2007 Sine Qua Non Stripes & Stars- USA, California, Central Coast (6/11/2009)
pop and pour, when cold it has a sweet watermelon nose like a jollyrancher but when it gets to room temperature it gets peppery with ripe meaty sweet cherries and a bit of baked bread. juicy and metallic on the palate with spicy earthy strawberries with a tinge of stem on the finish. Clean , crisp, with a medium length finish and so so acidity. Drinking very well right now! (93 pts.)
I thought this was pretty weak and that’s before you get to the price. Very short palate and none of the richness of the Autrement Dit. Brutal QPR when you consider what you can get from Tavel for $15.
I’m not a big fan of the Autrement Dit, I still think it’s overly ripe and hot with some rough bitter tannins to it and I liked the rich clean fruit on the Stripes/stars. I thought the palate was REALLY short in the beginning with the S/S, but when it warms up to room temperature it drinks well with a smooth flavorful palate and has a nice mouthfeel.