2005 Sine Qua Non "Atlantis Fe203-2a" California Grenache
15.3% alcohol. 93% Grenache and 7% Syrah. So I return yet again to sing the praises of one Manfred Krankl, the Man, the Myth, the Legend. I originally pulled this bottle for an El Ideas dinner I was unfortunately unable to attend. The bad news is that I missed the artistry of @phillipfoss. The good news is that it’s here tonight. This is a wine that demands your complete and undivided attention which it never would have received in a restaurant setting with other wines. It needs to be doted on like the pretty girl at the dance. It needs to be the absolute center of attention. One of the highlights (and there are legion) of any SQN for me is the aromatic extravaganza I’ve come to expect, and this wine’s initial profile when the cork is pulled is akin to walking into a florist. That perfumed fragrance just floods the room. More swirling reveals sandalwood, anise, dark berries with some orange peel and just a touch of mint. It’s intense. It’s like when the server removes the cloche on an @grantachatz Alinea dish, and that scent wafts up and just engulfs you. You become immersed in that sensory overload. The show continues with an initial palate of succulent red fruits and kirsch, with notes of dark chocolate, espresso and that mint I mentioned on the nose. Subsequent returns to the glass reveal hints of grilled meats, sage and forest floor. Tannins and texture are pure silk. Persistent, fresh and slightly spicy finish of great length. The wine is beautifully integrated. Complex. Elegant. Wonderfully pure. Perfection? Let’s just say that if this wine isn’t first in its class, it doesn’t take long to call the roll.
— 7 years ago
A very adictive glass of riesling. Honey with some orange zest bitters. Tropical fruits in the background. Fresh from the cellar (2C warmer) the wine also has lots of minerals and herbs. So perhaps not cool it all the way down on lots of ice. As always with M”uller wines just enough citric type acids to keep it fresh. Even though it is spatlese. — 4 years ago
733828. $16.63/$11.75 2c. Fruity, jammy, with some structure, easy drinking — 11 years ago
As far as I can tell this is the last year that Stag's Leap bottled a varietal Merlot from the famed SLV vineyard, the source of the Judgment of Paris winning grapes. It's a shame because this is one of the better CA Merlots I've had. No hurry to drink this one either. — 7 years ago
Dependable Merlot 2010 — 12 years ago
Skip Smyser
Wonderful Cabernet!!!🍷🍷🍷 — a year ago