2/17/2018 - bengti Likes this wine:

Could have fooled me: we all thought this was a pretty young cab sav, with dark fruit, hint of chic and leather, smoke; hardly a trace of the bright red cherries and jam, rose petal palette of a classic Pinot. Even Sonoma pinots don’t fall so far from the tree. Nonetheless very beautiful delicate balance and finesse with flavours of game ripe plum. Would be very interesting to revisit in a few years.

11/29/2017 - bengti Likes this wine:

SQN Big Guns Night, Beefbar HK. SQN In Extremis.

The intricate label on the bottle should not make you prefer a wine over another with no regard to tasting it, but maybe an exception for this wine can be made. It’s got it all - fluid action, perspective, drama, tension - a gorgeous snapshot of actors amidst something significant. And I don’t even understand baseball.

The same can be said about how this wine is showing - it is a knockout now. A super sophisticated and intense nose of dark cherries, blackberries, tobacco, cigar shavings, charred game, autumn brush, lavender - the list goes on.

Palette was equally impressive, precise concentrated fruit with notes of smoked meats, candied apples, almonds, bacon, jam compress, hint of sweet cinnamon. Extraordinarily refined tannins make its long finish something to savour. It has substantive weight yet feels feather light on its feet. With its age, the wine has almost fully resolved its alcohol and is open, cool and integrated. An extraordinary bottle by any standards. Close contender for WOTN.

This wine shows no sign of weakening but has got to be fully mature now, so it worth picking up to experience if you come across it in the secondary market.

11/29/2017 - bengti Likes this wine:

SQN Big Guns Night, Beefbar HK. SQN In Extremis.

This continues to be an unfailing warhorse of the SQN pantheon. It shows really well. Deep garnet red, opaque and dark. A heady perfumed nose of blackberries, dark fruits, ripe apricots, chocolate, soft leather.

A palette of plush, silky velvet. Superb integration and ideal acid levels make this a beguiling drink. Time in glass allowed the wine to unfurl further notes of candied toffee, straw, gravel, licorice, game. A long sophisticated finish of soft tannins. Overall, elegance understated strength and balance come to mind.

Left to stand in the glass, this as all Krankl Syrahs do gave off an aroma of sweet glazed cherries, cherry liquer, cherry chocolate. Mesmerising.

With its age of 16 years in bottle, it is cool and elegant with no hint of heat from its high alcohol levels. It’s performed this way for several years now, and shows no sign of moving past prime yet.

11/25/2016 - csimm wrote:

Drinking even better than it did back in April. Previous notes are the same. A little smoother and a little more depth it seemed. Went down very easy. Came off a little old world, like a "cleaner" Cornas.

Drink now with a splash decant, or hold for a few years with confidence. Not necessarily a long term drinker. 96 points tops for me.

9/10/2016 - acyso wrote:

Flickinger Warehouse Tasting (Chicago, IL): You know what the worst thing is about this wine? Once all the fruit dries up, you're left with a pile of oak staves. What am I supposed to do with them?

12/23/2016 - WillOswald wrote:

Golden straw hue with lovely bubbles, pear, freshly sliced green apples, hint of butter scotch showing its impeccable age, pinenuts, shelled almonds, lightly roasted legume. Persistent and precise finish of notable length that intensifies the kaleidoscope of flavors only good aging can achieve.

12/28/2016 - bengti wrote:

Fraternitas Vinum SG. New Years Gathering at Nic's. Even an N.V. from BP is worth talking about. Striking luminescent pink with a tinge of orange marmalade, this is one of the most seductive colours Ive come across in rose champagnes. It's definitely closer to provencal rose in hue. Refreshing apricot, summer fruits, soft stones in flavours, hint of vanilla and sweet spices. Firm satsifying finish. Delightful.

10/21/2016 - bengti wrote:

Young young and while very approachable with a good balance between fruit and alcohol, it was stubbornly generis in its profile, would be curious to try in 5 years again to see if it develops more richness and complexity. Or was it just too cold....

4/6/2016 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:

50% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 12.5% Syrah, 12.5% Petite Sirah….open in bottle for an hour and a half…..PRETTY brilliant rose color….GORGEOUS nose of smoke, strawberry fields, crushed cherries, dusty exotic wood spice…..exotic nose…reminds me of a young Vosne Romanee! Definitely big for a Rose..but I've seen bigger……the flavors from the nose translate to the palate….very bright and crunchy acidity…tart and sour….awakens the richness. Not the perfect of balance though….15.9 alc comes through a little strawberry martini-ish…but not too too much heat. The Rhone varietals add some interesting flavors….smoked underbrush, stem funk, garrigue, spice box, dried roses…..definitely a spice and heat kick on the finish! A Rose to drink and ponder with each sip like a red…..tasty…..and just so dog gone FUN!

3/6/2016 - Collector1855 wrote:

During an introduction to Bordeaux speech I gave at a wine club in Singapore. Dark ruby, youthful color still. Expressive nose of cedar wood, forest floor, dark fruit, complex and very Medoc in style. Medium bodied on the palate with great freshness, fruit and structure. Textbook claret, high drinkability. This was the winner of the night with the men while the women loved the Hosanna 2008 even more. You can drink this with 2h decanting or wait as it is built for the long haul. Fantastic!

3/6/2016 - bengti wrote:

Cork almost soaked through, this was one its last legs already, probably not well stored.

6/7/2015 - JSOL Does not like this wine:

One of the most offensive wines I have ever had. I am perfectly open to a big Aussie Shiraz, indeed some of the best wines I have ever had are from the Barossa (I am thinking 2010 Grange and 2004 Godolphin here).

But this is awful. Interesting enough on the nose (blackcurrant, cream, a hint of menthol) there is absolutely nothing to like about how this tastes. It is sweet, bland and one-dimensional. It does not even taste like Ribena - more like blackcurrant flavoured cough syrup.

I opened this for a Sunday dinner and after tasting it, giving it another hour and tasting it again I tipped it down the sink. I don't think I have ever done that before with a wine that wasn't flawed or defective and certainly not with one this expensive.

A disgrace.

4/5/2014 - bengti Likes this wine:

Magnificent, a young vintage that tastes fully mature, it is moderately smoky, leather, chocolate, blackberry with a perfect flavor of fruit and a level alcohol that doesn't blank everything else out. It reminds one of 10-12 year old Bordeaux. As expected, this was not available for sale.

4/22/2014 - bunhiong wrote:

just out of sleeping phase, still very closed, should have decanted. amazingly young and i believe that this wine will not peak for another 10 years even though it is already accessible now. patience ....

6/7/2015 - bengti Likes this wine:

A split cork did not bode well but was incapable of separating a desperate wife and a philips-head from wine. With diligent violence, the rubble of the cork was extracted revealing a well-preserved Grande Dame from 19 years ago. The wine was brown and cloudy to start in the glass, accurately reflecting that this is well darn fully mature and is in the drink now with gusto bucket. Thankfully, it settles well to reveal bright, red, ripe cherry notes and teasing hints of spice, tobacco, leather and chocolate. A lovely cushion of alcohol still is present and gives the wine lift, body and depth despite its age. In direct contrast to the 2003, this is succulent and juicy despite being much older, confirming that the 2003 was over extracted (or that 96 is just that much better a vintage). A tart, tangy finish tantalizes the tongue and keeps one coming back for more. Alas, this sadly is the second last bottle. More violence shall ensue.

5/3/2013 - ews3 wrote:

Sine Qua Non Dinner, volume II (Maloney & Porcelli, NYC): how could this not be a letdown (and how spoiled are we that a wine i score 95 seems like a letdown?). this was beautiful. lovely black fruits, meat, and smoke. but it was painfully young -- especially coming from mag. still, a wonderful finish.

1/8/2014 - bengti wrote:

First tasted late 2013, exquisite balance and yet good vein of spice and pepper. A great wine. Second bottle this week less perfect, sweeter and candied somewhat, pepper pronounced on the finish too. Nice but felt discombobulated compared to the first try. NB: I remember now why, the first was the 09 which was an outstanding year.

7/25/2013 - ricknat1 Likes this wine:

1983 tasting. All wines opened immediately before serving. Half the table had this as there wine of the night. Beautiful. but does not stand up to the 82 and does not match the Margaux or for that matter the Pichon. Fully mature+, currant and tobacco nose; mature but full fruited currant and mineral palate with resolved tannins and a long finish