight. Had this as a pop and pour (perhaps my mistake, although I am usually fine with my Saxum wines this way), and while I usually get enough Broken Stones to make this my every day Saxum, and the more Syrah based Saxon’s are usually my favorites, for some reason tonight I found this lacking in the usual wow factor for Saxum wines. Plenty of blue and black fruits, pretty smooth, but something just didn’t click with this tonight for me. Still very good, just not the great I am used to with Broken Stones. Maybe just a phase, or a bottle that was slightly off.

12/21/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Fabulous wine. Had this as a pop and pour after taking it to a local restaurant. Plenty of ripe fruit, but not overbearing or a fruit bomb. Beautifully smooth, well balanced, and soft tannins. They don’t get too much better than this: wish I had more of it!

12/14/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Had this as a pop and pour after a 2019 Scarecrow. On my first tastes I thought this was as good as or better than the Scarecrow, but as a little time went on I realized that it did not quite keep up with the Scarecrow. With berry fruits and a smooth long finish, there was a hint of sourness or acidity in the finish that I might not have noticed except in comparison to the previous wine. But still very nice, even if a little ridiculously priced.

12/14/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

I can understand the 100 points from Robert Parker. This wine is incredibly smooth and well balanced, with a long finish. Subtle fruit flavors and soft tannins. Perhaps lacks the Wow factor of flavor intensities, but otherwise wine doesn’t get much better than this.

12/8/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Fabulous! Another outstanding SQN Grenache. Luscious red fruits, not overpowering but beautifully balanced and smooth.

12/2/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

I can’t say that I loved this as much as the bottle I had last year, but it was still a very nice wine. Lots of red and blue fruit, long finish, with a hint of rubber tire.

12/1/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Plenty of red and black fruits, but subtle, not a fruit bomb, with hints of spice. Very smooth, with a very long finish. The tannins are noticeable and dusty but soft, giving this aging potential, and to my tastes I would expect might peak in another 3 to 7 years, but last for many more years after that. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petite Sirah.

10/13/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

While this was an excellent wine, like all the SQN wines that I have had so far, I was surprised that I had enjoyed the 2019 Sine Qua Non Grenache Distenta I more than this one.

9/9/2023 - sonodoc wrote:

While this was still a nice wine, I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as I was hoping to. Perhaps the wine was starting to show signs of being cooked. I ordered 3 bottles of this on September 1st, figuring that it would be shipped once the weather got cooler. I was shocked when I got an email a few days later that the wine was on its way, since the eastern part of the country was in the midst of a heat wave, but thought that maybe it would be OK since the email stated that “given high temperatures in many parts of the country, most wine will be shipped in styrofoam shippers with cold packs to ensure your wine arrives in peak condition“. My wine arrived in a cardboard box with cardboard inserts, with no cold pack, and felt very warm to the touch, not surprising since it was 97 degrees out when it arrived. When I wrote to Rubicon complaining about them sending the wine in a heat wave and not having shipped it properly, I got back a reply that they were not responsible for weather related problems during shipping, which I thought was irresponsible on their part given when they had chosen to ship it. So rather than letting it sit and age, I drank up all 3 bottles I had ordered within a few days. It was OK, but not great.

10/24/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Great Napa Cab! Had this as a pop and pour, and it did just fine! Plenty of fruit, smooth.

10/14/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Smooth, flavorful, dark and rich, very nice Held up well to the 2019 Eliza’s Red we had jus finished.

10/13/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Very flavorful and enjoyable, even as a pop and pour!

10/8/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Not much change from my previous note. Very nice, flavorful, and smooth.

10/6/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Smooth, bold, flavorful, an excellent Napa Cab. Had this as a pop and pour, and while it might improve with a decant, I loved it just as is.

10/1/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Fabulous! Incredibly smooth and silky, with raspberry and blueberry flavors (and many more) . I was planning to save some to revisit tomorrow night, but this just went down too easy.

9/29/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

A little red fruit, a little leather, and smooth.

9/29/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine:

Black fruits, silky smooth, nicely balanced. Very nice!