Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2015 vintage. Opened with a Durand, decanted with minimal sed, and tasted after 20 minutes and one hour. Decided woofer. Darker than the proverbial soul of a hit(wo)man...er...moonless night. Slight amount of initial, buy-in with the merest hint of tartness before slipping into the classic (arena), crunchy rock solo (go with your favorite-so many good ones) on repeat. Richness. Structure. Depth. Levity. Self-awareness (just messing). Power. Nuance. Another 15-spot wouldn't hurt as this be a relative infant currently and, in another 15 years, it's likely still too youthful. 10.05.25. — 9 months ago

Carter White

9.9

A sublime pour from FLX Table. The ripe red and black fruit and sweet oak are perfectly integrated but both pure in their own right. Silky texture, vibrant, concentrated, and long. I’m not normally a fan of Syrah so this blew my mind 🤯🤩🤯 — 4 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.2

Central coast Syrah at it’s best! (okay, I’ve never had sin qua non so I don’t know if that is really true) Tart berry pie, herbs, tobacco. Lush and dense! — 5 years ago

with Natasha

Bill Bender

9.3

The 2nd WNH Zoom tasting on 3/29 with a “open any white” theme. The On The Lam is eleven years old and is reminiscent of the Backwards and Forwards at this point in its development. I had a Backwards & Forwards in 2017 that had a ridiculously delicious array of secondary characteristics that were just outstanding in their funky goodness. This bottle reminds me more of that wine at age 10. It has transformed from youthful to mature but displays no adolescent awkwardness. Honeyed melon, marzipan, candied pear and burnt marshmallow envelop a firm backbone of acidity. It’s adding weight but ever so slowly. Right now it’s still lithe and pushy and a changeling in the glass that warrants frequent check ins because a night of drinking will deliver 4 or 5 different wines for your drinking pleasure. — 6 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.3

“The Return of Mike Grammer” Dinner on 7/5. - Agree with @Michael Meyer that this did not show as Pinot. I probably would have guessed Syrah blind. It just did not fit with the other Pinots and would be best served on its own. Did just that with the remnants on night two. Served with leftover tenderloin, this was rockin’ so much that I didn’t give a d@mn about the variety. Score for Day 2. — 8 years ago

Charlie Evans

9.4

Pepe making some of the absolute best sparkling coming out of Spain. This was so high toned with an insane amount of minerality coming through with some saline qualities on the back end. Just stellar. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

A wonderfully balanced Cabinet blend from Bolgheri. Definitely Cabernet notes but so balanced that nothing stands out. Sassicaia is definitely Bordeaux First or Second Growth standard. Understated but irresistible nonetheless. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Cabernet Franc. Probably one of the best non Bordeaux Cabernet blends. — a year ago

Beth Hamilton

8.9

Celebration time! The hubby is OFFICIALLY full professor. Got the letter from the university prez today. So to celebrate: cava brute nature. Aroma of pear with a dash of almond.. Zesty taste of lime, green apple, seashell and chalk. A little bitter at the end but I still like it. Good on its own or would be good to make cocktails out of. — 4 years ago

with Parviz

Ron R

10

Syrah on another logical level. A pure barnstormer. Never tasted a Syrah like this before! Very atypical for the varietal. Perfectly weighted, and so compact. Sandalwood interplay’s with dark chocolate, blueberries and cinnamon.
WNH NY 2021. I think @Bill Bender coughed up the king’s ransom for this gem. Can’t thank you enuf, Bill! — 5 years ago

with David, Diana and 6 others

Joonseok Kim

9.3

At Paris.Hawaii. Paired with kanpachi. Need to go to the end of the earth to find this!! So good.. complex, multilayered, slightly dry, not sweet. — 7 years ago

Donald Thomas

9.6

I am not a Rhône White lover; I have never fell in love with a SQN white. But this is the real deal! Aromas of peaches, white flowers, spice; a round delicious palate with a long tasty finish. So many white Rhône’s have an out of balance alcohol component IMHO, but not this delicious white! I’d put it up against the best — 8 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Paul made masterful 16’s. What a value. Very very mineral, but with clarity and nuance. Lime zest, loads of rocks. So clean and aromatic. Tons of non fruit going down here. Palate has stunning cut and clarity. Juicy and engagingly minerals. So clean and fresh with dynamite energy and precision. Awesome. — 8 years ago

Ted Corvey

9.3

Have been buying a drinking a ton of Savennieres, so this was suggested as a good alternative. Did not disappoint. Waxy texture with apricot and peach notes. Great balance. And yes, I did play the Jurassic Park theme at some point during the bottle. — 8 years ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.9

This is one of the sexiest thing you can ever taste in your glass.
So fresh and young. The alcohol and the concentration are super integrated, making it so drinkable and extremely pleasant. Would love@to try this in 20+ year from now. — 2 years ago

Winton Sweum

9.5

Dense boysenberry in color: nose of blackcurrant, spice and a little licorice; lovely texture of fully ripe fruit that’s bright with just enough supporting tannin. SQN always so solid. — 4 years ago

Krupal bhatt

9.3

Blind tasting. Correctly identified as Syrah of 10-15 yrs. Was confused since not California fruit bomb but definitely high alcohol so neither Rhône. Pleasantly surprised for my first Sine Qua Non Red — 4 years ago

Mic Naranjo

9.1

Held on to this bottle for a couple of years. Couldn't find the actual vintage on the label but I believe it was a 2017 (maybe 2016?). I remember it being mineral, funky, lean and mean early on, but left to its own devices, it has turned rich and complex. I think we caught it just before it was a too late, but still so delicious! — 6 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.0

Have tried and tried to like Cava and so much is let me down, this never does and it’s no more than 25 bucks; so good. — 7 years ago

Rob

8.9

I’m not sure about their whole story of not liking the DOC standards for cava , so they broke off to create their own level of control and accreditation?? But it’s good for marketing I guess and makes a light, citrusy cava — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Another 4th Friday for the books. What a much needed time out of the house and to be with friends after this past week.

It’s SQN, so descriptions normally fall short. I am partial to US Syrah vs US Grenache, BUT, I am fascinated by SQN’s play on Grenache. You could smell the black peppercorn here, imitating a top shelf CdP. It faded to a more iron/jerky like note that had a very solid amount of acidity in play. Still a baby. After time in the glass it gave way to some floral/lavender notes as well as a crazy complex finish that added baking spice and dark fruit. — 8 years ago

with Dan, Mark and 1 other