Wine Tasting Notes

Flight 1: Sine Qua Non The Rejuvenators:

2004 Sine Qua Non The Rejuvenators

RP: The 2004 The Rejuvenators, an intriguing blend of 56% Roussanne, 24% Viognier, and 20% Chardonnay primarily from the Alban Vineyard with small quantities emerging from the Krankl’s own Eleven Confessions Vineyard, exhibits a medium gold color along with a beautiful, honeyed, waxy bouquet of buttery citrus, oranges, and nectarines. Good acidity buttresses this full-bodied white with a superb tactile mouthfeel as well as stunning layers and length. This brilliant wine should age well for 4-5 years or longer. Longtime readers know that I consider these offerings to be about as remarkable as New World wines can be. They possess extraordinary richness and nuances as well as superb balance, purity, and aging potential. The whites are whole cluster pressed and go straight to barrel without any stabilization or settling, and everything is fermented with indigenous yeasts. No racking takes place until bottling, which is usually more than a year after the harvest. 96 Points.

Flight 2: Aubert Chardonnay:

2004 Aubert Lauren Vineyard Chardonnay

RP: A superb effort, the 2004 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard exhibits huge notes of lemon oil, nectarines, quince, citrus blossoms, and crushed rocks/minerals. This big, rich, full-bodied Chardonnay boasts stunning acidity, a superb texture, and an amazing finish. This Chardonnay tends to be aged in 100% new oak (which is totally concealed) and is bottled without fining or filtration. Consequently, if it has just been shipped or moved, it can reveal a slight haze. 97 points.

WS: A stunning wine, with amazing richness, depth, purity of flavor and concentration, with layers of ripe pear, crème brûlée, date, apricot and hazelnut flavors that glide along on a silky smooth texture, with a finish that keeps revealing extra flavor nuances. 96 Points.

2004 Aubert Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay

RP: From a vineyard that seems to do well no matter who is making the wine, the 2004 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is tropical fruit-dominated with classic California notes of creme brulee, roasted pineapples, hazelnuts, brioche, and plenty of spice. It’s a stunningly full-bodied, exotic, in-your-face offering with terrific underlying acidity. This savory, fresh, vibrant, well-delineated white should last for 7-8 years. This Chardonnay tends to be aged in 100% new oak (which is totally concealed) and is bottled without fining or filtration. Consequently, if it has just been shipped or moved, it can reveal a slight haze. 96 points.

WS: Distinctive for its creamy pear, hazelnut, green apple and honeydew melon flavors that are silky and refined, finishing with a long, lingering yet delicate aftertaste. Deceptively concentrated. 94 Points.

Flight 3: Sea Smoke Pinot Noir:

2004 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Botella

RP: From a vineyard planted in clay/loam soils, the 2004 Pinot Noir Botella exhibits a dense ruby/purple hue along with black currant and black cherry aromas and a hint of flowers. Full body, sweet tannin, enough acidity to provide uplift and definition, and a textured, savory mouthfeel give this wine an early charm, but there is actually more concentration and length in this cuvee than in the impressive Southing. 92 points.

WS: Generous and complex in its presentation of ripe blueberry, wild berry, earth, mineral and sage flavors. But what's most impressive is the aftertaste, which brings all the flavors together for a wonderful finish that keeps repeating the essential flavor themes. 93 points.

2004 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing

RP: The 2004 Pinot Noir Southing, which takes its name from a south-facing hillside vineyard, is a packed and stacked effort with a dense ruby/purple color as well as a restrained, but promising nose of black currants, cherries, and raspberries with forest floor/earthy undertones. This is a full-bodied, powerful Pinot revealing striking elegance, purity, and seamlessness. Although young and unevolved, it is well-balanced, and should drink well for 7-10 years. 90 points.

WS: Tremendous richness, depth and concentration, with a gush of blueberry, wild berry and blackberry fruit that offers intensity, lively acidity and enough tannins to merit short-term cellaring. 93 points.

Flight 4: 2^nd Label Cabernet Sauvignon:

2002 Seavey Caravina Cabernet Sauvignon

RP: The outstanding 2002 Caravina (1600 cases) reveals sweet tannin along with big, full-throttle, dense, black currant, loamy soil, chocolate, and vanilla flavors. Full-bodied, rich, and impressive, this is no ordinary second wine. 90 points.

2002 Dominus Napanook Proprietary Red Wine

RP: Dominus is a large vineyard, and they have the ability to make a strict selection. Their second wine, Napanook, continues to get better and better. The 2002 Napanook (2,400 cases from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec) is more structured and tannic than the 2003, but also deeper colored with additional notes of plum liqueur, black currants, underbrush, cedar, and licorice. Full-bodied, rich, and powerful, this impressive effort requires 1-3 years of cellaring, and will drink well over the following 12-15 years. Decanting several hours in advance is recommended. 92 points.

Flight 5: Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon:

1995 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon

RP: Seavey has produced some exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons. The color is an opaque purple. The wine displays a fantastic nose of classic black currants intermixed with cigar box and cedar scents. In the mouth, it is full-bodied and backward, but persuasively rich, layered, and marvelously well-balanced. There is a deep, sweet mid-palate and explosive ripeness and richness in the long, heady finish. (13.9% alcohol) A sleeper pick in this outstanding vintage, it should evolve effortlessly for 20-30 years. 94 points.

1997 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon

RP: The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (1,400 cases) is very good. I rated this wine 96 last year, but after an additional year of bottle age, it may be even better. It spent 18 months in 40-45% new French oak, and was bottled after a light fining yet no filtration. A monumental, classic California Cabernet Sauvignon, it boasts an opaque plum/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of jammy cassis, plums, toast, and licorice. With its humongous fruit and glycerin, full body, smoky blackberry and coffee flavors on the mid-palate, as well as a silky, moderately tannic finish that lasts for nearly a minute, this seamless effort is a modern day Cabernet elixir. A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit-Verdot, it should be at its best between 2004-2025. 96 points.

Flight 6: Dessert Wine:

2003 Sine Qua Non Mr. K The Strawman

RP: The 2003 Mr. K. The Strawman, a 100% Semillon vin de pays, boasts ... get this ... 435 grams of residual sugar per liter and 9.2 grams of acidity per liter. The grapes were picked in mid-September and then air-dried until early November (approximately 50 days) before fermentation began. A monumental wine of great intensity, richness, aromatic complexity, and a honeyed sweetness and balance that are almost beyond belief. Frankly, I don’t know how elixirs such as this can be made, but they demand unreal patience as well as meticulous attention to detail in both the vineyard and the winery. Like all SQN wines, what one confronts is brilliant singularity and individuality that provide us - mere mortals - the opportunity to watch and experience a genius play with our senses of pleasure and intellect. Whether we ever fully comprehend them is irrelevant - it is the challenge and fun of the quest that is damn fun! 97 points.