Couple more 100's for SQN.....

WINE TALK
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…but this time, from Suckling!

2007 Dangerous Birds Syrah/Grenache 100pts

[cheers.gif]

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This is quickly smacking of ‘big shoes to fill’ with someone stepping right in.

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I doubt there is any dispute that Suckling is the biggest points whore critic in the history of the game. 2007 Modus, 96 points. Really? Really? If it’s italian, or just plain big, its 96+ points no matter what.

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As a quick data point, this past Saturday night I found the 2005 Atlantis Syrah undrinkable. I cannot see how the more recent wines continue to garner these high accolades as they are truly pushing the “winemaking” envelope. High ETOH, reductive and syrupy is all that has followed Poker Face IMO.

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That wine was undrinkable for me as well.

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You know that this puts you in the AFWE right?

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Possibly. I was a fan of SQN for a bit, but these past couple of releases, both white and red, have crossed the line into I don’t know what. Maybe my newly found love of German Rieslings is playing tricks on my tongue and taste buds. newhere

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100 je fus, undrinkable je suis, SQN ne change

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That will get you an automatic, lifetime, irrevocable membership.

10

Indeed.

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“…Reminds me of the 1989 Rayas”…“Amazing complexity. Like 1978 or 1961 La Chapelle…”

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Wait, Suckling said that the 07 SQN reminded him of a 61 La Chapelle? I need to stop down for a second. SQN’s hugely extracted, beyond massive, inky, res-sugar-sweet black beast reminded Suckling of one of the most epic wines of all time, renowned for its savory flavors and slow evolution?

It’s a joke right? Was Suckling hired by Wine Enthusiast?

Anyway, here’s an interesting article by Jancis Robinson on the rise and fall of La Chapelle that I found interesting and on the money.

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/winenews060128.html

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So Baron Rothschild and Manfred Krankl now have something in common?

RT

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[shock.gif]

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“Rokay Raggy”, said in Scooby Doo voice

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I love SQN so I can’t join in the bashing. I do find it interesting though that Suckling, just prior to leaving WS described the 05 Lillian as an abominal ‘Godzilla Wine’ in the most pejorative sense of the word. I just had my last bottle of the 05 two nights ago, and I feel that vintage was as close to the Atlantis as Maggie has ever been.

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Bill…y’know I love you but I have to disagree. We just had a bottle of the Atlantis syrah the other night as well and let me just say that everyone in the room (Old World and New World lovers) thought it was strong competition with the bottle of 88 Guigal La Turque that we were drinking (blew away the 75 and 00 Musar). While all very different wines, the SQN and Guigal were at the same qualitative level and both absolutely killed it. Atlantis is drinking other worldly right now. We did recently have a Shot In The Dark that showed very poorly which only confirms my findings that SQN is best consumed within 3-6months from release or after five years (outside of the 17th Nail which continues to nail it). Just my two cents.

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Atlantis two weeks ago was spectacular fwiw

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This is not a comment on SQN (the ones I’ve had were not 100 pointers to my knowledge) but I can honestly say of the WA 100 pointer wines I’ve had, 75% or so have either been average or terrible, and of the ones that were good none were great, so the distinction is one I honestly regard as either meaningless or a warning for a wine that will be overrated and overpriced. On the other hand, I suppose the price premium for 100 pointers could serve as a tax on blind point chasers…

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rolleyes