Sine Qua Non Aperta

Open that bottle - Jason chooses 2016 Bond Vecina (Dan's condo in the Carlyle) : Drank about 1/3rd of the bottle over 2 hours. This is so impressive. Its a statement to flavor country. Dense, full-bodied, stone fruit, typical white Rhone spiciness, unctuous, almost cloying on the palate.

2018 vintage

Really, does anyone in the U.S. do better white wines than SQN? Paired great with pre-dinner raclette and french bread. Indeed, even during the main course, I kept sneaking a bit more of the Aperta. Lovely wine. Starting to fade just a tad, so I suspect it is a good time to drink up. Then again, I killed myself skiing hard at Snowbird and was kind of a physical wreck at dinner last night, so who knows. My body could …

2018 vintage

You either like “winter / spring” whites from northern Rhône grapes or you don’t. I love them. This is a tremendous representation of the format. Perfect.

2018 vintage

Wow! This is why SQN has such a great reputation.

2018 vintage

I’m just not sure I get these white wines from SQN. I love the reds, especially love the Grenache. I’m not so sure the whites fit my style.

2018 vintage

This is one of my favorite wines. We paired this with some very strong Philippines food -- Chicken Adobo, Ginataan n Sugpo and Pancit Bihon -- which in some ways overwhelmed this wine a bit. Not the best pairing, but a fantastic wine nevertheless.

2018 vintage

Dense, rich and complex. The Roussanne seems dominant even though its only 22% of the blend. Got better after some time in a decanter. Quite an amazing effort, wish I had more

2018 vintage

I waited 10 years to get off the waiting list for SQN. This wine is the reason why I will always buy all of the wine SQN offers to me to purchase. This wine was incredible tonight. At my friend's house, on a beautiful summer night on the patio, we paired this with (a) a homemade ceviche; and (b) a homemade garden-fresh gazpacho. This wine is rich, delicious, complex, memorable, layered, succulent, and pairs incredibly with food. Really, it is …

2018 vintage

My first of three. Maybe too soon, notwithstanding the CT and critics’ drinking windows? I found the wine flabby and unstructured, with the oily texture coming off as somewhat cloying. The alcohol was prominent, as was the oak. With air, the hedonistic side emerged, but the wine was not cohesive. Maybe the components will integrate and settle down with additional bottle age, something that has been my experience with other SQN whites I’ve very much enjoyed.

2018 vintage

I'm not sure I've had a California white that I have enjoyed more in many years. This is a tremendously complex wine that opens with cut grass, apples, and honeysuckle. It opens beautifully over 2-3 hours and the finish gets longer as it warms. MK is a genius, and I keep getting astonished by his whites as they age and develop.

2018 vintage

A Remarkable Wine Evening with Atlanta Oenophiles at Brasserie Margot (Atlanta, GA) : Tasted at the "Out of Towners' Dinner" at Brasserie Margot in the Four Seasons Atlanta. Given the rapid succession of wines at this social event, I wrote down only my score and some brief notes. While intellectually stimulating in its boundary-pushing approach, this cult white blend's bitterness simply didn't resonate with my palate despite its fascinating complexity. Super interesting as a tasting experience, but not something I'd …

2018 vintage

Floral and expressive bouquet with eucalyptus, honey and blossom. Same on the palate, ripe yellow fruits, mild acidity and an enormous length. Great and complex wine.

2018 vintage

An incredibly distinctive wine - a nose of pure tangerine, with flavors of dried apricot, almond and honeysuckle. Maria found it to strange for her liking, I thought it was a wonderful departure.

2018 vintage

Amazing wine. Just perfect. Better as it warmed up in the glass.

2018 vintage

Had this again as part of a SNQ lunch. Vegetal, floral, petroleum, in the nose. Butter, wood, chocolate, apricot.

2018 vintage

An accidental opening. Brought on a trip and it was wrapped, thought I grabbed a red wine. One of the best white wines I have tasted.

2018 vintage

I believe that is my first 100 white. The nose is a delicate mix of wood, spices, dried fruit, honey. Ian the palate we have a full bodied,l experience, more dried apricots. A slight bitterness ties the whole thing together. Amazing.

2018 vintage

White stone fruit, honeysuckle, white pepper, and white florals. Great mouthfeel, which I enjoy with SQN. Always a joy to drink from this producer, but the 18 Aperta needs many more years.

2018 vintage

Really a beautiful bottle of wine, with an unexpected blend that offered a rich, round, layered and full bodied experience, with a bright lift at the finish, and a pleasant evolution throughout the evening, while being enjoyed with a variety of foods during a multicourse gourmet meal.

2018 vintage

Ken's Kick Ass Brunello's (Ken's Castle) : Hitting on all cylinders. Beautiful SQN blend

2018 vintage

White peach, white pepper, apricot, viscous in the mouth, very alcoholic. Not particularly enjoyable.

2018 vintage

Aromas of honeysuckle, lemon oil, mineral…nose a little tough to get right next to a char coal grill. Flavors of honeysuckle, tangerine, vanilla, mineral and lemon oil. Ends with a long finish of 40 seconds with quince and mineral notes.

2018 vintage

Very expressive nose with apricot.

2018 vintage

PNP. Young in color. Bright and crisp yet with great length. The blend is such that you don't immediately think Chardonnay, which was nice given we paired it with multiple dishes. Apricots, pear, an oily long finish. Really nice and seems to be in a very good place but should be there for a while. A=

2018 vintage

Double decant followed by 2 hour wait does wonders

2018 vintage

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