A consistent showing from when I've sampled this wine in 2021 and 2018. Spice box, dark black cherry, ripe black raspberry, soil, cedar, and even more spice (cinnamon stick). Expressive and large-scaled. Finishes rich and powerful, with some alcohol lingering. Fleshier this time around, too. Drinking fine now, if but a little burly for my tastes.
Unlike this Grenache, its Syrah sibling is all spun up right now (at least that was the case with the bottle of the 2008 Syrah served next to it was). Drink the Grenache. Hold the Syrah.
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (R&D’s): Blind. Dark color. Pine, raspberry and herb notes to start. Picks up a cinnamon note with air. Full-bodied, with medium tannins and flavors of raspberry liqueur, dried herbs, rosemary and plum. Asian spice accents in the finish. Well-balanced with an abundance of perfectly ripe fruit. Not as complex as the others, but really enjoyable.
This had been opened just over seven hours before the flight was poured, and decanted for three hours in that stretch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bottle opened at 1030am, poured a glass and recorked, and then decanted and served at 7pm. Drank over 4.5 hours
Paired with tomahawk steak.
What a wine!
Nose - cherry, liquorice, slightly minty, floral. The palette is quite fruit forward and tasted like a gourmet version of strawberry fruit roll-ups, with cherry, liquorice (like the ricola candy), and minty notes. The wine is balanced, powerful but very elegant. The finish is very long - it lingers in the mouth and doesn’t seem to go away.
Paired heavenly with the tomahawk steak - the steak tasted beefier and the fat turned into a creamy and buttery taste in the mouth. The wine gained a meaty flavour and the red fruits accentuated as well. This combination of flavours lingered for a long time every time you put a piece of meat into your mouth and then sipped some wine - what an ethereal experience!
This wine can take in lots of air. It is more open and developed towards the fourth-hour mark, with grilled meat notes emerging. The wine has already taken in 13 hours of air by then and still went strong.
I am sold - kudos to Mr Krankl!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kirsch, earth, spicebox, pine needles, and black cherry elements ride slightly higher toned and on a thin layer of alcohol before a two-hour decant allows for the flavors to file in proper line and fashion a beautiful delivery of spicy berry fruit laced with soil and cedar notes. There is a lot of energy and verve here, with a Punky Brewster kind of optimism that makes for a smile-on-your-face expression of the varietal. (And not the Punky Brewster reboot – that’s just kinda crunchy).
I had this three years ago and the acid was notably at the forefront. This bottle didn’t show as much over-grip, but the freshness and verve were quite surprising (in a good way). This is not one of those Grenache that over time can get that funky earth dealio going on where it starts to taste dirty. This SQN is a clean and pure representation, with a drinking window that is seemingly just starting and will continue to perform well over the next 5-7+ years. This is not an overly rich or extracted style, and possess a nice bead of classicism in its profile. 95-96+ points.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An excellent expression of Grenache, my favorite SQN varietal. Decanted for six hours and it was just enough. Delicious now, and still good for 5 + years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still youthful and still showing a good bit of vanilla/oak. Very silky and polished. Not surprisingly, it’s a big Grenache. It’s drinking great now, but I’d like to see this again in another 5 years or so to see if some secondary notes show up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Immaculate bottle and cork. Floral fruit, medium to full bodied, balanced, sophistocated power and elegance. Leather, just a hint of eucalyptus, just right tannins, long, lingering finish. Spectacular wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Moderate nose of berries. Palate of intense sweet fruit which moderated into sweatmeat and soil. Short to medium finish. This was decanted for about 45 minutes. IMHO a nice wine but rather one dimensional and not especially memorable as I write this later in the evening. Funny enough this is Grenache but if blind I would have honestly guessed Northern Rhone (in a hot year). After drinking a number of SQN and some NOK I think I prefer the NOK, but to each his (or her!) own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This lovely and almost brutally pleasant acquaintance is a blend of 82% Grenache, 14% Syrah and a tiny sprinkle of 4% equal amounts of Viognier and Roussanne. All fruit was sourced from Manfred Krankl's own vineyard "Eleven Confessions". The wine was fermented with 32% whole cluster and aged in 15% new French oak.
As you can tell, these hard facts make a lot of promise for what is to find once tasting... Perfection. Full stop.
As with most wines from this star produces, the 2008 The Duel Grenache will raise opinion and feelings no matter who tastes it.
It is extremely powerful.
It reveals a profound complexity after some time in the glass.
It has an elegance that is hard to compete with.
This effort has spent a long time on oak. Inspired by the "LaLaLa wines" from Guigal, Manfred Krankl produces these exquisite wines only from fruit out of his own Eleven Confessions vineyard. The nose offers up a rich creamy fruit full of deep burgundy velvet boysenberry, strawberry and strawberry. Actually the world's all berries are found in this nose. After about an hour or more in the glass, a complex layer of cacao, sweet licorice, mint, a whiff of Eucalyptus, flowers and saddle leather emerges. After several hours in the glass, the wine is still alive. It never shuts down or become "simple"...
But do not be mistaken - there is a ton of elegance added to this wine as well. The whole effort is just astonishingly well balanced. There is not a hard edge to be found. Thick deep velvet is the best way to describe the nose.
The palate actually fits pretty well to this description too. It is massive, but extremely well balanced and integrated. Everything is in place and there are no "oak related" tannins to speak of. There is enough texture and structure to make this effort last for another couple of deacades is a guesstimate based on tasting SQN wines on 59 different occasions since 2009. Perhaps needless to say, the length on the finish just goes on and on with a seamless integration.
It is very hard for me to find anything that is "better" compared to this wine - from a more objective than subjective point of view. I honestly cannot find one single flaw here. Hence, a perfect score it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was decanted for 45 minutes prior to drinking. The wine was clear and deep red in colour with a nose and flavours of ripe cherries, some strawberries and a hint of chocolate. Both the acidity and tannins were very well balanced and not overly strong. This was a lovely wine tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sine Qua Non (SQN) Magnum Extravaganza + Bevan, Mike Smith, Sparkling/Champagne, and others (Calistoga): From magnum. Purple/red plum, deep kirsch, raspberry, strawberry, and wild red and black cherry. Some garrigue and underbrush on the finish. Seemingly higher on the acid spectrum, with a formidable grip clenching the sides of the mouth, squeezing the palate before releasing more fruit on the back end. A mild bite on the finish resurfaced on the very tail end.
This wine was much better after a few hours in the decanter. More seamless and smooth with air. Holding for another year might be prudent, especially if it is in magnum format. The .750s might be optimum at this juncture (not sure). In this case, the acid was apparent, but only somewhat distracting. Otherwise, the pure and intense fruit was very compelling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At the Acker tasting, great treat to taste a few SQNs. Decanted for a bit prior to the tasting.
Rich purple color. Powerful nose of dark fruits, blackberry. Palate showing blueberry, bramble, sweet spices, leather, floral notes. Big and expressive grenache...rich and spicy finish...smooth texture. Classic SQNm in a great spot right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with a friend over 2 hours while decanting, this wine was clear and a mid deep level of purple in colour. With a bouquet and flavours of candied cherries, chocolate and some light spices, this bottle was in a good place to drink. Both the tannins and acidity were quite light and the wine had a good but not overly long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My WOTN, though I was the only vote for it. Really nice dark chocolate and black fruit. some sweet spice, but primarily from the oak rather than development -- this is still very young. Really nice soft tannins give this a luxurious mouthfeel. Really long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A surprisingly easy wine to drink. Smooth starting out, but the tannin appeared after about an hour along with a bit of coconut flavor that detracted slightly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was drank at a local restaurant with minimal decanting and I have to say that this was one of the best SQN bottles that I have ever enjoyed. Clear and one of the deepest and darkest purples that I have ever seen in a wine, the nose on this was filled with ripe cherries and some caramel. In the glass were strong flavours of cherries and some chocolate and even though this comes in at almost 16% alcohol, you wouldn't know it based on the balance of this thick wine (although it was very slightly "hot"). The tannins were strong and the acidity was mid level and the finish on this was incredibly noticeable and long. I'd like to try another of these with decanting because tonight this was stunning and perhaps my wine of the year so far.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smoky, rich and ripe with a creamy smoothness. Good depth and well integrated flavors, but seemed almost a bit closed down in the middle and not strutting all its stuff. Great potential and an impressive finish, but not very giving currently. My guess is more to come here with patience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sine Qua Non Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): Black fruit throughout with depth of concentration. Slightly backward tonight, this was less opulent vs when last tasted a few years ago, starting to show some bashful reserve, but clearly will reward more time in the cellar given its density and balance. Better in another 2-5 years, with 93-95 point potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is so much going on with this wine, it's stunning in every way. The luxurious texture to the massive wall of ripe, sweet, delicious, pure fruit is impossible to miss. The finish goes on and on. The wine really delivers hedonism in every sip. This is the perfect wine for pleasure seekers.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened around noon and decanted several hours at night. Don’t think it every really opened up. Well made but lacked the pizzazz I anticipated. The palate was sweet and syrupy (cola, glycerin, baking spice) with an alcoholic note on the finish. In all fairness I was tasting Rhones all day so my palate was likely shot.
Massive, opulent wine. Extremely expressive nose of blue and red fruit, grilled meat, garrigue, some baking spices, and a floral backdrop. The palette is inky ahd huge with gripping tannins but also a plush texture. Vanilla, deep blue berry pie, spice and red meat hit the mid that leads into a sweet tobacco and chocolate laden finish that persists for quite some time. This was AWESOME, but will be absolutely ethereal in 10 to 13 years. 9-20-9-9
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing nose of raspberries, mint, grilled beef, and baking spices. The palate is full with some vanillin, herbs, red berries and some tannins. Needs some time but it's great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sadly had so much SQN and it was all so strong that I can only attest that this is a superb wine without being able to comment on it's characteristics. Lesson to self - have less bottles and take the time to drink em.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sunday Night Sine Qua Non Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Very fun, but this same across as hedonistic chocolate cake tonight. Lush, ultra ripe black fruit with lots of clove, allspice and black pepper. Very powerful, just needs to reach a more calm equilibrium. I expect this will be much more elegant in another year or three. My first time tasting both the SQN 2008 Grenache cuvees. Both need more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
--- COLOR: Deep purple with medium-purple rim NOTE: I could smell this all day. It's like the best lavender soap you've ever smelled, the kind they have in the restrooms at the best restaurants in France. I know, sounds weird, but if you've experienced it then you know. Beyond the lavender, the nose contains fresh blue/blackberry pie, opulent, liqueur-driven, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg everywhere, even a whiff of smoked meats and fresh cracked pepper. It's just such a lovely nose I can't get over it. What a perfume! So sweet, but so structured, then so fruity, then so opulent? Can a nose be opulent? If so, this is it. Mouth is rich and round, almost opulent, and very black-fruit driven. Definite garrigue elements and more baking spices, some hints of tar and dried tobacco. Finish starts with the same fruit profile but quickly diverges into the structure of dried tobacco, cracked pepper, dusting of dark cocoa powder and baking spices. Tannins are smooth but significant. This probably has a long life ahead of it as long as the ripeness doesn't overwhelm it. This thing is ready to go now with a couple hours of decant and just gets better with each hour. Keep it at 65 degrees so the alcohol is tamed.
Even the dregs of this wine were silky and great.
There's some real heat in there from nose to finish, the price you pay for such a ripe Grenache. But that takes it down a point. The 2005 Saxum Rocket Block is still my #1 Grenache ever.
DECANT: 1-4 hours GLASS USED: Pinot Noir TASTE: 9.5 COST: 225 VALUE: 4.0 TRY AGAIN: now - 2020 PAIRING: anything or nothing. Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank next to the Syrah. Much more perfumed on the nose. Very sweet and floral. Loads of sweet red and blue fruit on the palate. Perfect integration and balance. Love the pure black, red and blue fruit. Long, lingering finish. Glossy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Goodman's It is hard not to like this wine. An amazing Grenache with a full robust mouthfeel and incredible flavour even at this early age. It is lovely and a brilliant example of California at it's best. So is it better than some of the high end CNDPs? - well it beats the vast majority hand down but there a couple of old world examples (micro cuvee) that still come out on top. This is but splitting hairs as this is wonderful stuff.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bachelor Party BYO Wine Dinner with the guys (Del Frisco's Chicago): Greg's generous contribution to our steak and wine bachelor party dinner at Del Frisco's. Decanted about two hours. All of our first taste of one of SQN's extended aged bottlings. This didn't (really) disappoint. The wine is extremely rich. Just looking at the black opaque liquid in the glass, you could tell extraction and complexity will both be high. Black currant compote, stewed blueberry pie and cobbler. Baked goods coupled with anise, black peppercorn. Not so much savory meaty qualities than other SQN I've tasted. This was all delicious fruit. Molasses, maple and lots of toasty oak and baking spices, but there is so much fruit there that it is all in harmony and showing nicely at this young young age. The back end showed a touch of savory brine elements but this was only at the end of the meal. The finish was long and complex. Not hot whatsoever, I expected a bit more complexity as a whole but the acidity was there and the tannins and alcohol well balanced. This is so so young. Let it settle for a decade or two. Beautiful and lots of potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had with a 01 Bodega Noemia and an 07 abreu throrevilos. Was the richest of the three as expected. Dark fruits with a core of....hmmm....oh yeah, MORE FRUIT. Quite massive but elegant as only SQN can do.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Simple - whoah. Decanted 1 hour. Blew everything else off the table and silenced the old world snobs in our midst... Lots of berries with a really nice hay texture in the background. Explosive.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Remnants of a bottle opened Tuesday night. Perfumed floral notes rise from the glass- lavender, lilac, potpourri- also boysenberry, blueberry and candied cherry. Full-bodied, with boysenberry, red currant, cherry, white pepper and even some garrigue qualities. Strong across the entire palate with good weight and depth and a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted briefly off its sediment & rebottled for travel about 9 hours before dinner. Inky red color. Notes of candied dark fruit, boysenberry and red fruit, vanilla and spices. Full-bodied and structured, but more open than the Syrah. The first SQN Grenache that I have truly enjoyed. Flavors of white pepper, red fruit and spice with a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): not as good as the other Estate Grenaches on this night... but still awesome. Cocoa is more forward on this and covers up some of the nice herbal notes right now, which are still there in the background. long finish and beautiful structure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very BIG and very SQN! The grenache is so amazing and was a great compliment to the food at AQ in SF! Pinot on steroids with a grace and elegance that we've come to expect of the fruit bombs from SQN.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
non blind. decanted for 6+ hours prior to pour. dark to the core, as expected. nose jumps for the bottle, decanter and glass. huge but not hot. great dark fruits with a cocoa and spice all evident. really nice start on the palate. dark fruits again with nice cigar and chocolate. little hot but not overpowering. but as this progresses through the mouth, it becomes disjointed and a little wacky/out of balance. a little wacky is not unusual for sqn (and maybe adds to the allure), but the balance is an issue with this bottle especially mid palate. gains some structure back on the finish. given others' notes, wonder if this is offish bottle. overall not terrible, but in context of previous sqn and current notes, this bottle did not live up to expectations.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first SQN and WOW what a wine. Hard to describe the flavors other than some berry, touch of meat & pepper. The laser like focuse & purity of flavors were just out of this world. It almost seemed as if the wine just grew in my glass as the night went on which was pretty amazing. I hope someday I get the chance to try another as this made my wine year!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another delicious effort -- I still have a special place in my heart for these EBA Grenaches. Dark fruit, spicebox, cocoa. Extremely smooth and rich, with a finish that lasts forever. Everything in great balance.
Wow! I confess in advance that whatever the Krankls do just happens to work for my palate. That said, this was amazing. Especially given it is fresh off the truck. One of the best Grenaches I have ever had. Ripe, but not jammy or juicy. Rich, but not sweet or over the top. Big, but not extracted or reduced. It had incredible balance, and was so light on its feet. This is one of those wines that feels like it should permanently stain your teeth, but is like drinking water. Contradiction in terms? Yes, but such is the magic of SQN. (PE: 100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/21/2024 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
A consistent showing from when I've sampled this wine in 2021 and 2018. Spice box, dark black cherry, ripe black raspberry, soil, cedar, and even more spice (cinnamon stick). Expressive and large-scaled. Finishes rich and powerful, with some alcohol lingering. Fleshier this time around, too. Drinking fine now, if but a little burly for my tastes.
Unlike this Grenache, its Syrah sibling is all spun up right now (at least that was the case with the bottle of the 2008 Syrah served next to it was). Drink the Grenache. Hold the Syrah.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
8/26/2023 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (R&D’s): Blind. Dark color. Pine, raspberry and herb notes to start. Picks up a cinnamon note with air. Full-bodied, with medium tannins and flavors of raspberry liqueur, dried herbs, rosemary and plum. Asian spice accents in the finish. Well-balanced with an abundance of perfectly ripe fruit. Not as complex as the others, but really enjoyable.
This had been opened just over seven hours before the flight was poured, and decanted for three hours in that stretch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2023 - chrisdgsmith@hotmail.co.uk Likes this wine: 95 Points
At PW's. Hugely impressive, like a super ripe CdP. Beautiful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2023 - Jzboxtas wrote: 92 Points
Good, not great. Potentially past its prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2022 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the good ones! Grenache at its best
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2021 - Lhyandrew wrote: 96 Points
At home
Sine Qua Non The Duel Grenache 08
Bottle opened at 1030am, poured a glass and recorked, and then decanted and served at 7pm. Drank over 4.5 hours
Paired with tomahawk steak.
What a wine!
Nose - cherry, liquorice, slightly minty, floral. The palette is quite fruit forward and tasted like a gourmet version of strawberry fruit roll-ups, with cherry, liquorice (like the ricola candy), and minty notes. The wine is balanced, powerful but very elegant. The finish is very long - it lingers in the mouth and doesn’t seem to go away.
Paired heavenly with the tomahawk steak - the steak tasted beefier and the fat turned into a creamy and buttery taste in the mouth. The wine gained a meaty flavour and the red fruits accentuated as well. This combination of flavours lingered for a long time every time you put a piece of meat into your mouth and then sipped some wine - what an ethereal experience!
This wine can take in lots of air. It is more open and developed towards the fourth-hour mark, with grilled meat notes emerging. The wine has already taken in 13 hours of air by then and still went strong.
I am sold - kudos to Mr Krankl!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2021 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Kirsch, earth, spicebox, pine needles, and black cherry elements ride slightly higher toned and on a thin layer of alcohol before a two-hour decant allows for the flavors to file in proper line and fashion a beautiful delivery of spicy berry fruit laced with soil and cedar notes. There is a lot of energy and verve here, with a Punky Brewster kind of optimism that makes for a smile-on-your-face expression of the varietal. (And not the Punky Brewster reboot – that’s just kinda crunchy).
I had this three years ago and the acid was notably at the forefront. This bottle didn’t show as much over-grip, but the freshness and verve were quite surprising (in a good way). This is not one of those Grenache that over time can get that funky earth dealio going on where it starts to taste dirty. This SQN is a clean and pure representation, with a drinking window that is seemingly just starting and will continue to perform well over the next 5-7+ years. This is not an overly rich or extracted style, and possess a nice bead of classicism in its profile. 95-96+ points.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
DC/Chicago Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Dense black fruit still front-and-center, with spice support a little too far in the background. Warm finish detracted from the overall experience. Didn't meet expectations tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2021 - birdeaux Likes this wine: 97 Points
An excellent expression of Grenache, my favorite SQN varietal. Decanted for six hours and it was just enough. Delicious now, and still good for 5 + years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2020 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfection. I have gone to wine heaven.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2020 - B Paul wrote:
Still youthful and still showing a good bit of vanilla/oak. Very silky and polished. Not surprisingly, it’s a big Grenache. It’s drinking great now, but I’d like to see this again in another 5 years or so to see if some secondary notes show up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2020 - Geoff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Immaculate bottle and cork. Floral fruit, medium to full bodied, balanced, sophistocated power and elegance. Leather, just a hint of eucalyptus, just right tannins, long, lingering finish. Spectacular wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2020 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Moderate nose of berries. Palate of intense sweet fruit which moderated into sweatmeat and soil. Short to medium finish. This was decanted for about 45 minutes. IMHO a nice wine but rather one dimensional and not especially memorable as I write this later in the evening. Funny enough this is Grenache but if blind I would have honestly guessed Northern Rhone (in a hot year). After drinking a number of SQN and some NOK I think I prefer the NOK, but to each his (or her!) own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2019 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 100 Points
This lovely and almost brutally pleasant acquaintance is a blend of 82% Grenache, 14% Syrah and a tiny sprinkle of 4% equal amounts of Viognier and Roussanne. All fruit was sourced from Manfred Krankl's own vineyard "Eleven Confessions". The wine was fermented with 32% whole cluster and aged in 15% new French oak.
As you can tell, these hard facts make a lot of promise for what is to find once tasting... Perfection. Full stop.
As with most wines from this star produces, the 2008 The Duel Grenache will raise opinion and feelings no matter who tastes it.
It is extremely powerful.
It reveals a profound complexity after some time in the glass.
It has an elegance that is hard to compete with.
This effort has spent a long time on oak. Inspired by the "LaLaLa wines" from Guigal, Manfred Krankl produces these exquisite wines only from fruit out of his own Eleven Confessions vineyard. The nose offers up a rich creamy fruit full of deep burgundy velvet boysenberry, strawberry and strawberry. Actually the world's all berries are found in this nose. After about an hour or more in the glass, a complex layer of cacao, sweet licorice, mint, a whiff of Eucalyptus, flowers and saddle leather emerges. After several hours in the glass, the wine is still alive. It never shuts down or become "simple"...
But do not be mistaken - there is a ton of elegance added to this wine as well. The whole effort is just astonishingly well balanced. There is not a hard edge to be found. Thick deep velvet is the best way to describe the nose.
The palate actually fits pretty well to this description too. It is massive, but extremely well balanced and integrated. Everything is in place and there are no "oak related" tannins to speak of. There is enough texture and structure to make this effort last for another couple of deacades is a guesstimate based on tasting SQN wines on 59 different occasions since 2009. Perhaps needless to say, the length on the finish just goes on and on with a seamless integration.
It is very hard for me to find anything that is "better" compared to this wine - from a more objective than subjective point of view. I honestly cannot find one single flaw here. Hence, a perfect score it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2018 - Rosengoo wrote: 96 Points
This was decanted for 45 minutes prior to drinking. The wine was clear and deep red in colour with a nose and flavours of ripe cherries, some strawberries and a hint of chocolate. Both the acidity and tannins were very well balanced and not overly strong. This was a lovely wine tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2018 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Sine Qua Non (SQN) Magnum Extravaganza + Bevan, Mike Smith, Sparkling/Champagne, and others (Calistoga): From magnum. Purple/red plum, deep kirsch, raspberry, strawberry, and wild red and black cherry. Some garrigue and underbrush on the finish. Seemingly higher on the acid spectrum, with a formidable grip clenching the sides of the mouth, squeezing the palate before releasing more fruit on the back end. A mild bite on the finish resurfaced on the very tail end.
This wine was much better after a few hours in the decanter. More seamless and smooth with air. Holding for another year might be prudent, especially if it is in magnum format. The .750s might be optimum at this juncture (not sure). In this case, the acid was apparent, but only somewhat distracting. Otherwise, the pure and intense fruit was very compelling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
At the Acker tasting, great treat to taste a few SQNs. Decanted for a bit prior to the tasting.
Rich purple color. Powerful nose of dark fruits, blackberry. Palate showing blueberry, bramble, sweet spices, leather, floral notes. Big and expressive grenache...rich and spicy finish...smooth texture. Classic SQNm in a great spot right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2017 - Rosengoo wrote: 96 Points
Drank with a friend over 2 hours while decanting, this wine was clear and a mid deep level of purple in colour. With a bouquet and flavours of candied cherries, chocolate and some light spices, this bottle was in a good place to drink. Both the tannins and acidity were quite light and the wine had a good but not overly long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2017 - ews3 wrote: 97 Points
My WOTN, though I was the only vote for it. Really nice dark chocolate and black fruit. some sweet spice, but primarily from the oak rather than development -- this is still very young. Really nice soft tannins give this a luxurious mouthfeel. Really long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2016 - fisk15 wrote: 93 Points
A surprisingly easy wine to drink. Smooth starting out, but the tannin appeared after about an hour along with a bit of coconut flavor that detracted slightly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2016 - Rosengoo Likes this wine: 98 Points
This was drank at a local restaurant with minimal decanting and I have to say that this was one of the best SQN bottles that I have ever enjoyed. Clear and one of the deepest and darkest purples that I have ever seen in a wine, the nose on this was filled with ripe cherries and some caramel. In the glass were strong flavours of cherries and some chocolate and even though this comes in at almost 16% alcohol, you wouldn't know it based on the balance of this thick wine (although it was very slightly "hot"). The tannins were strong and the acidity was mid level and the finish on this was incredibly noticeable and long. I'd like to try another of these with decanting because tonight this was stunning and perhaps my wine of the year so far.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smoky, rich and ripe with a creamy smoothness. Good depth and well integrated flavors, but seemed almost a bit closed down in the middle and not strutting all its stuff. Great potential and an impressive finish, but not very giving currently. My guess is more to come here with patience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Sine Qua Non Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): Black fruit throughout with depth of concentration. Slightly backward tonight, this was less opulent vs when last tasted a few years ago, starting to show some bashful reserve, but clearly will reward more time in the cellar given its density and balance. Better in another 2-5 years, with 93-95 point potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2016 - G_H wrote: 98 Points
Extremely fruit forward, cherries, nice sweetness but not overripe and an insane texture. Amazing stuff
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
There is so much going on with this wine, it's stunning in every way. The luxurious texture to the massive wall of ripe, sweet, delicious, pure fruit is impossible to miss. The finish goes on and on. The wine really delivers hedonism in every sip. This is the perfect wine for pleasure seekers.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2015 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Opened around noon and decanted several hours at night. Don’t think it every really opened up. Well made but lacked the pizzazz I anticipated. The palate was sweet and syrupy (cola, glycerin, baking spice) with an alcoholic note on the finish. In all fairness I was tasting Rhones all day so my palate was likely shot.
http://www.maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/132808352094
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2015 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 97 Points
Massive, opulent wine. Extremely expressive nose of blue and red fruit, grilled meat, garrigue, some baking spices, and a floral backdrop. The palette is inky ahd huge with gripping tannins but also a plush texture. Vanilla, deep blue berry pie, spice and red meat hit the mid that leads into a sweet tobacco and chocolate laden finish that persists for quite some time. This was AWESOME, but will be absolutely ethereal in 10 to 13 years.
9-20-9-9
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Amazing nose of raspberries, mint, grilled beef, and baking spices. The palate is full with some vanillin, herbs, red berries and some tannins. Needs some time but it's great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2014 - bengti Likes this wine: 97 Points
Sadly had so much SQN and it was all so strong that I can only attest that this is a superb wine without being able to comment on it's characteristics. Lesson to self - have less bottles and take the time to drink em.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Sunday Night Sine Qua Non Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Very fun, but this same across as hedonistic chocolate cake tonight. Lush, ultra ripe black fruit with lots of clove, allspice and black pepper. Very powerful, just needs to reach a more calm equilibrium. I expect this will be much more elegant in another year or three. My first time tasting both the SQN 2008 Grenache cuvees. Both need more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
---
COLOR: Deep purple with medium-purple rim
NOTE: I could smell this all day. It's like the best lavender soap you've ever smelled, the kind they have in the restrooms at the best restaurants in France. I know, sounds weird, but if you've experienced it then you know. Beyond the lavender, the nose contains fresh blue/blackberry pie, opulent, liqueur-driven, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg everywhere, even a whiff of smoked meats and fresh cracked pepper. It's just such a lovely nose I can't get over it. What a perfume! So sweet, but so structured, then so fruity, then so opulent? Can a nose be opulent? If so, this is it.
Mouth is rich and round, almost opulent, and very black-fruit driven. Definite garrigue elements and more baking spices, some hints of tar and dried tobacco.
Finish starts with the same fruit profile but quickly diverges into the structure of dried tobacco, cracked pepper, dusting of dark cocoa powder and baking spices. Tannins are smooth but significant. This probably has a long life ahead of it as long as the ripeness doesn't overwhelm it. This thing is ready to go now with a couple hours of decant and just gets better with each hour. Keep it at 65 degrees so the alcohol is tamed.
Even the dregs of this wine were silky and great.
There's some real heat in there from nose to finish, the price you pay for such a ripe Grenache. But that takes it down a point. The 2005 Saxum Rocket Block is still my #1 Grenache ever.
DECANT: 1-4 hours
GLASS USED: Pinot Noir
TASTE: 9.5
COST: 225
VALUE: 4.0
TRY AGAIN: now - 2020
PAIRING: anything or nothing.
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Drank next to the Syrah. Much more perfumed on the nose. Very sweet and floral. Loads of sweet red and blue fruit on the palate. Perfect integration and balance. Love the pure black, red and blue fruit. Long, lingering finish. Glossy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clearly a Grenache, sweet style, nice fruit and structure but tasted next to the Syrah it just doesn't show as well. Still an amazing wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2013 - RayOB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at Goodman's
It is hard not to like this wine. An amazing Grenache with a full robust mouthfeel and incredible flavour even at this early age. It is lovely and a brilliant example of California at it's best. So is it better than some of the high end CNDPs? - well it beats the vast majority hand down but there a couple of old world examples (micro cuvee) that still come out on top. This is but splitting hairs as this is wonderful stuff.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 96 Points
Bachelor Party BYO Wine Dinner with the guys (Del Frisco's Chicago): Greg's generous contribution to our steak and wine bachelor party dinner at Del Frisco's.
Decanted about two hours. All of our first taste of one of SQN's extended aged bottlings. This didn't (really) disappoint.
The wine is extremely rich. Just looking at the black opaque liquid in the glass, you could tell extraction and complexity will both be high.
Black currant compote, stewed blueberry pie and cobbler. Baked goods coupled with anise, black peppercorn. Not so much savory meaty qualities than other SQN I've tasted. This was all delicious fruit.
Molasses, maple and lots of toasty oak and baking spices, but there is so much fruit there that it is all in harmony and showing nicely at this young young age.
The back end showed a touch of savory brine elements but this was only at the end of the meal.
The finish was long and complex. Not hot whatsoever, I expected a bit more complexity as a whole but the acidity was there and the tannins and alcohol well balanced.
This is so so young. Let it settle for a decade or two. Beautiful and lots of potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2013 - bonedocnine wrote: 95 Points
Had with a 01 Bodega Noemia and an 07 abreu throrevilos. Was the richest of the three as expected. Dark fruits with a core of....hmmm....oh yeah, MORE FRUIT. Quite massive but elegant as only SQN can do.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2013 - Productman Likes this wine: 98 Points
Simple - whoah. Decanted 1 hour. Blew everything else off the table and silenced the old world snobs in our midst... Lots of berries with a really nice hay texture in the background. Explosive.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2013 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Remnants of a bottle opened Tuesday night. Perfumed floral notes rise from the glass- lavender, lilac, potpourri- also boysenberry, blueberry and candied cherry. Full-bodied, with boysenberry, red currant, cherry, white pepper and even some garrigue qualities. Strong across the entire palate with good weight and depth and a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2013 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Decanted briefly off its sediment & rebottled for travel about 9 hours before dinner. Inky red color. Notes of candied dark fruit, boysenberry and red fruit, vanilla and spices. Full-bodied and structured, but more open than the Syrah. The first SQN Grenache that I have truly enjoyed. Flavors of white pepper, red fruit and spice with a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2013 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): not as good as the other Estate Grenaches on this night... but still awesome. Cocoa is more forward on this and covers up some of the nice herbal notes right now, which are still there in the background. long finish and beautiful structure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2013 - bonedocnine wrote: 95 Points
Very BIG and very SQN! The grenache is so amazing and was a great compliment to the food at AQ in SF! Pinot on steroids with a grace and elegance that we've come to expect of the fruit bombs from SQN.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2013 - jc-mmb Likes this wine: 91 Points
non blind. decanted for 6+ hours prior to pour. dark to the core, as expected. nose jumps for the bottle, decanter and glass. huge but not hot. great dark fruits with a cocoa and spice all evident. really nice start on the palate. dark fruits again with nice cigar and chocolate. little hot but not overpowering. but as this progresses through the mouth, it becomes disjointed and a little wacky/out of balance. a little wacky is not unusual for sqn (and maybe adds to the allure), but the balance is an issue with this bottle especially mid palate. gains some structure back on the finish. given others' notes, wonder if this is offish bottle. overall not terrible, but in context of previous sqn and current notes, this bottle did not live up to expectations.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2012 - lsnider wrote: 99 Points
My first SQN and WOW what a wine. Hard to describe the flavors other than some berry, touch of meat & pepper. The laser like focuse & purity of flavors were just out of this world. It almost seemed as if the wine just grew in my glass as the night went on which was pretty amazing. I hope someday I get the chance to try another as this made my wine year!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2012 - WineguyATL Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wine of the Night !!! Fantastic nose. Drinking beautifully but still has another 7 to 8 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2012 - ews3 wrote: 97 Points
Another delicious effort -- I still have a special place in my heart for these EBA Grenaches. Dark fruit, spicebox, cocoa. Extremely smooth and rich, with a finish that lasts forever. Everything in great balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/30/2012 - MarkC Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wow! I confess in advance that whatever the Krankls do just happens to work for my palate. That said, this was amazing. Especially given it is fresh off the truck. One of the best Grenaches I have ever had. Ripe, but not jammy or juicy. Rich, but not sweet or over the top. Big, but not extracted or reduced. It had incredible balance, and was so light on its feet. This is one of those wines that feels like it should permanently stain your teeth, but is like drinking water. Contradiction in terms? Yes, but such is the magic of SQN. (PE: 100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment