Rob Brobst III

9.6

This only needs 15 years.... well done. Hat trick in this bottle! To use a hockey term... This is Sidney Crosby in a bottle..... — 8 months ago

Amit Srivastava

8.9

Never heard of this wine .. found the ‘13 on the list at Mourad. Nice price poor and good wine ! — 2 years ago

Sean Hughes

9.4

Fruity but also bold. Well balanced. Served perfectly with a filet mignon. — 3 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Deep golden yellow almost a pee yellow. Lovely creaminess like creme brûlée and butter on the nose, even a bit toasty. Thick on the palate, almost like tannins, expecting a high percentage of new oak. A bit of alcohol on the palate, especially in the finish. Has some apples and citrus when cold but overwhelmly lead with oaky notes. Drink till 2018. — 5 years ago

with India

Willie Carter

8.9

A robust deep burgundy in the glass with a shallow rim. Blackberries and luscious dark chocolate explode initially on the nose. After plenty of air she opens up and starts to reveal leather, perfume, and a trace of oak. The floral notes last forever and are exquisite.

Ok, so is this a Cab masquerading as a Merlot like so many other Napa Valley Merlots? Thankfully no. Much softer and lush on the tongue. She’s definitely New World in style and character. There’s a nice sweetness here that never gets out of control, it’s just right. Lovely balance and structure. Nice complexity and gorgeous Oak Knoll fruit.

Smooth and round on entry, tart cherry is all over the palate. Cinnamon and smoked oak compliment well. Fresh herbs and violets steal the show. A testament to Oak Knoll and what Napa Valley Merlot can be. Just a delightful wine. — 9 months ago

Roman Sukley

10

2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”

— 3 years ago

James M

8.9

This a very delicious vino, I’m listening to Crosby Stills and Nash as I drink this and I’m being transported back in time and remembering times long past. This is a delicious tasty memory! — a year ago

Steve McDermott

9.2

Crosby Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Lighter Cab. Delicious. Great value. — 2 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.1

Crosby gets the Tempranillo, Stills the Syrah, Nash the Sumoll and Neil didn’t really get a grape in this blend...he’s still great though. — 4 years ago

Eric Grasser

9.3

Balanced, elegant and delicate from a pedigree of Georges III vineyard. Plenty of blue and red fruit with cocoa powder and Rutherford dust. — 5 years ago