Faethm
Fingers Crossed White Rhone Blend
California, USA
My second wine of my annual CC hosting.
Hurt to open this since I only had one, but as Nikolas reminds us, they are only young once! Removed the cork and let breathe for about two hours. Compared to the intoxicating Kobayashi (mostly marsanne, vs this being Roussanne dominant) aromatics next to it, the fireworks here showed up on the palate. Lots of similarities in the color (hazy light gold), but the aromatics here were mostly on the toasted side…caramelized tropical fruits, honey roasted cashews, and nutmeg. Rounded profile on the palate (thanks to the Chardonnay), but great vein of acidity too. Such distinct layers of espresso and toffee that are revealed with time. I could see this improving slightly, but it’s already killer now with some air.
My second wine of my annual CC hosting.
Hurt to open this since I only had one, but as Nikolas reminds us, they are only young once! Removed the cork and let breathe for about two hours. Compared to the intoxicating Kobayashi (mostly marsanne, vs this being Roussanne dominant) aromatics next to it, the fireworks here showed up on the palate. Lots of similarities in the color (hazy light gold), but the aromatics here were mostly on the toasted side…caramelized tropical fruits, honey roasted cashews, and nutmeg. Rounded profile on the palate (thanks to the Chardonnay), but great vein of acidity too. Such distinct layers of espresso and toffee that are revealed with time. I could see this improving slightly, but it’s already killer now with some air.
Orange blossom, round and oily texture, sweet stone fruit, nectar, med - acid, long
Orange blossom, round and oily texture, sweet stone fruit, nectar, med - acid, long
1 person found it helpfulJul 10th, 2021Curiousity finally got the best of me. A measley 25 cases of this inaugural wine was made. The blend is 73% roussanne and 27% Viognier. Opened alongside a 2014 SQN Lightmotif. Now known as Fingers Crossed, this is a must for those who enjoy the SQN style.
The fact that this is over a quarter Viognier is shocking. Seems like hardly any! This wine is amazingly bright and fresh while sporting plenty of richness and depth. The SQN Lightmotif had so much savory character to it like salted popcorn kernel, so the differences were very fun to diagnose (yet the style between the two has many similarities). Oily and honeyed mango, dragonfruit, and some caramel-lemon cream. There is a kiss of sweetness in the mid palate which is really unique. I’m hard pressed to see this being a wine that gets better...likely just somewhat different. Great first vintage!
Curiousity finally got the best of me. A measley 25 cases of this inaugural wine was made. The blend is 73% roussanne and 27% Viognier. Opened alongside a 2014 SQN Lightmotif. Now known as Fingers Crossed, this is a must for those who enjoy the SQN style.
The fact that this is over a quarter Viognier is shocking. Seems like hardly any! This wine is amazingly bright and fresh while sporting plenty of richness and depth. The SQN Lightmotif had so much savory character to it like salted popcorn kernel, so the differences were very fun to diagnose (yet the style between the two has many similarities). Oily and honeyed mango, dragonfruit, and some caramel-lemon cream. There is a kiss of sweetness in the mid palate which is really unique. I’m hard pressed to see this being a wine that gets better...likely just somewhat different. Great first vintage!
White Rhone valley varietals and oysters...not a classic pairing, but why not its Christmas eve.
1.5 hour decant. A majestic light murky gold color. On the nose: lemon, vanilla nuts, apricot, honey, peach, oyster shells. Taste: smooth, creamy, oily mouth coating wine with white peach, lemon, mango, salinity, oak, white pepper and minerals. YUM!
White Rhone valley varietals and oysters...not a classic pairing, but why not its Christmas eve.
1.5 hour decant. A majestic light murky gold color. On the nose: lemon, vanilla nuts, apricot, honey, peach, oyster shells. Taste: smooth, creamy, oily mouth coating wine with white peach, lemon, mango, salinity, oak, white pepper and minerals. YUM!
