The night was dark and cold, that Saturday in January. It was the 29th of the month, when nine whacked out winos braved the mean streets of West Oakland to share the wonders of that nectar called Sine Qua Non. Joe Bilman was our host, and Subterraneum Wine Storage was to be our venue for the next six hours. Ken “Skwid” Emery had gone to great lengths and extreme hardship to ensure the evening would come off without a hitch, but that devil fate had other designs for us this night. As the 11th hour drew near, horror of horrors our chef extraordinaire for the evening, Dominic “Cooker” Tamber had taken ill! As Skwid scrambled to locate a suitable and willing replacement Joe jumped to action and, as if pulling a few braised rabbits out of his hat, presented his friend “James” who very capably stepped up to the “plate” and saved the day!
My thanks to all those present who shared these wonderful wines and provided most extraordinary company. Special thanks to Skwid for organizing such a great event, Joe for providing the terrific venue, and to James for feeding us incredibly well (and with virtually no notice). To the wines!
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie
Very lively Champagne, with a fine bead, notes of lemon and bready/yeasty flavors. Wonderfully mature and complex and textured.
1999 SQN Tarantella
At first this was somewhat muted compared to the rest in this lineup, but boasting an intense minerality that really sets this wine apart. As this wine sat in the glass it really began opening up, with notes of citrus and an intriguing hint of apricot. Balanced and textured on the palate, finishing medium in the length. An excellent wine, but nonetheless my least favorite of this flight. 91 points.
2000 SQN The Boot
To my palate The Boot was showing just spectacularly at this tasting, with an absolutely intoxicating note that is fat and rich with notes of spice, fig, white flowers, white peaches, and minerals. Lush and rich on the palate, with deep ripe fruit, excellent balance, and a long fine finish. 94 points.
2001 SQN Albino
Having had this wine several times in the past I was a bit surprised to find this to be one its poorer performances, which is only to say that it was an extraordinary wine, just not up to past performances for me. Perhaps it is going through a phase. Nonetheless the wine offers an outstanding nose of minerals, exotic fruits, and a good dose of oak. Smooth and textured on the palate, with excellent balance, vibrant acidity, and a long fine finish. 93 points, I think this wine will benefit tremendously from some additional age.
2002 Sine Qua Non Whisperin' E
What a great opportunity to try the latest white from SQN and contrast it with previous releases. Youthful and exuberant, the Viognier is really showing strongly at this point, with huge perfume and floral notes. Spicy, with white flowers (acacia?), the wine shows tremendous depth, purity, and balance with a smooth rich texture and a tremendously long finish. My favorite white wine of the night, 95 points.
2002 SQN Hollerin' M Pinot Noir
In a word, this Pinot is HUGE. I never would have guessed blind that this is from Oregon, as it shows more like a hugely extracted California pinot. Gobs of bright cherries, spice, and vanilla notes on the nose, the palate is equally full throttle, with copious fruit, a hint of earth, ripe fine tannins, but showing it’s alcohol a bit on the finish. 90 points.
1999 SQN Icarus
Dark cloudy purple/ruby in color, the nose on this wine is just beautiful, with excellent depth, concentration, and complexity. Notes of red cherries, black fruits, vanilla, and cream are delightful, while the palate is true, with fine ripe tannins, excellent texture and balance, and a fine long finish. 94 points.
2000 SQN Incognito
Very dark purple in color, the nose is a fantastic array of aromas, with black cherries, white pepper, herbs, and earth – amazing density and complexity. The palate is no less stunning, faithful delivering the flavors promised by the nose. Tannins are prominent and ripe, while the wine boasts awesome structure and depth, with excellent balance and a long, long finish. Still young, this wine will certainly benefit for additional age. 96+ points, my wine of the flight.
2001 SQN Ventriloquist
Vibrant dark purple in color, the nose is again another stunning example of what the magic SQN performs. Huge and deep, with dense black fruit and vanilla notes. On the palate this wine badly needs more time in the cellar, with the tannins firmly in control. The wine clearly has the dense fruit to support it however, and offers glimpses of the depth and structure hiding under that tannic veil. 93 points.
1995 SQN The Other Hand
What a treat to taste a SQN with some age on it! Some notable bricking around a dark ruby core, The Other Hand is a wine that proudly displaying secondary characteristics, with softer aromas of leather and earth, along with red plums and spice. High acidity keeps the wine lively, and the tannins are soft and fine, offering a plush mouthful. Ready now, the wine offers tremendous pleasure for drinking today. 92 points.
2001 SQN Midnight Oil
Dense dark purple in color, the Midnight Oil continues to impress with its bottomless pit of dense black fruit, blackberries, meat, black pepper, and vanilla. Young and primal, the wine needs some age for the tannins to settle in, but drinks amazing well now. Structure and depth, with complex layers of fruit and spice, with a finish that wont quit. My #1 dry red wine of the night, 96+ points.
1962 Chateau d'Yquem
A birth year wine for me, it was a real treat to have an opportunity to taste this 42 year old sweetie. Amber in color, the wine presented itself to my palate as classic in style, with honey, apricot, and classic botrytis flavors. The wine is fully mature, but holding well. Not a stunner, but a tremendously enjoyable wine.
2000 Mr. K The Nobleman
At this point I had stopped taking notes, but this was a real WOW wine for me. Very sweet, but in no way cloying, with amazing tropical fruits and a perfumed, intoxicating nose. Simply outstanding stuff, this wine far exceeded my expectations.