2012 Sine Qua Non In the Abstract- USA, California, Central Coast (11/14/2014)
Just because! Another amazing white from sqn….37% Chardonnay, 31% Roussanne, 16% Petite Manseng and 16% Viognier……brilliant yellow, green, slight cloudy color……bowl full of white Rhone goodness nose! Does need some opening to calm the acidic zip….creams up nicely with peach, apricot, pear, grilled pineapple, orange marmalade.……to go along with that huge burst of fresh citrus, sqn pop rocks in the mouth! Then the exotics come out….white honey butter, smoked honeycombs, lemon wax, crushed rocks, white flowers and honeysuckle florals galore! Very light handed…more freshness than richness(for sqn) but still full bodied and in perfect balance. Will love to see this one in 10+ years…but that’s going to be tuff…because it’s SO damn tasty now!! (97 pts.)
I opened this on Monday at the Mike on Tour event in New York. I agree. Fantastic wine. wonderful nose that got better with air. Complex multi-flavors. I love the SQN whites.
Kris, curious what your favorite whites from SQN are – I’ve tried a bunch, but can’t say I have a rhyme or reason to the ones I like better (Boot, Petition, Kolibri)
Extremely well. We drank it as wine #2 so it was still early with no palate fatigue and the ABV was barely noticeable. I can’t say enough about this wine. I would say it is one of the best non-dessert wines I have ever had. Blending chardonnay with Rhone varieties works very well. We had white Rhones for Mike on Tour Friday night that were quite good and this was like those but exponentially, rather than just linearly (?), better. No back of the palate chalkiness or bitterness I sometimes experience with Rhone whites. No oily components I do not like. The nose was in harmony with the palate. I just hope Manfred recovers and can make more like this. I think Buzz’s 97 points is just about right, and I don’t go over 95 more than once or twice a year, and even at once or twice I consider myself lucky.
Sqn is probably my most favorite white wine period! I get SO much joy out of each bottle…but I also like me some killa GC burg as well…so I will take you up on your offer!
My dial goes to 105!!
Some heat showing up this time…the acid seems to be integrating nicely…still amazing W Rhone flavors…richness with freshness. Day 2 didn’t change anything except maybe even a little more richness. Ok…2 bottles down…now I NEED to hold off here for the golden years…6-10 yrs of age!! So hard to do though!