Sine Qua Non, Dark Blossom Assortment Case, 2011
Sine Qua Non, Dark Blossom Assortment Case, 2011
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An incredibly rare 2 x magnum bottle case of SQN's 'Dark Blossom' 2011 production.
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Sine Qua Non (SQN) make some of the rarest and most sough-after wines in the world. Each year, they produce a tiny batch of Rhône-inspired wines in California, coming with custom labels, a one-off name, and one heck of wine inside. The 2011 'Dark Blossom' comprises a Grenache and Syrah, both of outstanding quality. The Grenache is dark, heavy, tannic, full of cherries, blackberries, and smoked sage; the Syrah possesses more polished tannins, a round body, blackcurrants, liquorice, meats, and peppercorn.
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Score 97 & 99
Grenache - The 2011 Grenache Dark Blossom is probably the best Grenache-based blend in the vintage. A blend of 75% Grenache, 12.5% Syrah, 11.5% Mourvedre and a splash of Roussanne (fermented with 11% whole clusters), it has a perfumed, complex style, with notions of black raspberry, cassis, dried flowers, white pepper and licorice giving way to a full-bodied, layered and seamless mouthfeel. There’s no shortage of fruit here, and while it’s hard to resist now, it has enough tannin to warrant short-term cellaring. It should knock it out of the park through 2029. Syrah - The 2011 Syrah Dark Blossom showed even better from bottle than barrel. A blend of 84% Syrah, 8% Grenache, 4% Petite Sirah and the rest Roussanne and Petite Manseng, this beauty was fermented with 17% whole clusters and aged in equal parts new and used French oak. One of the shining successes in the vintage, it’s a full-bodied, concentrated and layered Syrah that has awesome aromatics of blackcurrants, Peking duck, pepper, licorice and charcuterie in its seamless, thrillingly pure profile. As with Manfred’s other 2011s, the tannins are certainly present, yet they’re sweet, polished and have no hard edges. Give this beauty 2-3 years in the cellar and enjoy bottles through 2031.
