SQN Eleven Confessions

Dinner at Rex.

2012 Sine Qua Non In the Abstract - 35% chardonnay, 32% roussanne, 17% viognier, 16% petite manseng. Very prominent nose of tropical fruits, so fragrant, lots of popcorn and toast, very floral, very ripe, with apricot notes. Very big and voluptuous.

2015 Sine Qua Non Entre Chien et Loup - 44% chardonnay, 40% roussanne, 8% viognier, 8% petite manseng. Leaner and more focused, more flint and lemon on the nose. Still got that sweetness but not so vanilla or candy-like. Some 45 minutes after opening there was a bit more acetone, as well as some vanilla on the edges.

2004 Sine Qua Non Ode to E Syrah - 94% syrah, 4% grenache, 2% viognier. Served more than 3½ hours after opening, not decanted. Very ripe, a little minty, with vanilla oak, and blueberries. Pretty damn sweet and very enjoyable. Arguably the wine of the evening.

2005 Sine Qua Non 17th Nail in My Cranium - 97% syrah, 3% viognier. Served 4 hours after opening without decanting but slightly warmer than preferred. A bit more concentrated than Ode to E, with lots of toasty oak, very open and fragrant. This did have a little hint of green notes, with some pine needles. Still drinking very well.

2006 Sine Qua Non A Shot in the Dark - 96.5% syrah, 3.5% viognier. Served 4 hours after opening without decanting. Very ripe and jammy, but still a little sharp on the nose.

2007 Sine Qua Non Dangerous Birds Syrah - 93% syrah, 4.5% grenache, 2.5% viognier. Served almost 3½ hours after opening without decanting. Nose was not as open as A Shot in the Dark, but more concentrated on the palate.

2008 Sine Qua Non The Duel Syrah - 93% syrah, 4% grenache, 3% viognier. Opened a little more than an hour before serving without decanting. Nose was still fairly closed.

2009 Sine Qua Non This is Not an Exit Syrah - 80% syrah, 12% grenache, 7% roussanne, 1% viognier. Decanted 3 hours after opening, and served more than 2 hours after decanting. Very smooth and drinking nicely.

2010 Sine Qua Non Stockholm Syndrome Syrah - 96% syrah, 3% grenache, 1% viognier. Decanted 2½ hours after opening and served some 2 hours after decanting. This was more open than the others in the same flight. Pretty rich but nicely balanced. Clearly the best of the three in this flight.

2011 Sine Qua Non Patine Syrah - 93% syrah, 4% petite sirah, 1.6% roussanne, 1.4% viognier. Served about 2 hours after decanting. Somehow this seemed more developed on the palate.

1998 Mr. K TBA - from viognier. Honeydew, a little acetone, honey, and marmalade. Really sweet on the nose and of course on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Krug and de Montille

Dinner at Metropol Restaurant.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170éme édition, ID 221035 - nice and fresh, initially some toasty notes but not too heavy. After 10 minutes this got a lot more of the toasty, brioche notes along with nutty notes. Still very young and vibrant.

2012 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret - nice and toasty, with some lemon, a little buttery, and also later some fruity and tropical citrus notes.

2005 Blankiet Vineyards Rive Droite - served more than 1 hour after decanting. Very ripe fruit here, with mint and eucalyptus, and a little earthy.

Full post on dinner is here.

03 Turley Rancho Burro

Drinking at home.

2003 Turley Zinfandel Rancho Burro - drank a little over 1 hour after decanting. Still a little alcoholic on the nose as well as on the palate. Smoky nose, ripe and jammy on the palate. After 2 hours in the decanter this showed eucalyptus, blackcurrant, potpourri. Really fragrant nose and really sweet both on the nose and on the palate.

06 Roederer Nature

Drinking at home to celebrate the end of hotel quarantine requirement in Hong Kong.

2006 Louis Roederer Brut Nature, dégorgée Decembre 2014 - very floral and fragrant nose with some marmalade. Big yeasty nose. Good acidity with some sharpness and reasonably long finish. Matured somewhat with a great balance on the palate.

Kagami, Ganevat, and Labet

Dinner at Nikushou.

2015 Domaine Labet Chardonnay Les Varrons - a little smoky and oily on the nose, lemon, acidity on the nose was prominent along with some ripeness, alcoholic with some petrol. Good acidity on the palate without being overly sharp. Pretty nice.

2006 Jean-François Ganevat Les Vignes de Mon Père, en magnum - decanted for 2 hours before pouring back to the bottle, served after another hour in bottle. Initially showing lots of very sweet honey while decanting. Very big, toasty nose along with lots of sweetness, also coffee notes. Three hours and forty-five minutes after opening the nose was showing lots of toast and coffee. About 5 hours after opening there was some vanilla and sugarcane. Nose was still very sweet when serving temperature was very cold, but not so much ripeness and honey now. Still going strong and showing beautifully more thn 7 hours after opening.

2015 Domaine des Miroirs Entre Deux Bleus - breathed for 45 minutes before the cork was put back, then served 2 hours later. Toasty and flinty nose, leaner on the nose than the Ganevat but also more elegant. Dry on the palate but a little round and ripe. A little buttery on the nose, along with some savory notes. About 6 hours after opening this was still very elegant and floral. Drinking very nicely.

2016 Jean-François Ganevat Les Chamois du Paradis - served a little more than 1 hour after decanting. Flinty, mineral, lemon, and oily on the nose, with some white pepper. Drinking pretty nicely, and good acidity.

2015 Domaine Labet Pinot Noir Les Varrons - served about 1½ hours after opening. Lots of leather notes in the nose, a little funky. Fairly typical of natural wine and bears similarity to Prieuré-Roch. Showing nice fruit like strawberries, and sweet like bubblegum. Very soft and smooth on the palate.

2004 Jean-François Ganevat Suyquiême, en demi-bouteille - I thought the wine was a little fizzy on the tongue but no one else did... A bit savory on the nose, but just a hint, and a little nutty.

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne and mixed bag

Dinner at a private dining facility.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170éme édition, ID 121028 and 221035 - nice and yeasty mousse. Very fresh and lively.

2013 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Großes Gëwachs, from magnum - definitely more rounded and viscous than expected, and a little more ripe on the palate than a dry GG.

2007 Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille, from magnum - pretty smoky, earthy, and minty.

2018 Lucien Le Moine Meursault 1er Cru Charmes - toasty with a little sweet vanilla, which was unexpected. Some ripeness and sweetness here. Pretty nice.

2016 Benoit Ente Bourgogne Blanc Golden Jubilee - good acidity balance, with some toast on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.