Sine Qua Non, Kolibri, California

Northern Rhone with Craigs group (Hazelwood restaurant, Bloomington) : There seemed to be some alcohol peaking through. Full-bodid and clearly a Rhone white blend, with some tropical fruit, lemon oil, beeswax and a rich mouth-coating palate.

2008 vintage

PnP Not the best showing for this wine, but nevertheless, still quite good! Tropical fruits, white flowers, some beeswax and some spice. Palate was unctuous, with notes of tropical fruit, Meyers lemon, some vanilla, some mango and some poached pear. Medium long finish....excellent! 94 for this bottle....still showing well!

2008 vintage

Monthly Tasting Group: Northern Rhones (Hazelwood, Bloomington, MN) : Pale gold color. Well, I barely got a taste, but I liked it. Viscous, long, candied fruits, a little tropical, paraffin. 93 or better, would have loved to have a tad more to evaluate.

2008 vintage

Started drinking 30 minutes after opening. Initially the wine was too warm, but showed lemon and vanilla on the nose while it was sweet and ripe on the palate. It was also very sweet on the nose thanks to the vanilla, and almost some pineapple. Very buttery. Got so much better after chilling.

2008 vintage

Still drinking, absolutely. Pear, butterscotch. The oak has aged beautifully.

2008 vintage

Part of a steakhouse dinner. We had this with some lobster bites, onion rings, and scallops. PnP and chilled. Note copied below. "GORGEOUS nose. Beeswax, white fruit and white stone, lemon oil. Palate is voluptuous and very full. Dried apricots, yellow florals, beeswax. Acidity is rather quiet but that’s what Rhone varietals offer. Great quality but not my preference. 94+ quality. "

2008 vintage

Marvin (WineBurrowingWombat) Visits Minnesota; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Jason's House) : Amazing wine for a 2008 white wine....of course, it is SQN, and therefore a Rhone blend. I like this wine; it is a nice alternative to Chardonnay! Every bit as good as last bottle! TN: Nose shows plenty of citrus, stone fruit and honeysuckle. Palate shows lots of rich, unctuous citrus oil and stone fruit (apricot and peach) with hints of honeycomb and some spice. Nice medium-long finish....love SQN! 95-95+ for my …

2008 vintage

Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN) : N: Peeled, fresh and ripened clementines with a subtle injection of dark honey. A bit of zest as well that adds nice complexity to the aromas, giving it some nice bitterness and an additional boost of citrus. P: A gentle creaminess with a fresh lift coats the palate with deep white and dark yellow melons, aged citrus notes (while still maintaining freshness), a touch of honey and bitter wax. Everything leads into the …

2008 vintage

Non-chardonnay white wine (Craig's yard) : Unctuous, the nose is insane, rich, dense. Absolutely fantastic if you like big wines. Regrettably, it did get woody, slightly bitter and alcoholic as the bottle warmed up.

2008 vintage

This was a treat! Typical SQN texture, i.e., viscous, honey-like mouthfeel that coats the tongue. A Rhone blend that features lots of Roussanne and other white varietals. Cork was saturated and crumbly, but wine was superb! Color was medium golden yellow. Nose showed white flowers, tropical fruits and some mild spice and spring rain. Palate showed lots of tropical fruits (pineapple and honeyed mango seemed prominent). Wine had a hint of sweetness, but enough acidity that it was more of …

2008 vintage

This has become a wine that is more about its lovely texture than the fruit components.

2008 vintage

Wow! So fragrant! A little acetone and alcoholic on the nose. Ripe on the palate.

2008 vintage

How lucky am I to receive this gift from a friend! Beautiful caramelized mango and burnt honey notes. A true joy to sip and savor.

2008 vintage

Mature golden yellow color. Notes of tangerine, quince, ripe orchard fruit, citrus and pear. The palate follows the bouquet in terms of flavors, with a rich, weighty texture. Terrific.

2008 vintage

Past peak, but still rather good. Long finish, with matches, pineapple, marzipan, coconut.

2008 vintage

Dried pineapple, still some fresh tropical fruit, spice (allspice, white pepper). Temperature important here — too cold and it doesn’t show enough, too warm and the alcohol is prominent). Long finish

2008 vintage

SQN & BBQ (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL) : Small glass, brief note from memory. Very ripe with moderate structure, giving it fleshy textures that are rich and nicely dense, just slightly lacking brightness. Drink up.

2008 vintage

Honey colored. Complex taste. Can taste the Viognier highlights. Beautiful distinct wine.

2008 vintage

Occasional dinner group; Best bottles in white and red. (@ Bottles; Sas van Gent, Netherlands) : In the bouquet some glue and yellow fruits. On the palate caramel, butter, a lot of sweetness and acidity. Very full bodied and a great length, but the wine lacks refinement imho for a higher score.

2008 vintage

WIML95 Tasted non blind. Followed over about two and a half hours. Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Graham crackers, brown spices, waxy yellow pears and lychee. Flavors of yellow pears, lychee, creme brûlée and minerals on the lengthy finish. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink now. Might be able to hold longer if you wish but I can't imagine this wine getting any better than it is right now. Drinking beautifully and picked up …

2008 vintage

Braxton Cellars Cellar Raid (Libertyville, IL) : Robust. Moderate dark yellow color. Funky nose with some nicely integrated oak. Peach fuzz, sense the white pepper from the Viognier with some age. Palate is lighter and more supple than many SQN whites. Nice lift on the finish. A uniquely elegant SQN white this time around. Really enjoyed.

2008 vintage

Raid the Braxton Cellar (Braxton Cellar - Libertyville IL) : Small glass, brief note from memory. Very ripe and lots of butterscotch coming through at this age that I thought detracted from the overall balance vs when tasted a few years back. Still enjoyable, but absolutely time to drink up.

2008 vintage

This clear and mid golden coloured wine was poured using the Coravin. The nose was dominated by honey and some wheat. In the glass were lighter citrus flavours of lemon, peaches, graham crackers mixed with some honey which gave it a lovely warmth. I really enjoyed this wine.

2008 vintage

At ten years of age, I was really worried that this might be falling apart, but this was a really strong showing. Pretty massive and rich, but in a way that is totally appropriate to the style. The fruit skews very tropical, with big mango and pineapple notes, that all have a cartelized air to them, along with smoke notes, oak notes, baking spice and a touch of honey. The acid is pretty squarely medium, but there is enough to …

2008 vintage

The 2008 Kolibri is actually quite amazing stuff and a totally adorable effort. It builds upon a voluptuous heritage with balance and integration as keywords. This effort is certainly very well balanced and expresses an almond, lemon oil like palate and a rich profound texture. Like most whites from SQN, this effort reminds me of a northern Rhône white, but it is actually so much more than that... Most likely, this wine has a decade to go in the cellar. …

2008 vintage

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Sine Qua Non, Kolibri, California

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