We cranked up the fun quotient here at Graileys last Wednesday when we hosted a Sine Qua Non wine dinner for a small group of our members. This was a fitting wine dinner as we were also celebrating Ivan the Fiver’s birthday that day; he, who holds the vinous key that, unlocks the valve to the coveted, cult wines known as SQN.
SQN is known for fashioning wines that are unabashedly aromatic, rich and hedonistic in their youth yet has the stuffing and balance that suggest ageability. I vividly remember the 2003 Papa Syrah I had about a year ago that showed additional mature notes of olive, deeper spiciness and leather to its core of crushed raspberries and blackberry.
First on the line-up was a magnum of 2000 Sine Qua Non The Hussy that was highly aromatic with beeswax, herbal tea, apricot, poached pear, orange marmalade backed up by a palate that was full-bodied and generous with a luscious texture. A twist of grilled orange peel on the finish. This was a perfect complement to the salad of avocado, toasted walnuts, fresh pears with bibb lettuce dressed in poppy seed vinaigrette. This big bottle was courtesy of the birthday boy who bought this bottle at a charity auction a year ago. By all accounts, he paddle-dueled with an equally enthusiastic connoisseur for this wine but his resolve fell short to that of Ivan The Fiver’s. And because of that, we were singing the praises of The Hussy’s heady perfume and voluptuous character.
Next in the line-up were the 2010 Sine Qua Non Five Shooter Grenache and 2010 Sine Qua Non Five Shooter Syrah. The Grenache was impressive straight out of the bottle filling the room with aromas of raspberry ganache, plums, black cherries and licorice. This wine was about seduction in the palate; velvety in texture, generous and mouth-filling, with black cherries, baking spice, and chocolaty flavors hitting every corner of my palate. A nice thread of acidity kept the wine’s ripeness in check. The Syrah showed a savory component with a smoky, Provencal herbs and olive notes intermingling with blackberries and blueberries. This showed more spine and a firmer structure. Although the tannins are ripe and very well-integrated, next to the Grenache, they were more noticeable.
The 2009 Sine Qua Non The Thrill Of… Syrah from a magnum was tasted next. This was the favorite of the night (although my WOTN was the 2010 Five Shooter Grenache) and deservedly so. Amazing complexity with layered notes of crushed violets, road tar, black pepper, smoke, granite, licorice, roasted espresso wrapped in a rich plum, blackberries and black raspberry flavors. This was very primary and certainly had the structure to develop more complexity and withstand additional bottle age.
This was followed by the 2008 Sine Qua Non B-20 Syrah. This showed more flesh and a broader mouthfeel than the last time I had which was a year ago. That being said, this was more compact and brooding next to the juicier The Thrill Off… Syrah. This had more pronounced black pepper, cured meat, granite, dried herbs, and smoke layered with black and blue fruits. I thought this was the more backward wine of the line up and it needed another 2-3 years to resolve some of the tannins, flesh out the mid-palate and allow the ripe fruit to push through.
And to just finish the night on a right note, a bottle of 1996 Dom Perignon Brut was poured around the table. This was another Ivan The Fiver donation. I must say, I enjoyed being on the receiving end of all this generosity. The DP was full-bodied, dry and toasty with baked dough, biscuit, lemon custard notes and mushroom. Vigorous on the palate with creamy, fine mousse. Persistent length. Just a stunner….
I snuck a bite of that decadent strawberry crepe and as I down it with the 1996 DP, my world just felt oh-so-right.
But apparently, more bubbly was coming after the DP. A 2002 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs was elegant, fresh and creamy with stone fruits, citrus, almond paste and acacia. Beautifully focused, well-defined acidity yet full and creamy mouth feel. I had this at a Ruinart wine dinner a week prior and this was consistent. Persistent, citrus-tinged finish.
This was followed by a bottle of 1998 Krug Brut that showed structure and richness. Floral and toasty with buttered popcorn, marzipan and chalky minerality. Full-bodied with impressive precision and length.