Tasting in Miami (Ken's Castle): Opened and let is slo-O for an hour, then consumed over the next 2 hours. This wine was still improving throughout the consumption so drink or hold (it was also very good from the get-go).
Nose and palate showed plenty black and blue fruit with some spoked meat and hints of black pepper and spice. Solid 95.
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I took a page out of Burgundy Al's Super Bowl playbook! I shipped this mag (that I held from release) down to our special gathering spot for great friends to enjoy over the game. Add in a little hocus pocus drama and, voila! We enjoyed it in the fading light of day for postmortem the following day instead! Just a massive wine, black fruit, dense, extracted. Incredibly long and remarkable lingering finish. While it will never be my personal first choice in the draft, it is everything that you know SQN Syrah's to be, and that is a majestic thing. Highly recommend many hours in multiple decanters (esp. in larger formats). Memorable, and for that I am grateful!
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The Return to the Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): It’s been 11 years since we had this last ( Papies 92) and was a joy to cross paths with it albeit this is one of the less elegant SQNs . Punchy rich, big wine, lots of substance but unlike others we have had from them also felt a bit heavy and lacked that elevated harmony we so treasure from SQNs. Proper wine for sure and a good 93
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Rich, delicious, blackberry/blueberry fruit with oaky flavors, excellent structure, forward in the palate, a little short on the finish, velvety texture
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Take your time! This puppy needs a couple hours to really show it's brilliance. Blue fruit all over this thing, blueberry, jammy characteristics on the mouth. Gamey turkey leg nose. Like nothing I have ever tried before, very special bottle. This was my first SQN, so excited to see how the other's stack up against this one. Very good, just wish I didn't have a full glass right away
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Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry, blueberry, gamey meat, licorice and spice. Black and blue fruit, gamey meat, licorice, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Waves of flavor with a very long finish. Full bodied. Aged beautifully. Served with hickory smoked beef brisket.
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Still a big wine, but somewhat tamed by age. Blackberry, smoked meat, hot stone, black licorice, olive. Tasted over two nights, first night PnP. Slightly less intense night#2, but otherwise consistent notes.
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SQN Dinner (Jordan's Place - Chicago IL): Another great bottle of this wine, that I find even more thrilling than stamp collecting. Powerful and just perfectly composed.
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Home dinner with Jacob’s and GA Mole filet mignon and poblano non dairy soup Decanted for 5 hrs Big well rounded, new world all the way Dark fruits very youthful in a very good spot No rush Great pairing with the poblano mole and filet mignon
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Kiawah 2022; 8/6/2022-8/13/2022: Surprisingly more meaty and funky than the 07 Saxum Booker. Cranberry, black cherry cola, lavender, licorice and Asian/Indian spices. Good. Unique. Not my favorite SQN, but still amazing. Drink now for me, but not going anywhere, should hold for several years minimum.
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Dark purple, lavender, cedar, baking spices and herbs on the nose. Tastes young, fruit forward, deep, rich, cherry cola, candy apple and some subtle tar and earth on the finish
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A big wine was required to get me through a weekend of being a dance mom and this SQN did the trick. I decanted it for a few hours and then portioned it in 4oz bottles which I drank throughout the weekend. I agree with other reviewers that this was a bit too young, but oh it was so good. My best glass was the one left open in the room for about 6 hours. It was full of black fruits, raspberry puree, some spice, so smooth. Big bold flavor needed to cut through the chaos of dance competition weekend!!
This wine remains massive and young, and frankly a bit too much for my taste. Maybe it simmers down in 20 years? Those who prefer wines "turned up to 11" will go gaga for this.
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Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. This continues to be one of my favorite SQNs. Intense black fruit, powerful and fresh, nicely accompanied by nearly sweet spice. Very good depth, length and balance, with just enough structure ever-present but in the near background.
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Just incredible. Opened and just let it sit for an hour before indulging. Dusty and a bit green at first open - but within 30 min, everything was humming. It was a sweet black fruit with the spicy backbone I was expecting. It much more upside, but oh such a great place now. Ends a bit abruptly and finish could be longer, but such a nice example of good CA central coast Syrah.
Warning - started to flatten about two or three hours in.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, currants and plums. Flavors of currants, plums and black berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or continue to hold.
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4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag: Blind. Dark color with notes of dill and ripe black fruit. Black fruit and peppery spice on the palate. Full-bodied with a bit of tannin to shed. As it sits, more and more black fruit comes forward. Easy to pick out as syrah, and easier still as our SQN. Again, quite surprised to find this in the first flight.
This had been decanted for six hours prior to going in in bottle for and hour+ before the flight was poured. Still rather primary. Hold or decant 10+ hours.
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Popped and poured for dinner last nite in Copake with the family. Inky black in color, nose of blackberries and leather. Big bodied, sweet fruit, very peppery, and on the hot side. That said, I would not call this wine a 'fruit bomb' per se given that its elements were balanced--yes, lots of sweet fruit, but good acidity level, good concentration along with lots of alcohol, and the wine was not over-the-top in any way. There's gobs of black and blue fruit here, and a bit spicy. Excellent, complex length. Not my usual cup of tea but I appreciate that this is a well-made, if crazy priced wine.
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Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, huckleberry, gamey meat, espresso and spice. Blackberry, huckleberry, black plum, gamey meat, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish. Rich and full bodied. Served with Texas style smoked brisket.
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So it was my birthday and I decided it was time to open this bottle. Six hours of slow ox before I tasted it. Dark fruit and tobacco on the nose. The palate was plums, berries, tobacco, red meat, violets and hints of spice. The finish was long an full. Just a great bottle of wine.
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Interesting day, very interesting day. Opening with a fresh, uncomplicated and great Olivier Horiot Champagne Les Riceys. So, by far, the best producer of Beaujolais: Yvon Metras. This 2012 Fleurie Magnum delivered what is expected of it: freshness, balance, wonderful mix of fruits. Then it started to get serious. A bold and mineral with good acidity 2009 Sine Qua Non Syrah The Thrill of and the king of the night, a simply astonishing 2008 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. When I thought the game was over, it was the turn of a perfectly maintained and delicious ex-cellar 1998 Mersault-Charmes 1er Domaine Rougeot. Finally, one of my favorite wine styles: sweet german wines. We drank a refined 2010 St Urbans-Hof Goldtropfchen Piesport Auslese
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Another bottle shared with Mark for our zoom session. It was drinking beautifully and continuously evolving over the time that we had it open (following a 90 min decant—after a 24 FedEx trip). Once again, the time in 8oz bottles did not seem to do much micro oxidixation, and I wish we hard started the ‘real’ decant earlier. The next day it was even more spectacular, the fruit was still very present and mouth filling and there were so many interesting other elements to it—some herbs, meat and spices. Yum.
Another great wine supplied by Jen for this evening......meaty, savory at 90 min...changes over the evening into a little blacker fruit. Great weight in the mouth, silky smooth, no extra baggage dragging it down like so many syrahs seem to have. This is quality made juice.......my first SQN syrah! Thanks, Jen!
Decanted 2 hours prior. Beautiful wine with black color and just an amazing minerallity and depth with a finish of 10-15 minutes. Finishes with a nice spice and touch of leather.
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Served blind. Came across as a thick skinned grape from a warm climate, so guessed new world Syrah. The balance is actually highly impressive considering this is 15.5%. Lots of nice blue and dark fruits. Good spice and pepper. Drinking well with lots of air (and was best on day two I'm told). Drank with BV
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Decanted 6 hours prior to consumption. Pleasant bouquet of black fruits, tar, slight hints of menthol. On the palate the wine was smooth, integrated and balanced. Although it is a great wine - I did find it to be somewhat monolithic and heavy/ dense. Definitely a well made wine but after a glass or two I didn’t want to drink anymore. Nowhere near as compelling as the Atlantis Syrah from 2005. Drink now until 2024
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4 hour decant, just right. Impenetrable, dark, explosive nose of dark fruit, monster wine, focused like a laser, smooth mouthfeel, long, long finish. No secondary notes. Very enjoyable for NYE with dinner.
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SQN & BBQ (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Black cherry and berry with mostly sweet spice, dark chocolate and liqueur hints. Rich start stays big and burly, but wonderful balance comes through middle forward. Very good now, upside from here.
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A Few Wines with BBQ (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Tasted double blind after it was popped-decanted-and-poured. I thought it needed so much more air that it came across as harsh, backward and tightly wound. Better 30 minutes later when re-tasted, but this was oddly nowhere near the level of previous bottles.
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Decanted and served. Singing spectacularly from the start. Intense, focused, concentrated Syrah with delicious sweetness, chewy tannins, long finish. Much more approachable than the glass I had two years ago. There's not a lot of complexity in this vintage but the fruit is just wonderful and it's so well made despite a touch of heat from the alcohol. Very enjoyable.
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One Fun-Filled Afternoon Spent Poolside with Friends (Los Olivos, CA): So dense and concentrated, and while that’s no surprise, I found this as monolithic and unyielding a Sine Qua Non as I’ve had, even when revisited two days later. More blue and black fruit than red, showing a bit green, with the Viognier evident as well. Just too intense. Maybe with time?
Addendum: It took four days for this wine to open. That was anything left from a bottle that usually gets drained the most quickly tells you how inward and shutdown the wine was on Sunday, and no movement Monday or Tuesday. So here we are Wednesday, and there are some very good signs of life: dark blue and black fruit, smoke, and chewy tannins that expand on the finish. Patience required.
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My second time having this and this, which the first time was my first ever SQN. This bottled was just as great as that first experience. Decanted about 3 hours. The original nose off the decant was huge with all blueberries. After three hours poured the first glass and the nose was very similar, with not much complexity and all dark blue fruits. At first taste this was a party on the palate. The fruit was bursting through and it layered the mouth and tongue, which was delicious, and an easy 60-90 second finish. The initial nose was somewhat disappointed but as we drank this over the next 60-90 minutes this really opened up to be much more complex. The party in the mouth also got better and secondary flavors and balance, complexity really come on. The first glass I would have rated a really good to great Syrah, but as the night went on, this turned into a more classic SQN worthy of the praise hype. I am really starting to learn that SQN's really need a couple hours of air to show their best.
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Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry, plum, smoked meat, cocoa powder and spice. Black fruit, cocoa powder, licorice, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Rich and dense. Leads to a very long finish. Full bodied. Served with grilled ribeye steaks and a chimichurri sauce.
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Decanted 7 hours. Helped. Nose of fruit and olives and meat. Very clear this was a big wine. On palate, nice fruit and no heat present. Not as complex as I was hoping for for ‘09 Sine Qua Non. Preferred Grenache from vintage. Went down incredibly well with filet and potatoes.
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Served blind and unmistakably Sine Qua Non. Definitely muscular but more approachable than it’s 2007 sibling. Tannins grip but the extraction and opulence of the fruit is present immediately. Deep medicinal notes of plums, prunes, smoke, glycerin are nicely offset by fresh Notes of strawberry and wild raspberry. Needs 3 hours in the decanter to fully evolve. Drank from a magnum.
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Patience required for this muscular vintage. Decanted two hours, should have been 5-6 as last glass superlative. Rough edges had smoothed, tannins softened, mouthfeel evolved into delightful dance down tongue and throat. Lovely.
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Pop and let sit for 30 minutes, then consume. This is in a nice place right now but probably a bit shy of full maturity. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, some roasted herbs and meat. On the palate, there is an underlying char/smoke with good black raspberry and plum fruit. A nice layering that unwinds more with time in the glass. Lush texture but good acidity to balance it. Long finish. Worked great with my wood fired mushroom pizza.
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This was a real hit, starting with a blockbuster nose and loads of fruit and richness without feeling over the top. I thought it might have been just a notch below some of my favorite vintages, as this syrah did not feel as sublime or effortless and didn't have the level of complexity as some of best Sine Qua Non's I've had. I also do see how some people who might be sensitive to alcohol might have found this wine to be hot. Personally, I did not find the alcohol distracting and overall the wine was unquestionably delicious. Drank this alongside a Colgin IX Red and everyone kept coming back to this wine.
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Had a glass out of Coravin but I think it would benefit from aging and/or decanting. Delicious but still young. Very similar profile to the 2012 Stock but a bit more refined. I'd age both of these.
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PNP to the stem an ultra dark viscous midnight black color. Vivid and assertive nose of black cherry, violets, red licorice, and blackberry paste. Dark fruits on the palate with a hollow mid range and abrupt finish. Minimal lift and acidic structure left in this wine. Quality vinification here but the wine lacks complexity and terroir expression. I understand the fascination of these wines for collectors, but if they reside in your cellar for consumption, it appears the time is now for drinking. I still have a few SQN and Saxum in my cellar that I will work off, but my palate seems to be moving away from these ultra ripe monolithic beasts.
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From my view in a slightly awkward phase of its development and bit tart up front. I do think this will have better integration after a couple of more years in bottle.
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Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): The most full throttle of the SQNs. Huge nose of ripe black fruit, white pepper, black pepper and Asian spices. Intense, extracted and viscous palate. Loads of opulent peppery fruit. Stays fresh, which is a feat of winemaking.
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Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): I would much rather engage in philately than this wine. This is much too sweet and goopy, and there's a sickly sweet Ribena-like quality here. This could seriously use a bit of acid as well. Will this get better with time? Who knows, there isn't much more downside from here...
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Kleur: Diep opaak donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: WOW. Een explosie van aroma's. Zwarte bessen, kersen, vanille en zoethout, donkere kruidigheid. Inkt. Smaak / Afdronk: Na het explosieve aroma is de smaak opvallend rond en zacht, tegelijkertijd extreem geconcentreerd. Veel van alles, maar in een prachtige balans. Verfijnde zachte zuren, boterzachte bijna romige tannines. Dik-sappig en geconcentreerd. Methol en laurier. Indrukwekkend lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Zeer indrukwekkende power-wijn. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 96/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep opaque dark. Aroma / bouquet: WOW. An explosion of flavors. Black currants, cherries, vanilla and liquorice, dark spiciness. Ink Taste / Finish:. After the explosive flavor the taste is strikingly round and soft at the same time extremely concentrated. Much of anything, but in a wonderful balance. Refined soft acidity, butter soft almost creamy tannins. Thick-juicy and concentrated. Methol and laurel. Impressively long finish. General / potential: Very impressive power-wine. 50+ Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14+ Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 96/100
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This bottle was opened at a local restaurant and drank with 30 minutes decanting. It was a deep hue of garnet red and had a nose and flavours of overripe cherries and dark spices. Perhaps it's because of the lack of opening time but I found the wine to be a bit too hot for my liking tonight. It was still good but I've had better bottles.
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Feel like this one is really coming into its own now. Had a number of others over the years that I would have said fell in the bottom quartile of SQN wines, but that is certainly no longer the case. Highly recommend revisiting if you had it a couple years back and weren't thrilled...this pulls in a lot of the balanced greatness of SQN Shiraz; the tar and asphalt of the Australian expression but offset by some of the relative delicacy of Cote Rotie, all coming together.
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Dark, inky purple color with a bouquet and flavor of plum concentrate with hints of vanilla oak and a decided peppery ending. Very good definition with very nice balance, despite the feel of a very big wine. Lingering finish. Another Wow from SQN. If you aren't certain about what Syrah should taste like, or does taste like at its best, try this wine. Much more reliable than many over-hyped and very expensive Rhone wines.
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Decanted a bit over an hour. Aromas of blueberry ganache, raspberry compote, violets, lavender spice. Full-bodied and nicely balanced, with flavors of black, red and blue fruit with a wonderful garrigue-like quality adding complexity. Long finish.
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Opened by Allred at Anvil. Decanted for approximately 1.5 hours prior to dinner. The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. Black and blue fruits on the nose and palate. I was surprised at how soft this was and elegant. Not what I've come to expect from SQN. Still much upside potential here. Thanks Allred. 95+
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Blueberry, espresso, and new fine leather jump from the glass. Rich and concentrated dark ripe fruit flavors with wonderful baking spices and freshness. Creamy and chocolatey, yet balanced and refined. How does he do it? Quite elegant for what it is and very feminine. Special stuff and the reason SQN's get so much buzz.
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Sine Qua Non Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): Black fruit, sweet spice, dark chocolate and cherry liqueur comes cross as a perfectly integrated package with energy and lift on long finish. Very consistent with previous bottles. A personal SQN fav.
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This wine is much too young to drink IMO. That being said, should you decide to open it up now, be sure to give it a good decant. In any case, expect a huge, dense, and rich wine. Lots of intense blackberry fruit, grilled plums, roasted game, pink peppercorns, garrigue, and raw jalapeño. Not sweet and smooth, this wine actually has quite a lot of character that should be more evident with time. Very complex, but know that it's mostly primary fruit at this early stage.
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Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currants, black berries, black raspberries and a hint of roasted meat. Rich flavors of black raspberries, berries an cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
Dark purple in color and very inky, the nose showed blackberry and plums with a hint of chocolate and anise. The palate was fruit forward but not over powering, showing dark berries, dark chocolate with a hint of game and smoke. The tannins are well integrated and smooth and the wine has a long lingering finish.
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Deep purple garnet color, very slight haze, more purple to the rim and opaque. The aromas are cedar, blackberry, blueberry, foxy notes, and floral notes. The tastes are blueberry, blackberry, pepper, vanilla, and some hints of dill. The finish is lengthy and fruity while the tannins are satin like. A hedonistic, delicious wine.
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Dark inky purple in color, on the nose dark fruits, smoke. On the palate this is plush, dark fruits, smoke, coffee, and chocolate. Concentrated. Balanced. Sexy. Lingering finish that keeps you coming back for more. Years left but drinking stunningly now.
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Very dark and glossy in colour. Powerful and complex on the nose with very concentrated notes of cherries, dark forest fruit, red flowers, wood smoke, exotic spices, some meatiness, chocolate? ... There is lots going on for sure. On the palate again lots of fruit, at first quite sweet and a bit heavy, but then more savoury, spicy and fresh. Powerful, ripe tannins. Very very long. I would keep this for a couple of years but it is certainly a stunning wine today. 94-96(+)
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Holy crap. Thanks Greg. Absolutely WOTN and one of the WOTY for me! Delivered on every level again (last taste 2012 at Cut). Extreme aromatics soar from the glass practically from the across the room. So much going on . Savory black olives, brown sugar, black cherry cola. So elegant and absolutely seamless in every way. Remarkable on every level. Again, absolutely worth every single penny. Had that SQN tell tale nose. "Sweet" (fruit) meets savory meets everything.
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Sweet and pure nose of dark fruit, violet and some chocolate. Touch of mint every now and then. Sleek and sexy in the palate. Deep dark fruit and wonderful texture. For a SQN, I found the finish to be a little rough and alcoholic. But the balance and purity are amazing.
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A baby. This is a young wine that has a long life ahead of it. Huge nose. Inky purple color. Decanted about an hour but feel free to give it 3-4 hours. Just enormous. Flavors coat the mouth and the finish is forever. Classic SQN style - big and powerful yet all in balance. Harmony in a bottle.
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A beautiful SQN full of the classy dark clean cool fruit which is certainly expected in efforts from this producer, but still just as lovely every time it fills the nostrils... The fruit is accompanied by massive minerals, Asian spice, black pepper, lavender, boysenberry and sun warm heather. Despite this almost southern Rhône like complex crescendo, the wine gives a truly clean and if may say so "fresh" impression. The palate adds marvellously well to the overall experience with perfect balance and integration between fruit, acidity and tannins. The latter of course being vocal, but still silky and friendly. There is no sign of heat at all, though there is no doubt this wine is a powerhouse from all perspectives. A truly nice acquaintance which has enough, power, texture and structure to age well for perhaps a couple of decades or so. (Day 4: after being open in the decanter in room temperature for three nights the wine is still lovely with more outspoken fruit and very eloquent minerals and tannins.)
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Beguiling nose of dark berries and crushed rocks. Hints of spices and wood. The palate is mouth coating and full of berries, chocolate and some tobacco. Long, nicely balanced and satisfying. Just a bit of grit.
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Gorgeous, full aromas that keep pulling you back for more. Raspberry and blackberry, smoked herbs with exotic spice. Palate shows layers of silky fruit. Medley of spice and herbs. So much flavor, yet weightless and fresh across the palate. Long flavorful finish.
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Incredible Wines at Private Wine Dinner at Collyer Catering (Westport, CT): Tough spot coming after the Harlan but this was a nice change of gears and held its own. Intoxicating nose of raspberry, cherry, blueberry, roses and white pepper. These SQN are always jumping out of the glass and enchanting. Flavors of raspberry, blueberry, cherry, earth and mineral. Beautiful wine with many layers of flavors and certainly a baby in my opinion.
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This bottle (and a second one) was popped and poured at an out of town golf course. The wine was clear and a deep ruby red in colour. The nose had a bouquet of dark cherries and spices. In the glass was a greatly balanced wine of those same cherries, strong caramel, some vanilla and not overly strong spiciness. The tannins and acidity were both quite light. I scored this bottle two points lower than the first bottle that we had this night as it was slightly weaker due to lack of decanting.
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This bottle (and a second one) was decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking at an out of town golf course. The wine was clear and a deep ruby red in colour. The nose had a bouquet of dark cherries and spices. In the glass was a greatly balanced wine of those same cherries, strong caramel, some vanilla and not overly strong spiciness. The tannins and acidity were both quite light. I really enjoyed this bottle tonight.
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Saturday Lunch with Friends and Wine (Prairie Grass - Northbrook IL): Another superstar showing for this wine. Huge black fruit, subtle liqueur notes, well supported by great sweet spice. Long and powerful with incredible balance. Great now, I don't know if can get better, but this will be beautiful for another decade.
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This was a special night and I wanted to shake things up so brought this along…a “first SQN” for about half the group…splash decanted and poured…open for business…dark purple…lively nose of pepper and smoke…black fruit…a little bit of heat going down, but love the long finish.
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Started off tight, but really opened up with a couple hours of air, this is just a fantastic wine, extracted, smooth like velvet and a long finish. Fairly complex and extremely enjoyable.
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This wine is still a baby. Very tight and had some alcohol heat on it. Decanted and drank at a restaurant. After about 1.5 hours decanting, it really started showing its stuff. Nice herbal notes, leathery mouthfeel, and a lingering finish.
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This was poured at a local restaurant after 45 minutes of decanting time. It was also drank after a bottle of SQN Grenache (Upside Down) was finished. The wine was good right away but it really changed and opened up after an hour and a half in the glass. Very clear and purple in colour. Tons of mixed spices on the nose including some cinnamon. When tasting, this wine had just the right amount of spices as well as dark berries. Strong in alcohol but not overpowering with a very good balance of acidity and tannins. This wine was wonderful tonight.
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Some great wine for the end of 2013 (Our home): Very impressive wine. Still very young. My second time trying this wine and it still needs time. Better on the palate as the nose is tighter (compared to the Saxum or JFTLOI). That is nit picking as this is amazing. Black raspberries, slight black licorice, slight earthy leather quality. Great juicy texture. Long finish.
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The tough part of having so much hype before trying SQN might be the downfall of my experience. Decanted 6 hours prior to consuming and boy is this stuff inky. Dark Purple and almost syrup like. Berries and smoke with a fairly long finish. Overall, super impressive, but left wanting more out of a bottle with this kind of price tag. I have a few other SQN in my cellar and I think they need to go into hibernation for a long time before consumption. Probably just drank this too prematurely but won't make that mistake again.
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First time trying SQN. After all the hype behind these wines, I was left wanting a bit more. Opened and decanted through Vinturi about 6 hours prior to drinking. Dark, purplelish and inky. The complexity and changing characteristics of this wine are what made me enjoy it the most. I get why people would like this Syrah, just don't think it warrants the upper 90's scores. Will let my Five Shooter sleep for 3-4 years before drinking that.
Dark purple to rim. Decanted and served after 30 minutes. A little VA, blows off after another 30 minutes. Intense nose of ripe blackberry/raspberry with notes of smoke and tar. Dense palate coating layers of lush ripe fruit, mellow tannins and a reasonable balancing acidity. Palate-coating, very big, keeps getting better over a couple of hours. Long finish. Extraordinary.
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Colgin, SQN, SHS, Saxum, Bevan, DP ++++ (GHT): This is young and despite a few hours of slow ox, it needs more. It opened up in the glass though. The nose has raspberries, black raspberries, and some black pepper. It is much more explosive on the palate. Complex with lots of things going on. Great fruits. Layers. great texture and acidity. Beautiful wine, but really needs to sleep a few years or a lot of air.
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Sine Qua Non Tasting - Domaine Wine Storage Chicago - Nov 2013 (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago): The nose has some brooding elements that pull you into the glass. Running over the top of the palate, drops waves of blue/red fruit. Brings some finesse by skipping over the front, but finishes well. Slightly off-balance to making this an outstanding wine. My favorite of the flight and the best of the non-Long Barrel Agers (Flight 3).
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Sine Qua Non Night @ Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Off putting nose, but jeez, the palate is gorgeous. Smooth, silky dark fruits, some smokey, earthy, and meaty notes. Definitely a softer palate, this would have been a bit better with some acid. I can't imagine this aging too well, but it's drinking well at the moment.
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--- COLOR: Opaque black with dark purple rim NOTE: Gigondas style, with a balance between structure (iron, pencil lead, leather, tar, tobacco) and fruit (blackberry liqueur, kirsch, grilled black plum) throughout. Nose includes some cinnamon and licorice. Mouth is rich but elegant and maintains a nice balance between the structure and fruit. Finish is a bit hot, but no heat anywhere else. This is a contemplative wine, not pleasure-driven. Had it over 2 days and it was consistent. I think it needs a few years.
DECANT: 1-24 hours GLASS USED: Syrah TASTE: 9.3 COST: 150 VALUE: 3.0 TRY AGAIN: 2015 - 2025 PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Nose is deep and dark, so inviting, reeks of dark temptations, first sip, mouth is flush with flavors like dark water rich in mashed fermented fruit of the vine. Long finish brings lots of saliva searching out every tasty molecule. Nose, taste, mouth feel, all flashing SQN
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Of dark, inky blues in colour, then a crimson rim to the edge. Blueberry, cassis liqueur, meaty grill and rosemary. There's a palate jubilee and polished tannins. A seductive and long finish. Pretty red fruit shimmers throughout all aspects. Drink 2014 - 2026.
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First SQN, have been waiting to try this. We were not disappointed at all. This lives up to the hype. Nose is meaty with black/blue fruit, but pure. Taste is classic Syrah with a balance of silkiness, power and finesse.
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Chicago Berserkerfest Dinner (Blue Star Bistro - Chicago IL): Huge black fruit with slight liqueur hints. Great spice. Everything in balance from start-to-finish. What a difference a year makes! I find these SQNs usually seem less integrated from the first year after release, which was the case when I tried this wine last summer. Today... sensational.
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Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): awesome young nose on this. the palate backs it up with a serious black fruit profile, some nice herbal character, and blood. plays well above its already high esteem.
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fairly consistent with my last note. not tasted blind. color and nose continue to be gorgeous. palate is approachable like last time. full fruit with little oak, spice and gamey character. lost some of the verve from a yea ago - more subtle this time around but still a full mouthfeel. finish still lacks a little but is long. overall just cant quite elevate this to outstanding but it is a great bottle of wine. no complaints here.
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Awful wine. No points for subtly. Confirmed everything that is wrong with this style of wine making. Tasted next to a 59 Calon Segur which offered everything you could want in a wine. A sad statement about trophy wines that offer no QPR yet seem to attract such strangely positive reviewed. I wonder if it were served blind whether anyone would rate this so highly.
This is horrendous wine - power, sweetness, ooompf, power, bling.....no style, no class....just brute force. Sweet port-like fruit that totally swamps the palate. No structure...just brutal. The only things it lacks are class, finesse, refinement and pleasure.
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Dark purple, almost black. Intense nose of ripe blackberry/raspberry with notes of smoke and tar. Dense palate coating layers of lush ripe fruit balanced by mellow tannins and a reasonably acidic backbone. Coats the inside of your mouth and just hangs in there. Long finish. No real complexity yet but awesomely dense. Even better on day 2. Extraordinary.
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Very dark purple in colour. Glass coating. Spice, cloves on nose. Not chewy at all given youth. Fragrant. Fairly smoothe. Minimal tannins. Touch of redcurrant on finish. Huge amount of cherry on the finish.
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Not ready but when it is, in maybe 5 years, wow. Impenetrably dark, couldn't even get light through it holding glass up to a lightbulb, but on the edges it's deep purple red. On the nose, my wife thought cake but I didn't get that though there is a hint of sweetness that's not borne out on the palate. Really rich in the mouth but pulls it off without cloying, unlike some other top-end cali syrahs (e.g. Alban, for me). Probably shouldn't have pulled this but was having rack of lamb and wanted to try this.
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Well this was one of the better young SQN wines I have ever tasted. Wow, plush, voluptuous, yet and not over the top. This is drinking outrageously well already. All of the prototypical Syrah elements with black and red fruit mingling with smoke, tar, and asphalt. Fantastic texture. Delicious wine.
Tasted along with SQN Pictures, this wine is the most chock-a-block black colored with purple inky tints. The poured droplets looks weighty and concentrated, and so does the rim-level core.
At first quaff the wine shriek in gorgeous ripe raspberry, which later evolves into the most synergistic odor I've ever stumble upon. To the point of ludicrousness this wine coalesce existing aromas into possibly every aroma you could ever sense. In essence, if you just name-dropped three frequent wine aromas I bet you could find them all in this thrill. I'm getting the impression that I, yet once more, use the word synergy, but this wine is pure synergism. I get wonderful Nothern Rhône-like herbs, multiple fruits (ripe black cherries, blackberries), cream, licorice, ink, bacon fat, all sorts of pepper (white pepper, black pepper and why not rose pepper), green banana skins and faint French oak sweet spice and vanilla.
On the attack the complexity continues. The wine is bringing its bass with sub-woofers. Across my entire palate the wine never let's down with intensity. On the mid-palate the wine truly explodes into almost perfection. A mixture of rich but elegant micro tannins and dainty high acidity is wrapped up in total full-bodied silky concentration. Super flavor intensity, perfumed with fruits without being dry or jammy. Characters luster with more pepper, herbs, cherries, blackberries and floral violets.
The finish is everlasting, really. Alcohol seems to rather tribute the sum concentration of the wine, so much rather than spiking. Pure yummy and balanced. There's so much finesse in the practice of oak, which goes far beyond my expectations. Bearing everything in mind, The Thrill of... shines with typicity, and is truly scrumptious. Sine Qua Non is surely hyped, but I verify the hype is there for a reason. It takes skill and talent to make a wine of such caliber - rigorous grape selection, awareness of how to perceive greater phenolic ripeness and the clever use of oak seems in my book like the true fundamentals of these wines. This isn't about terroir, and I don't really care, because it's delicious. My guess is that this will drink stunningly for another 15 years. http://quaffable.org/?p=190
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Sine Qua Non the Cult of Cults; 10/10/2012-10/11/2012 (Roberson Wine, South Ken, London & The Square, London): Dark ruby red colour and a proper visual intro for what is to follow. Full on the fruit on the nose, spices, liquorice, oak ( pls note this is 50% new oak only) , vanilla and violets. Very young at this stage, full on and austere is a word that cannot be ever used with this wine. sweet dark fruits on the palate and although it's young the oak is not out of sync and feels very much part of the wine. if this develops like the 2005 Atlantis syrah ( if we can draw a parallel) it will need 5years more to hit its stride. 91-92 at the moment though.
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A taste of SQN (Roberson, Kensington, London): Opaque black purple, very oaky, a tad jammy on the nose, but saved by the spice, dense chewy and tannic, huge concentration, but again it's not out of proportion. Impressive.
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Late Summer Afternoon Outside with Friends (Lake Forest IL): Ultra ripe black plum, black cherry, liqueur aromas with anise and floral hints with little subtlety today. Palate shows greater balance and nuance, with the same fruit, slightly more spice-driven. I've often found SQN Syrah better a year or more after release, so while I liked this today, I think I will like it much more in another year or three.
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Lucky taste from a guest at Cut. Oh my goodness! This wine delivers on all cylinders. So much fruit, earth, minerals, chocolate, leather, smokey meat. Incredible layers of everything going on here. So much in your face blackberries, figs, milk chocolate, fancy medium roast coffee beans. The palate is silky and caresses the entire mouth. So much extraction yet it still comes across as being lighter and easy to drink. Incredible. So happy I have a bottle myself.
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At The Lambs Club in NYC. Decanted for 30 minutes or so and then served with our entrees. Notes from memory - but primary impression was of intense and layered flavors balanced with a piercing acidity. The result was a stunning and elegant wine with a finish that seemed to last forever. Our group all thought this surprisingly approachable for the winery and vintage. No doubt, however, that this can cellar for many years.
(Definitely 15.5, but certainly didn't drink like it.)
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I brought this bottle to One restaurant to meet up with some friends. It was only decanted for approximately 30 minutes and although I thoroughly enjoyed it right from the opening, I felt that it improved quite a bit over the next 90 minutes. Very deep in colour with a nose of various jams. I continue to really enjoy SQN syrahs as I find the balance of alcohol content (although high) and spices just right for my palate. This bottle was another example of that with tastes of berries and caramel thrown in the mix.
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Sine Qua Non vertical (Carlton Restaurant, Zurich): Very funny that this is so much more similar to the 'Upside down' than to the other young Syrahs that we had. Sweet, nearly artificial, bubblegum and strawberries.
Give it some time and it will be exotic and fantastic
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Opened and drank over one hour. Actually really impressed with this wine. Huge nose that jumps from the glass with rich black and blue fruits. Incredibly thick and juicy on the palate with blue fruits, chocolate and some smokey tones. Great mouthfeel and incredibly smooth at such a young age. Nice long finish.
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Twice in a couple weeks, I could get used to this. Similar notes to the last one. Restrained, the 15.5% alcohol is well under control. Elegant for the size. All the right stuff to get better as time adds some complexity. Very nice. Black as a moonless night. I bit of smoky oak on the nose that eventually blows off, which is about the only thing I did not care for. Really amazing this is 15.5%, simply drinks like it is 13.5%, though after drinking half a bottle there is no question that 15.5% was right!
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We popped this one and gave it only 30 minutes to decant. As with most SQN syrah wines, I really enjoy the balance that this wine had when it came to the spices. Quite deep in colour with lots of caramel on the nose. On the downside, the wine was slightly "thin" to taste. It improved over time in the glass and I'm assuming that it just needed a good couple of hours decanting time to open up.
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Inky purple ruby colored with tears that stain the glass. Blackberry, blueberry, smoke, chocolate malt, black cherry smoke aromas get you going. Massive, concentrated, powerful and rich, but lacking the density of the best vintages, this thick, plush, California Syrah wine ends with a big, juicy, sweet mouthful of smoky blueberry, coffee bean, iron and black cherry.
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Deep, dark purple. Somewhat restrained nose initially, but floral, oak and blue fruit notes emerge. Very nice and surprisingly light mouthfeel (not light, I mean lighter than expected), elegant even. Restrained, the 15.5% alcohol is well under control. All the right stuff to get better as time adds some complexity. Very nice.
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non blind. couldn't wait any longer to try one of these. can i say it's not my favorite sqn label? but, can't judge a book by its cover, right? color scrreams syrah. brillant edgy dark purple. staining, as expected. nose leaps from the glass, but is a touch hot at this point. there is nice dark fruit, pepper, spice. the first thing that comes to my mind upon tasting this is a subtleness, a lighter style, a something missing perhaps, a premier cru and not a grand crus mouthfeel. say it ain't so. but as it opens, maybe that's not all bad. we taste early to see eveolution, right? as it opens in the glass, the fruit builds, the smokey, volcanic undertone rises up but never reaches a fever pitch. but the whole palate begins to come together. integration happens as i continue to taste. a ringer for a northern rhone style of not in your face, but sulky, sultry richness that suddenly has won you over. the finish is still tight on this one and hasn't reached it potential yet. good? yes. great yet? not quite.
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I love SQN. Normally I feel they are a bit too big and powerful the first couple of years but not this time. I think this is a bit more elegant than other vintages this young. A complex and interesting wine. Manfred Krankl is a hero.
Save your voice and your pencil. There is no need to discuss, the 2009 The Thrill Of... is a brilliant effort. What I am trying to get at is that all SQNs are made only with themselves as the proper comparator. The style is massive yet elegant in way that other producers cannot reach without much difficulty. The 2009 The Thrill Of... has a massive nose revealing the SQN typical fruit combined with a herbal scent and luxurious oak. The palate is massive but also shows a deep and profound integration. All components are in place but the wine will need some time to settle down, maybe 5 years or more. The length on the finish is amazing, it just keeps going and going. There is a subtle residual sweetness which I like very much and I know time will deal with it. This might not be a wine for everyone, but it certainly is a masterpiece. (score is 96-97)
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2/28/2024 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasting in Miami (Ken's Castle): Opened and let is slo-O for an hour, then consumed over the next 2 hours. This wine was still improving throughout the consumption so drink or hold (it was also very good from the get-go).
Nose and palate showed plenty black and blue fruit with some spoked meat and hints of black pepper and spice. Solid 95.
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2/12/2024 - nortonnose wrote: 94 Points
I took a page out of Burgundy Al's Super Bowl playbook! I shipped this mag (that I held from release) down to our special gathering spot for great friends to enjoy over the game. Add in a little hocus pocus drama and, voila! We enjoyed it in the fading light of day for postmortem the following day instead! Just a massive wine, black fruit, dense, extracted. Incredibly long and remarkable lingering finish. While it will never be my personal first choice in the draft, it is everything that you know SQN Syrah's to be, and that is a majestic thing. Highly recommend many hours in multiple decanters (esp. in larger formats). Memorable, and for that I am grateful!
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1/6/2024 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
The Return to the Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): It’s been 11 years since we had this last ( Papies 92) and was a joy to cross paths with it albeit this is one of the less elegant SQNs . Punchy rich, big wine, lots of substance but unlike others we have had from them also felt a bit heavy and lacked that elevated harmony we so treasure from SQNs. Proper wine for sure and a good 93
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10/21/2023 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
Rich, delicious, blackberry/blueberry fruit with oaky flavors, excellent structure, forward in the palate, a little short on the finish, velvety texture
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9/17/2023 - chugwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Take your time! This puppy needs a couple hours to really show it's brilliance. Blue fruit all over this thing, blueberry, jammy characteristics on the mouth. Gamey turkey leg nose. Like nothing I have ever tried before, very special bottle. This was my first SQN, so excited to see how the other's stack up against this one. Very good, just wish I didn't have a full glass right away
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9/2/2023 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry, blueberry, gamey meat, licorice and spice. Black and blue fruit, gamey meat, licorice, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Waves of flavor with a very long finish. Full bodied. Aged beautifully. Served with hickory smoked beef brisket.
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5/5/2023 - wine-eau Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still a big wine, but somewhat tamed by age. Blackberry, smoked meat, hot stone, black licorice, olive. Tasted over two nights, first night PnP. Slightly less intense night#2, but otherwise consistent notes.
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4/16/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
SQN Dinner (Jordan's Place - Chicago IL): Another great bottle of this wine, that I find even more thrilling than stamp collecting. Powerful and just perfectly composed.
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2/7/2023 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Dark inky beast if you're into that.
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11/26/2022 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
Home dinner with Jacob’s and GA
Mole filet mignon and poblano non dairy soup
Decanted for 5 hrs
Big well rounded, new world all the way
Dark fruits very youthful in a very good spot
No rush
Great pairing with the poblano mole and filet mignon
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8/12/2022 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 97 Points
Kiawah 2022; 8/6/2022-8/13/2022: Surprisingly more meaty and funky than the 07 Saxum Booker. Cranberry, black cherry cola, lavender, licorice and Asian/Indian spices. Good. Unique. Not my favorite SQN, but still amazing. Drink now for me, but not going anywhere, should hold for several years minimum.
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8/12/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine:
Dark purple, lavender, cedar, baking spices and herbs on the nose. Tastes young, fruit forward, deep, rich, cherry cola, candy apple and some subtle tar and earth on the finish
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3/19/2022 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 95 Points
A big wine was required to get me through a weekend of being a dance mom and this SQN did the trick. I decanted it for a few hours and then portioned it in 4oz bottles which I drank throughout the weekend. I agree with other reviewers that this was a bit too young, but oh it was so good. My best glass was the one left open in the room for about 6 hours. It was full of black fruits, raspberry puree, some spice, so smooth. Big bold flavor needed to cut through the chaos of dance competition weekend!!
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2/19/2022 - Alex G. wrote:
This wine remains massive and young, and frankly a bit too much for my taste. Maybe it simmers down in 20 years? Those who prefer wines "turned up to 11" will go gaga for this.
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2/13/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. This continues to be one of my favorite SQNs. Intense black fruit, powerful and fresh, nicely accompanied by nearly sweet spice. Very good depth, length and balance, with just enough structure ever-present but in the near background.
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2/4/2022 - eschuldt wrote: 94 Points
Nice wine but found the finish a bit short.
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12/11/2021 - novie1234 wrote: 96 Points
Just incredible. Opened and just let it sit for an hour before indulging. Dusty and a bit green at first open - but within 30 min, everything was humming. It was a sweet black fruit with the spicy backbone I was expecting. It much more upside, but oh such a great place now. Ends a bit abruptly and finish could be longer, but such a nice example of good CA central coast Syrah.
Warning - started to flatten about two or three hours in.
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12/11/2021 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, currants and plums. Flavors of currants, plums and black berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or continue to hold.
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11/27/2021 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag: Blind. Dark color with notes of dill and ripe black fruit. Black fruit and peppery spice on the palate. Full-bodied with a bit of tannin to shed. As it sits, more and more black fruit comes forward. Easy to pick out as syrah, and easier still as our SQN. Again, quite surprised to find this in the first flight.
This had been decanted for six hours prior to going in in bottle for and hour+ before the flight was poured. Still rather primary. Hold or decant 10+ hours.
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9/6/2021 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured for dinner last nite in Copake with the family. Inky black in color, nose of blackberries and leather. Big bodied, sweet fruit, very peppery, and on the hot side. That said, I would not call this wine a 'fruit bomb' per se given that its elements were balanced--yes, lots of sweet fruit, but good acidity level, good concentration along with lots of alcohol, and the wine was not over-the-top in any way. There's gobs of black and blue fruit here, and a bit spicy. Excellent, complex length. Not my usual cup of tea but I appreciate that this is a well-made, if crazy priced wine.
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8/21/2021 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, huckleberry, gamey meat, espresso and spice. Blackberry, huckleberry, black plum, gamey meat, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish. Rich and full bodied. Served with Texas style smoked brisket.
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4/26/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 96 Points
So it was my birthday and I decided it was time to open this bottle. Six hours of slow ox before I tasted it. Dark fruit and tobacco on the nose. The palate was plums, berries, tobacco, red meat, violets and hints of spice. The finish was long an full. Just a great bottle of wine.
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3/11/2021 - LFCHALA wrote: 93 Points
Interesting day, very interesting day. Opening with a fresh, uncomplicated and great Olivier Horiot Champagne Les Riceys. So, by far, the best producer of Beaujolais: Yvon Metras. This 2012 Fleurie Magnum delivered what is expected of it: freshness, balance, wonderful mix of fruits. Then it started to get serious. A bold and mineral with good acidity 2009 Sine Qua Non Syrah The Thrill of and the king of the night, a simply astonishing 2008 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. When I thought the game was over, it was the turn of a perfectly maintained and delicious ex-cellar 1998 Mersault-Charmes 1er Domaine Rougeot. Finally, one of my favorite wine styles: sweet german wines. We drank a refined 2010 St Urbans-Hof Goldtropfchen Piesport Auslese
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11/12/2020 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Another bottle shared with Mark for our zoom session. It was drinking beautifully and continuously evolving over the time that we had it open (following a 90 min decant—after a 24 FedEx trip). Once again, the time in 8oz bottles did not seem to do much micro oxidixation, and I wish we hard started the ‘real’ decant earlier. The next day it was even more spectacular, the fruit was still very present and mouth filling and there were so many interesting other elements to it—some herbs, meat and spices. Yum.
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11/12/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 96 Points
Another great wine supplied by Jen for this evening......meaty, savory at 90 min...changes over the evening into a little blacker fruit. Great weight in the mouth, silky smooth, no extra baggage dragging it down like so many syrahs seem to have. This is quality made juice.......my first SQN syrah! Thanks, Jen!
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6/13/2020 - RAD2626 wrote: 92 Points
Drank during Vinous interview with the Krankls. Lovely wine made even more fun.
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5/25/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours prior. Beautiful wine with black color and just an amazing minerallity and depth with a finish of 10-15 minutes. Finishes with a nice spice and touch of leather.
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4/12/2020 - _water.into.wine_ wrote:
Served blind. Came across as a thick skinned grape from a warm climate, so guessed new world Syrah. The balance is actually highly impressive considering this is 15.5%. Lots of nice blue and dark fruits. Good spice and pepper. Drinking well with lots of air (and was best on day two I'm told). Drank with BV
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4/5/2020 - lucaslabelle wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 6 hours prior to consumption. Pleasant bouquet of black fruits, tar, slight hints of menthol. On the palate the wine was smooth, integrated and balanced. Although it is a great wine - I did find it to be somewhat monolithic and heavy/ dense. Definitely a well made wine but after a glass or two I didn’t want to drink anymore. Nowhere near as compelling as the Atlantis Syrah from 2005. Drink now until 2024
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2/8/2020 - jkoenen wrote: 96 Points
An evening with Sine Qua Non 3.0 (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): In a perfect spot now...!
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12/31/2019 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
4 hour decant, just right. Impenetrable, dark, explosive nose of dark fruit, monster wine, focused like a laser, smooth mouthfeel, long, long finish. No secondary notes. Very enjoyable for NYE with dinner.
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12/1/2019 - GFischmann wrote: 95 Points
Smooth
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11/23/2019 - MonacoMik Likes this wine:
Needed 10 h decant and then it came at you like a genie in a bottle
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8/17/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
SQN & BBQ (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Black cherry and berry with mostly sweet spice, dark chocolate and liqueur hints. Rich start stays big and burly, but wonderful balance comes through middle forward. Very good now, upside from here.
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5/26/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
A Few Wines with BBQ (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Tasted double blind after it was popped-decanted-and-poured. I thought it needed so much more air that it came across as harsh, backward and tightly wound. Better 30 minutes later when re-tasted, but this was oddly nowhere near the level of previous bottles.
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5/24/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted and served. Singing spectacularly from the start. Intense, focused, concentrated Syrah with delicious sweetness, chewy tannins, long finish. Much more approachable than the glass I had two years ago. There's not a lot of complexity in this vintage but the fruit is just wonderful and it's so well made despite a touch of heat from the alcohol. Very enjoyable.
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9/24/2018 - mye Does not like this wine:
This is just not my style. Deep purple.. Extremely density and weight.
Super heavy on the alcohol side.. dammmmmn.
Nope, not my thing. will look to sell the few btls of SQN I own.
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8/26/2018 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
One Fun-Filled Afternoon Spent Poolside with Friends (Los Olivos, CA): So dense and concentrated, and while that’s no surprise, I found this as monolithic and unyielding a Sine Qua Non as I’ve had, even when revisited two days later. More blue and black fruit than red, showing a bit green, with the Viognier evident as well. Just too intense. Maybe with time?
Addendum: It took four days for this wine to open. That was anything left from a bottle that usually gets drained the most quickly tells you how inward and shutdown the wine was on Sunday, and no movement Monday or Tuesday. So here we are Wednesday, and there are some very good signs of life: dark blue and black fruit, smoke, and chewy tannins that expand on the finish. Patience required.
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7/28/2018 - bablues wrote: 97 Points
My second time having this and this, which the first time was my first ever SQN. This bottled was just as great as that first experience. Decanted about 3 hours. The original nose off the decant was huge with all blueberries. After three hours poured the first glass and the nose was very similar, with not much complexity and all dark blue fruits. At first taste this was a party on the palate. The fruit was bursting through and it layered the mouth and tongue, which was delicious, and an easy 60-90 second finish. The initial nose was somewhat disappointed but as we drank this over the next 60-90 minutes this really opened up to be much more complex. The party in the mouth also got better and secondary flavors and balance, complexity really come on. The first glass I would have rated a really good to great Syrah, but as the night went on, this turned into a more classic SQN worthy of the praise hype. I am really starting to learn that SQN's really need a couple hours of air to show their best.
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7/20/2018 - brianngibson wrote: 95 Points
Violets, licorice, black fruit, pepper. Long finish.
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7/17/2018 - 89grange wrote: 98 Points
Dang!!
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6/30/2018 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry, plum, smoked meat, cocoa powder and spice. Black fruit, cocoa powder, licorice, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Rich and dense. Leads to a very long finish. Full bodied. Served with grilled ribeye steaks and a chimichurri sauce.
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2/9/2018 - Fid Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP. Great nose as always. A little more restrained palate than last bottle. Still very good if not a tad less exuberant.
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12/11/2017 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 7 hours. Helped.
Nose of fruit and olives and meat. Very clear this was a big wine. On palate, nice fruit and no heat present. Not as complex as I was hoping for for ‘09 Sine Qua Non. Preferred Grenache from vintage.
Went down incredibly well with filet and potatoes.
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12/9/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 97 Points
Served blind and unmistakably Sine Qua Non. Definitely muscular but more approachable than it’s 2007 sibling. Tannins grip but the extraction and opulence of the fruit is present immediately. Deep medicinal notes of plums, prunes, smoke, glycerin are nicely offset by fresh Notes of strawberry and wild raspberry. Needs 3 hours in the decanter to fully evolve. Drank from a magnum.
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11/30/2017 - bengti Likes this wine: 95 Points
HK Wine Society Tasting and Dinner JW Marriott HK
Hint of pepper, smooth as velvet. Nice but not the knockout that its Estate sister This is Not an Exit is.
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10/30/2017 - Minnesota wrote: 95 Points
Patience required for this muscular vintage. Decanted two hours, should have been 5-6 as last glass superlative. Rough edges had smoothed, tannins softened, mouthfeel evolved into delightful dance down tongue and throat. Lovely.
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7/22/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Pop and let sit for 30 minutes, then consume. This is in a nice place right now but probably a bit shy of full maturity. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, some roasted herbs and meat. On the palate, there is an underlying char/smoke with good black raspberry and plum fruit. A nice layering that unwinds more with time in the glass. Lush texture but good acidity to balance it. Long finish. Worked great with my wood fired mushroom pizza.
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6/16/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was a real hit, starting with a blockbuster nose and loads of fruit and richness without feeling over the top. I thought it might have been just a notch below some of my favorite vintages, as this syrah did not feel as sublime or effortless and didn't have the level of complexity as some of best Sine Qua Non's I've had. I also do see how some people who might be sensitive to alcohol might have found this wine to be hot. Personally, I did not find the alcohol distracting and overall the wine was unquestionably delicious. Drank this alongside a Colgin IX Red and everyone kept coming back to this wine.
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5/14/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had a glass out of Coravin but I think it would benefit from aging and/or decanting. Delicious but still young. Very similar profile to the 2012 Stock but a bit more refined. I'd age both of these.
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5/6/2017 - drdan8 wrote: 90 Points
PNP to the stem an ultra dark viscous midnight black color. Vivid and assertive nose of black cherry, violets, red licorice, and blackberry paste. Dark fruits on the palate with a hollow mid range and abrupt finish. Minimal lift and acidic structure left in this wine. Quality vinification here but the wine lacks complexity and terroir expression. I understand the fascination of these wines for collectors, but if they reside in your cellar for consumption, it appears the time is now for drinking. I still have a few SQN and Saxum in my cellar that I will work off, but my palate seems to be moving away from these ultra ripe monolithic beasts.
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4/30/2017 - Sennma wrote: 89 Points
From my view in a slightly awkward phase of its development and bit tart up front. I do think this will have better integration after a couple of more years in bottle.
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4/28/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): The most full throttle of the SQNs. Huge nose of ripe black fruit, white pepper, black pepper and Asian spices. Intense, extracted and viscous palate. Loads of opulent peppery fruit. Stays fresh, which is a feat of winemaking.
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4/28/2017 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): I would much rather engage in philately than this wine. This is much too sweet and goopy, and there's a sickly sweet Ribena-like quality here. This could seriously use a bit of acid as well. Will this get better with time? Who knows, there isn't much more downside from here...
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2/19/2017 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 96 Points
Kleur: Diep opaak donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: WOW. Een explosie van aroma's. Zwarte bessen, kersen, vanille en zoethout, donkere kruidigheid. Inkt. Smaak / Afdronk: Na het explosieve aroma is de smaak opvallend rond en zacht, tegelijkertijd extreem geconcentreerd. Veel van alles, maar in een prachtige balans. Verfijnde zachte zuren, boterzachte bijna romige tannines. Dik-sappig en geconcentreerd. Methol en laurier. Indrukwekkend lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Zeer indrukwekkende power-wijn. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 96/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep opaque dark. Aroma / bouquet: WOW. An explosion of flavors. Black currants, cherries, vanilla and liquorice, dark spiciness. Ink Taste / Finish:. After the explosive flavor the taste is strikingly round and soft at the same time extremely concentrated. Much of anything, but in a wonderful balance. Refined soft acidity, butter soft almost creamy tannins. Thick-juicy and concentrated. Methol and laurel. Impressively long finish. General / potential: Very impressive power-wine. 50+ Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14+ Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 96/100
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11/26/2016 - Rosengoo wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was opened at a local restaurant and drank with 30 minutes decanting. It was a deep hue of garnet red and had a nose and flavours of overripe cherries and dark spices. Perhaps it's because of the lack of opening time but I found the wine to be a bit too hot for my liking tonight. It was still good but I've had better bottles.
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10/16/2016 - Escalus wrote: 97 Points
Feel like this one is really coming into its own now. Had a number of others over the years that I would have said fell in the bottom quartile of SQN wines, but that is certainly no longer the case. Highly recommend revisiting if you had it a couple years back and weren't thrilled...this pulls in a lot of the balanced greatness of SQN Shiraz; the tar and asphalt of the Australian expression but offset by some of the relative delicacy of Cote Rotie, all coming together.
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8/27/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark, inky purple color with a bouquet and flavor of plum concentrate with hints of vanilla oak and a decided peppery ending.
Very good definition with very nice balance, despite the feel of a very big wine. Lingering finish. Another Wow from SQN. If you aren't certain about what Syrah should taste like, or does taste like at its best, try this wine. Much more reliable than many over-hyped and very expensive Rhone wines.
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7/30/2016 - BBinSC wrote: 95 Points
Too young, but wow! Typical SQN - eye popping, explosive, super long finish. Give it another 5 years.
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6/23/2016 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Decanted a bit over an hour. Aromas of blueberry ganache, raspberry compote, violets, lavender spice. Full-bodied and nicely balanced, with flavors of black, red and blue fruit with a wonderful garrigue-like quality adding complexity. Long finish.
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6/23/2016 - thelostverse wrote: 95 Points
Opened by Allred at Anvil. Decanted for approximately 1.5 hours prior to dinner. The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. Black and blue fruits on the nose and palate. I was surprised at how soft this was and elegant. Not what I've come to expect from SQN. Still much upside potential here. Thanks Allred. 95+
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5/25/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 96 Points
Blueberry, espresso, and new fine leather jump from the glass. Rich and concentrated dark ripe fruit flavors with wonderful baking spices and freshness. Creamy and chocolatey, yet balanced and refined. How does he do it? Quite elegant for what it is and very feminine. Special stuff and the reason SQN's get so much buzz.
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5/25/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Sine Qua Non Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): Black fruit, sweet spice, dark chocolate and cherry liqueur comes cross as a perfectly integrated package with energy and lift on long finish. Very consistent with previous bottles. A personal SQN fav.
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5/22/2016 - Paul Lin wrote: 94 Points
This wine is much too young to drink IMO. That being said, should you decide to open it up now, be sure to give it a good decant. In any case, expect a huge, dense, and rich wine. Lots of intense blackberry fruit, grilled plums, roasted game, pink peppercorns, garrigue, and raw jalapeño. Not sweet and smooth, this wine actually has quite a lot of character that should be more evident with time. Very complex, but know that it's mostly primary fruit at this early stage.
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4/28/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted double blind.
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currants, black berries, black raspberries and a hint of roasted meat. Rich flavors of black raspberries, berries an cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
My guess was this is a 2009 Agharta Syrah.
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4/6/2016 - Minkey Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark purple in color and very inky, the nose showed blackberry and plums with a hint of chocolate and anise. The palate was fruit forward but not over powering, showing dark berries, dark chocolate with a hint of game and smoke. The tannins are well integrated and smooth and the wine has a long lingering finish.
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4/6/2016 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep purple garnet color, very slight haze, more purple to the rim and opaque. The aromas are cedar, blackberry, blueberry, foxy notes, and floral notes. The tastes are blueberry, blackberry, pepper, vanilla, and some hints of dill. The finish is lengthy and fruity while the tannins are satin like. A hedonistic, delicious wine.
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2/27/2016 - SeagreenWench Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark inky purple in color, on the nose dark fruits, smoke. On the palate this is plush, dark fruits, smoke, coffee, and chocolate. Concentrated. Balanced. Sexy. Lingering finish that keeps you coming back for more. Years left but drinking stunningly now.
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2/8/2016 - DaButtah Likes this wine: 97 Points
Impeccable wine. It was fascinating to see how this unfolded itself over several hours.
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1/20/2016 - nywine68 wrote:
Awesome wine. Big and spicy but with lots of nuance and interesting flavors. Still a youngster and will definitely improve with more bottle age
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12/17/2015 - nywine68 wrote:
Gorgeous. Star of the night amidst a big line-up of mature Mouton, Insignia and Redigaffi.
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11/28/2015 - canan wrote: 98 Points
Christmas BYO: Loved it... Elegant and delicate but still with lots of intensity and purity.
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9/21/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Very dark and glossy in colour. Powerful and complex on the nose with very concentrated notes of cherries, dark forest fruit, red flowers, wood smoke, exotic spices, some meatiness, chocolate? ... There is lots going on for sure. On the palate again lots of fruit, at first quite sweet and a bit heavy, but then more savoury, spicy and fresh. Powerful, ripe tannins. Very very long. I would keep this for a couple of years but it is certainly a stunning wine today. 94-96(+)
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9/17/2015 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 97 Points
Another SQN Masterpiece | There is honestly nothing quite like Manfred"s wine..
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8/6/2015 - beezer6 wrote: 97 Points
Holy crap. Thanks Greg. Absolutely WOTN and one of the WOTY for me!
Delivered on every level again (last taste 2012 at Cut).
Extreme aromatics soar from the glass practically from the across the room.
So much going on . Savory black olives, brown sugar, black cherry cola.
So elegant and absolutely seamless in every way. Remarkable on every level. Again, absolutely worth every single penny.
Had that SQN tell tale nose. "Sweet" (fruit) meets savory meets everything.
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6/23/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Sweet and pure nose of dark fruit, violet and some chocolate. Touch of mint every now and then. Sleek and sexy in the palate. Deep dark fruit and wonderful texture. For a SQN, I found the finish to be a little rough and alcoholic. But the balance and purity are amazing.
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5/31/2015 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
A baby. This is a young wine that has a long life ahead of it. Huge nose. Inky purple color. Decanted about an hour but feel free to give it 3-4 hours. Just enormous. Flavors coat the mouth and the finish is forever. Classic SQN style - big and powerful yet all in balance. Harmony in a bottle.
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4/30/2015 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
A beautiful SQN full of the classy dark clean cool fruit which is certainly expected in efforts from this producer, but still just as lovely every time it fills the nostrils... The fruit is accompanied by massive minerals, Asian spice, black pepper, lavender, boysenberry and sun warm heather. Despite this almost southern Rhône like complex crescendo, the wine gives a truly clean and if may say so "fresh" impression. The palate adds marvellously well to the overall experience with perfect balance and integration between fruit, acidity and tannins. The latter of course being vocal, but still silky and friendly. There is no sign of heat at all, though there is no doubt this wine is a powerhouse from all perspectives. A truly nice acquaintance which has enough, power, texture and structure to age well for perhaps a couple of decades or so. (Day 4: after being open in the decanter in room temperature for three nights the wine is still lovely with more outspoken fruit and very eloquent minerals and tannins.)
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4/23/2015 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Potent, sweet with hoisin and black fruit. Quite primary right now. Matched very well with Peking duck.
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3/5/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Beguiling nose of dark berries and crushed rocks. Hints of spices and wood. The palate is mouth coating and full of berries, chocolate and some tobacco. Long, nicely balanced and satisfying. Just a bit of grit.
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2/2/2015 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at Andrew Edmunds
Rich powerful nose with a creamy silky smooth palate. Very primary but not too over extracted. Incredible Syrah from SQN.
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12/24/2014 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Gorgeous, full aromas that keep pulling you back for more. Raspberry and blackberry, smoked herbs with exotic spice. Palate shows layers of silky fruit. Medley of spice and herbs. So much flavor, yet weightless and fresh across the palate. Long flavorful finish.
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10/10/2014 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Incredible Wines at Private Wine Dinner at Collyer Catering (Westport, CT): Tough spot coming after the Harlan but this was a nice change of gears and held its own. Intoxicating nose of raspberry, cherry, blueberry, roses and white pepper. These SQN are always jumping out of the glass and enchanting. Flavors of raspberry, blueberry, cherry, earth and mineral. Beautiful wine with many layers of flavors and certainly a baby in my opinion.
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10/2/2014 - Rosengoo wrote: 93 Points
This bottle (and a second one) was popped and poured at an out of town golf course. The wine was clear and a deep ruby red in colour. The nose had a bouquet of dark cherries and spices. In the glass was a greatly balanced wine of those same cherries, strong caramel, some vanilla and not overly strong spiciness. The tannins and acidity were both quite light. I scored this bottle two points lower than the first bottle that we had this night as it was slightly weaker due to lack of decanting.
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10/2/2014 - Rosengoo wrote: 95 Points
This bottle (and a second one) was decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking at an out of town golf course. The wine was clear and a deep ruby red in colour. The nose had a bouquet of dark cherries and spices. In the glass was a greatly balanced wine of those same cherries, strong caramel, some vanilla and not overly strong spiciness. The tannins and acidity were both quite light. I really enjoyed this bottle tonight.
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9/13/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Saturday Lunch with Friends and Wine (Prairie Grass - Northbrook IL): Another superstar showing for this wine. Huge black fruit, subtle liqueur notes, well supported by great sweet spice. Long and powerful with incredible balance. Great now, I don't know if can get better, but this will be beautiful for another decade.
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9/7/2014 - edgar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Huge wine but perfectly balanced. Ton of fruit, primarily cherries, on the nose and palate, fading to a sharper end, in a very good way
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8/26/2014 - hanasowner wrote: 97 Points
This was a special night and I wanted to shake things up so brought this along…a “first SQN” for about half the group…splash decanted and poured…open for business…dark purple…lively nose of pepper and smoke…black fruit…a little bit of heat going down, but love the long finish.
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7/13/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Started off tight, but really opened up with a couple hours of air, this is just a fantastic wine, extracted, smooth like velvet and a long finish. Fairly complex and extremely enjoyable.
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4/3/2014 - mwanasheria Likes this wine: 96 Points
Hedonism Wines' Enomatic Sampling (Hedonism Wines, Mayfair): Nose of cassis, brambles. On the palate cedar, black cherries, smoke, full of energy yet silky and smooth.
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3/25/2014 - rbradleypate wrote: 94 Points
This wine is still a baby. Very tight and had some alcohol heat on it. Decanted and drank at a restaurant. After about 1.5 hours decanting, it really started showing its stuff. Nice herbal notes, leathery mouthfeel, and a lingering finish.
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3/22/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Another Casual Burgundy Dinner...Followed by Sine Qua Non (Paris Club - Chicago IL): Tasted very late, brief note. Massive amounts of everything, while this comes across as huge and hedonistic, it retains incredible balance with each element in perfect proportion.
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3/18/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 96 Points
Stellar
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2/8/2014 - G_H Likes this wine: 95 Points
This has all that makes SQN special, richness, finesse, balance herbs and fruit.Really great
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1/28/2014 - Rosengoo wrote: 96 Points
This was poured at a local restaurant after 45 minutes of decanting time. It was also drank after a bottle of SQN Grenache (Upside Down) was finished. The wine was good right away but it really changed and opened up after an hour and a half in the glass. Very clear and purple in colour. Tons of mixed spices on the nose including some cinnamon. When tasting, this wine had just the right amount of spices as well as dark berries. Strong in alcohol but not overpowering with a very good balance of acidity and tannins. This wine was wonderful tonight.
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1/1/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 98 Points
Some great wine for the end of 2013 (Our home): Very impressive wine. Still very young. My second time trying this wine and it still needs time. Better on the palate as the nose is tighter (compared to the Saxum or JFTLOI). That is nit picking as this is amazing. Black raspberries, slight black licorice, slight earthy leather quality. Great juicy texture. Long finish.
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12/28/2013 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
rich, delicious blackberry fruit
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12/15/2013 - soyhead wrote:
5th Annual Best of Bordeaux vs Kings of Kalifornia (Yan's China Bistro): tasted blind. thrown into the bordeaux vs cali tasting, i had no idea that this was a ringer. seemingly candied in the context of the other wines
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12/1/2013 - LongViewCellars wrote: 93 Points
The tough part of having so much hype before trying SQN might be the downfall of my experience. Decanted 6 hours prior to consuming and boy is this stuff inky. Dark Purple and almost syrup like. Berries and smoke with a fairly long finish. Overall, super impressive, but left wanting more out of a bottle with this kind of price tag. I have a few other SQN in my cellar and I think they need to go into hibernation for a long time before consumption. Probably just drank this too prematurely but won't make that mistake again.
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12/1/2013 - Monaco Likes this wine: 94 Points
First time trying SQN. After all the hype behind these wines, I was left wanting a bit more. Opened and decanted through Vinturi about 6 hours prior to drinking. Dark, purplelish and inky. The complexity and changing characteristics of this wine are what made me enjoy it the most. I get why people would like this Syrah, just don't think it warrants the upper 90's scores. Will let my Five Shooter sleep for 3-4 years before drinking that.
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11/20/2013 - dbg wrote:
Dark purple to rim. Decanted and served after 30 minutes. A little VA, blows off after another 30 minutes. Intense nose of ripe blackberry/raspberry with notes of smoke and tar. Dense palate coating layers of lush ripe fruit, mellow tannins and a reasonable balancing acidity. Palate-coating, very big, keeps getting better over a couple of hours. Long finish. Extraordinary.
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11/8/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Colgin, SQN, SHS, Saxum, Bevan, DP ++++ (GHT): This is young and despite a few hours of slow ox, it needs more. It opened up in the glass though. The nose has raspberries, black raspberries, and some black pepper. It is much more explosive on the palate. Complex with lots of things going on. Great fruits. Layers. great texture and acidity. Beautiful wine, but really needs to sleep a few years or a lot of air.
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11/6/2013 - jwolniak wrote: 93 Points
Sine Qua Non Tasting - Domaine Wine Storage Chicago - Nov 2013 (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago): The nose has some brooding elements that pull you into the glass. Running over the top of the palate, drops waves of blue/red fruit. Brings some finesse by skipping over the front, but finishes well. Slightly off-balance to making this an outstanding wine. My favorite of the flight and the best of the non-Long Barrel Agers (Flight 3).
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11/6/2013 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Sine Qua Non Night @ Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Off putting nose, but jeez, the palate is gorgeous. Smooth, silky dark fruits, some smokey, earthy, and meaty notes. Definitely a softer palate, this would have been a bit better with some acid. I can't imagine this aging too well, but it's drinking well at the moment.
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11/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
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COLOR: Opaque black with dark purple rim
NOTE: Gigondas style, with a balance between structure (iron, pencil lead, leather, tar, tobacco) and fruit (blackberry liqueur, kirsch, grilled black plum) throughout. Nose includes some cinnamon and licorice. Mouth is rich but elegant and maintains a nice balance between the structure and fruit. Finish is a bit hot, but no heat anywhere else. This is a contemplative wine, not pleasure-driven. Had it over 2 days and it was consistent. I think it needs a few years.
DECANT: 1-24 hours
GLASS USED: Syrah
TASTE: 9.3
COST: 150
VALUE: 3.0
TRY AGAIN: 2015 - 2025
PAIRING:
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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8/7/2013 - shadow wrote: 98 Points
Nose is deep and dark, so inviting, reeks of dark temptations, first sip, mouth is flush with flavors like dark water rich in mashed fermented fruit of the vine. Long finish brings lots of saliva searching out every tasty molecule. Nose, taste, mouth feel, all flashing SQN
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7/27/2013 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Of dark, inky blues in colour, then a crimson rim to the edge. Blueberry, cassis liqueur, meaty grill and rosemary. There's a palate jubilee and polished tannins. A seductive and long finish. Pretty red fruit shimmers throughout all aspects. Drink 2014 - 2026.
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7/6/2013 - bablues wrote: 97 Points
First SQN, have been waiting to try this. We were not disappointed at all. This lives up to the hype. Nose is meaty with black/blue fruit, but pure. Taste is classic Syrah with a balance of silkiness, power and finesse.
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6/8/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 97 Points
Like most SQN - a beautiful wine that keeps getting more interesting. Truly a masterpiece.
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5/17/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 97 Points
Chicago Berserkerfest Dinner (Blue Star Bistro - Chicago IL): Huge black fruit with slight liqueur hints. Great spice. Everything in balance from start-to-finish. What a difference a year makes! I find these SQNs usually seem less integrated from the first year after release, which was the case when I tried this wine last summer. Today... sensational.
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5/3/2013 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): awesome young nose on this. the palate backs it up with a serious black fruit profile, some nice herbal character, and blood. plays well above its already high esteem.
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4/27/2013 - jc-mmb Likes this wine: 94 Points
fairly consistent with my last note. not tasted blind. color and nose continue to be gorgeous. palate is approachable like last time. full fruit with little oak, spice and gamey character. lost some of the verve from a yea ago - more subtle this time around but still a full mouthfeel. finish still lacks a little but is long. overall just cant quite elevate this to outstanding but it is a great bottle of wine. no complaints here.
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3/22/2013 - gpowell1978 Does not like this wine: 65 Points
Awful wine. No points for subtly. Confirmed everything that is wrong with this style of wine making. Tasted next to a 59 Calon Segur which offered everything you could want in a wine. A sad statement about trophy wines that offer no QPR yet seem to attract such strangely positive reviewed. I wonder if it were served blind whether anyone would rate this so highly.
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3/22/2013 - pjaines Does not like this wine:
This is horrendous wine - power, sweetness, ooompf, power, bling.....no style, no class....just brute force. Sweet port-like fruit that totally swamps the palate. No structure...just brutal. The only things it lacks are class, finesse, refinement and pleasure.
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3/10/2013 - boreddoughboy wrote: 96 Points
Full bodied, powerful nose and potent follow through on the palate. Wine of the night at LittleRed Wine Dinner.
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2/14/2013 - pakabear wrote: 94 Points
Not as complex as other SQN's, bacon fat, strawberry and some spice. Good balance and silky texture.
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2/10/2013 - soyhead wrote: 94 Points
limited notes. slightly meaty nose. mouth - big fruited and savory. concentrated with a long finish. delicious
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12/21/2012 - dbg wrote:
Dark purple, almost black. Intense nose of ripe blackberry/raspberry with notes of smoke and tar. Dense palate coating layers of lush ripe fruit balanced by mellow tannins and a reasonably acidic backbone. Coats the inside of your mouth and just hangs in there. Long finish. No real complexity yet but awesomely dense. Even better on day 2. Extraordinary.
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12/18/2012 - PC73 wrote:
Very dark purple in colour. Glass coating. Spice, cloves on nose. Not chewy at all given youth. Fragrant. Fairly smoothe. Minimal tannins. Touch of redcurrant on finish. Huge amount of cherry on the finish.
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12/15/2012 - Squirreljam wrote: 94 Points
Not ready but when it is, in maybe 5 years, wow. Impenetrably dark, couldn't even get light through it holding glass up to a lightbulb, but on the edges it's deep purple red. On the nose, my wife thought cake but I didn't get that though there is a hint of sweetness that's not borne out on the palate. Really rich in the mouth but pulls it off without cloying, unlike some other top-end cali syrahs (e.g. Alban, for me). Probably shouldn't have pulled this but was having rack of lamb and wanted to try this.
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12/5/2012 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Well this was one of the better young SQN wines I have ever tasted. Wow, plush, voluptuous, yet and not over the top. This is drinking outrageously well already. All of the prototypical Syrah elements with black and red fruit mingling with smoke, tar, and asphalt. Fantastic texture. Delicious wine.
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10/17/2012 - dln646 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted along with SQN Pictures, this wine is the most chock-a-block black colored with purple inky tints. The poured droplets looks weighty and concentrated, and so does the rim-level core.
At first quaff the wine shriek in gorgeous ripe raspberry, which later evolves into the most synergistic odor I've ever stumble upon. To the point of ludicrousness this wine coalesce existing aromas into possibly every aroma you could ever sense. In essence, if you just name-dropped three frequent wine aromas I bet you could find them all in this thrill. I'm getting the impression that I, yet once more, use the word synergy, but this wine is pure synergism. I get wonderful Nothern Rhône-like herbs, multiple fruits (ripe black cherries, blackberries), cream, licorice, ink, bacon fat, all sorts of pepper (white pepper, black pepper and why not rose pepper), green banana skins and faint French oak sweet spice and vanilla.
On the attack the complexity continues. The wine is bringing its bass with sub-woofers. Across my entire palate the wine never let's down with intensity. On the mid-palate the wine truly explodes into almost perfection. A mixture of rich but elegant micro tannins and dainty high acidity is wrapped up in total full-bodied silky concentration. Super flavor intensity, perfumed with fruits without being dry or jammy. Characters luster with more pepper, herbs, cherries, blackberries and floral violets.
The finish is everlasting, really. Alcohol seems to rather tribute the sum concentration of the wine, so much rather than spiking. Pure yummy and balanced. There's so much finesse in the practice of oak, which goes far beyond my expectations. Bearing everything in mind, The Thrill of... shines with typicity, and is truly scrumptious. Sine Qua Non is surely hyped, but I verify the hype is there for a reason. It takes skill and talent to make a wine of such caliber - rigorous grape selection, awareness of how to perceive greater phenolic ripeness and the clever use of oak seems in my book like the true fundamentals of these wines. This isn't about terroir, and I don't really care, because it's delicious. My guess is that this will drink stunningly for another 15 years. http://quaffable.org/?p=190
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10/11/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Sine Qua Non the Cult of Cults; 10/10/2012-10/11/2012 (Roberson Wine, South Ken, London & The Square, London): Dark ruby red colour and a proper visual intro for what is to follow. Full on the fruit on the nose, spices, liquorice, oak ( pls note this is 50% new oak only) , vanilla and violets. Very young at this stage, full on and austere is a word that cannot be ever used with this wine. sweet dark fruits on the palate and although it's young the oak is not out of sync and feels very much part of the wine. if this develops like the 2005 Atlantis syrah ( if we can draw a parallel) it will need 5years more to hit its stride. 91-92 at the moment though.
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10/11/2012 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
A taste of SQN (Roberson, Kensington, London): Opaque black purple, very oaky, a tad jammy on the nose, but saved by the spice, dense chewy and tannic, huge concentration, but again it's not out of proportion. Impressive.
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9/15/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Late Summer Afternoon Outside with Friends (Lake Forest IL): Ultra ripe black plum, black cherry, liqueur aromas with anise and floral hints with little subtlety today. Palate shows greater balance and nuance, with the same fruit, slightly more spice-driven. I've often found SQN Syrah better a year or more after release, so while I liked this today, I think I will like it much more in another year or three.
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8/24/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 97 Points
Extraordinary - cant even imagine how good this will be.
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7/26/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 95 Points
Lucky taste from a guest at Cut.
Oh my goodness! This wine delivers on all cylinders. So much fruit, earth, minerals, chocolate, leather, smokey meat.
Incredible layers of everything going on here. So much in your face blackberries, figs, milk chocolate, fancy medium roast coffee beans.
The palate is silky and caresses the entire mouth. So much extraction yet it still comes across as being lighter and easy to drink. Incredible. So happy I have a bottle myself.
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7/26/2012 - MusignyBlanc wrote: 96 Points
At The Lambs Club in NYC. Decanted for 30 minutes or so and then served with our entrees. Notes from memory - but primary impression was of intense and layered flavors balanced with a piercing acidity. The result was a stunning and elegant wine with a finish that seemed to last forever. Our group all thought this surprisingly approachable for the winery and vintage. No doubt, however, that this can cellar for many years.
(Definitely 15.5, but certainly didn't drink like it.)
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7/26/2012 - Rosengoo wrote: 93 Points
I brought this bottle to One restaurant to meet up with some friends. It was only decanted for approximately 30 minutes and although I thoroughly enjoyed it right from the opening, I felt that it improved quite a bit over the next 90 minutes. Very deep in colour with a nose of various jams.
I continue to really enjoy SQN syrahs as I find the balance of alcohol content (although high) and spices just right for my palate. This bottle was another example of that with tastes of berries and caramel thrown in the mix.
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6/8/2012 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sine Qua Non vertical (Carlton Restaurant, Zurich): Very funny that this is so much more similar to the 'Upside down' than to the other young Syrahs that we had. Sweet, nearly artificial, bubblegum and strawberries.
Give it some time and it will be exotic and fantastic
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5/30/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Opened and drank over one hour. Actually really impressed with this wine. Huge nose that jumps from the glass with rich black and blue fruits. Incredibly thick and juicy on the palate with blue fruits, chocolate and some smokey tones. Great mouthfeel and incredibly smooth at such a young age. Nice long finish.
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5/29/2012 - cadamson wrote: 95 Points
Twice in a couple weeks, I could get used to this. Similar notes to the last one. Restrained, the 15.5% alcohol is well under control. Elegant for the size. All the right stuff to get better as time adds some complexity. Very nice. Black as a moonless night. I bit of smoky oak on the nose that eventually blows off, which is about the only thing I did not care for. Really amazing this is 15.5%, simply drinks like it is 13.5%, though after drinking half a bottle there is no question that 15.5% was right!
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5/19/2012 - Rosengoo wrote: 92 Points
We popped this one and gave it only 30 minutes to decant. As with most SQN syrah wines, I really enjoy the balance that this wine had when it came to the spices. Quite deep in colour with lots of caramel on the nose. On the downside, the wine was slightly "thin" to taste. It improved over time in the glass and I'm assuming that it just needed a good couple of hours decanting time to open up.
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5/14/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Inky purple ruby colored with tears that stain the glass. Blackberry, blueberry, smoke, chocolate malt, black cherry smoke aromas get you going. Massive, concentrated, powerful and rich, but lacking the density of the best vintages, this thick, plush, California Syrah wine ends with a big, juicy, sweet mouthful of smoky blueberry, coffee bean, iron and black cherry.
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5/13/2012 - cadamson wrote: 94 Points
Deep, dark purple. Somewhat restrained nose initially, but floral, oak and blue fruit notes emerge. Very nice and surprisingly light mouthfeel (not light, I mean lighter than expected), elegant even. Restrained, the 15.5% alcohol is well under control. All the right stuff to get better as time adds some complexity. Very nice.
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4/29/2012 - jc-mmb wrote: 94 Points
non blind. couldn't wait any longer to try one of these. can i say it's not my favorite sqn label? but, can't judge a book by its cover, right? color scrreams syrah. brillant edgy dark purple. staining, as expected. nose leaps from the glass, but is a touch hot at this point. there is nice dark fruit, pepper, spice. the first thing that comes to my mind upon tasting this is a subtleness, a lighter style, a something missing perhaps, a premier cru and not a grand crus mouthfeel. say it ain't so. but as it opens, maybe that's not all bad. we taste early to see eveolution, right? as it opens in the glass, the fruit builds, the smokey, volcanic undertone rises up but never reaches a fever pitch. but the whole palate begins to come together. integration happens as i continue to taste. a ringer for a northern rhone style of not in your face, but sulky, sultry richness that suddenly has won you over. the finish is still tight on this one and hasn't reached it potential yet. good? yes. great yet? not quite.
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4/19/2012 - St Paul wrote: 97 Points
I love SQN. Normally I feel they are a bit too big and powerful the first couple of years but not this time. I think this is a bit more elegant than other vintages this young. A complex and interesting wine. Manfred Krankl is a hero.
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4/18/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 96 Points
Save your voice and your pencil. There is no need to discuss, the 2009 The Thrill Of... is a brilliant effort. What I am trying to get at is that all SQNs are made only with themselves as the proper comparator. The style is massive yet elegant in way that other producers cannot reach without much difficulty. The 2009 The Thrill Of... has a massive nose revealing the SQN typical fruit combined with a herbal scent and luxurious oak. The palate is massive but also shows a deep and profound integration. All components are in place but the wine will need some time to settle down, maybe 5 years or more. The length on the finish is amazing, it just keeps going and going. There is a subtle residual sweetness which I like very much and I know time will deal with it. This might not be a wine for everyone, but it certainly is a masterpiece. (score is 96-97)
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4/8/2012 - shadow wrote: 98 Points
opens up nicely, fresh and tasty, pleasure to sip
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