By: Ryan Tedder
The weather is warming up in sunny D and people are coming out from hibernation. We had a fun small group of great people the other day to try the new release of SQN on the eve of the Final Four descending upon the area. Another one of my newest Napa faves also got popped and the good times rolled.
We opened the 2011 Sine Qua Non Dark Blossom Grenache to sample the newest vintage of this perennial Cali Cult wine. The 2011 Dark Blossom follows the 2010 Five Shooter. Comparatively speaking the 2011 DB was more linear and focused down the middle of the palate. The wine was less opulent, forward and creamy than the 2010 5S. This is not to say the wine is weak, far from it. The overall style of the wine feels like you should tuck this one away for a year or so before you try it. The linear nature of the palate seemed to be holding back a tidal wave of dark, brooding purple and black fruit, dense truffle, chocolate, and light earth with an extremely long (albeit unrefined) finish. The heady aromatics of the wine were a melange of exotic spices, violets, orange peel with plump blackberry and creme de cassis. This is not a wine to ever “pass” on a vintage of-the 2011 year was hard in California. SQN’s first expression of this challenging year was quite the stunner. Bravo Krankl!!
We followed with a bottle of 2010 Pulido Walker Melanson Vineyard Cabernet made by heralded winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. To our knowledge, this bottling is the only Pritchard Hill Cab that TRB makes. You know Pritchard Hill-Colgin, Bryant…Mountain Cab Nirvana…This tiny production Cabernet (150 cases) was presented to us very humbly by the owner of the winery late last year. Pulido Walker only makes two Cabs from single vineyards in Napa. The Melanson was the plumper, dark, more well endowed Cab to us. The wine can be presented so modestly because once you open a bottle, the excellence of the wine simply speaks for itself. Rich, dense dark mountain fruit with violet aromatics. Bold, ripe but round tannins make for a caressing palate experience with balance and balanced but delicious French Oak. This is every Napa Cabs lovers dream. If you can find some: buy it. This wine is a head-turner.
Lastly with one season winding down and another starting up:
GO MAVERICKS & GO RANGERS!!!