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Sine Qua Non Entre Chien et Loup White Blend 2015
97 Points Limited new white release from cult producer Sine Qua Non. SQN 2015 Entre Chien et Loup White now available. 97 Points Robert Parker: "The 2015 Entre Chien et Loup is a blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Petit Manseng and 8% Viognier coming 44% from Bien Nacido Vineyard, 30% from the Cumulus (Estate) Vineyard and 26% from the Eleven Confessions (Estate) Vineyard. No settling was done to the juices—they were fermented as “dirty” as possible and, as usual, they were not racked. This wine was matured for around 19 months (bottled April 12, 2017), in: 19% concrete eggs, 20% stainless steel, 20% used barrels and 41% new French oak. It opens with a positively electric nose of ripe apricots, pink grapefruit and green mango with notions of candied ginger, honeycomb, allspice and baking bread. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a wonderfully satiny texture and incredible freshness, cutting through the dense tropical and stone fruit layers, finishing with epic length and many layers of savory and spice notions. By the way, I love the name of this wine and just wait until you see the label which, I’m happy to report, has already (somehow) been given the all-clear by the TTB. Drinking deliciously right now, it is built like a brick house and should cellar gracefully for 10-12 years." 97 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "As good, if not better than the 2014 white, the 2015 White Wine Entre Chien et Loup (which translates to between a dog and wolf, but is a French saying referring to dusk/twilight) checks in as a blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Petite Manseng and 8% Viognier, raised in a combination of concrete eggs, stainless steel, used barrels and new French oak (varying sizes). The Chardonnay dominates on the nose which shows terrific buttered citrus, stone fruits, marzipan and brioche nuances. These carry over to the palate where the wine is full-bodied, thrillingly concentrated and textured, with bright, even racy acidity. Give this beauty a few years, and it’s going to keep for two decades or more."
Ratings on Delectable
"Odedi" 
This is a very interesting Chardonnay based white blend from California. Full bodied and bold with medium plus acidity. Dry on the palate and fruit forward. Showing citrus, ripen apples, spices, melons, light tropical fruits, oak, sea salt, mangoes, honey, bitter herbs and peppercorn. Not for everyone, but if you are looking for a different kind of wine, try this. Spicy, tangy and very rich. Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Thank you John for sharing this with me. This 6 year old is very unique. Not my style necessarily, but interesting enough for me to enjoy it. Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. A blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Viognier and 8% Petit Manseng. Aged for 19 months, mostly French oak barrels and some in concrete and stainless steel. 15.2% alcohol by volume. 91 points. $200.
This is a very interesting Chardonnay based white blend from California. Full bodied and bold with medium plus acidity. Dry on the palate and fruit forward. Showing citrus, ripen apples, spices, melons, light tropical fruits, oak, sea salt, mangoes, honey, bitter herbs and peppercorn. Not for everyone, but if you are looking for a different kind of wine, try this. Spicy, tangy and very rich. Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Thank you John for sharing this with me. This 6 year old is very unique. Not my style necessarily, but interesting enough for me to enjoy it. Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. A blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Viognier and 8% Petit Manseng. Aged for 19 months, mostly French oak barrels and some in concrete and stainless steel. 15.2% alcohol by volume. 91 points. $200.
9.1
David L
2015 Sine Qua Non Entre Chien et Loup. Blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Petite Manseng and 8% Viognier. Decanted it for 2 yours. Needs a bit more time in the bottle. Deep golden color. Palate- Caramelized peaches, poached pear, apricot, orange blossom, spicy mint. Need to revisit this again in another 5 years.
2015 Sine Qua Non Entre Chien et Loup. Blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Petite Manseng and 8% Viognier. Decanted it for 2 yours. Needs a bit more time in the bottle. Deep golden color. Palate- Caramelized peaches, poached pear, apricot, orange blossom, spicy mint. Need to revisit this again in another 5 years.
9.4
ADAM STROMFELD
Carmel and butterscotch creamy elegant and soft fruit forward. Bad ass in a glass! This wine is a beautiful beast!
Carmel and butterscotch creamy elegant and soft fruit forward. Bad ass in a glass! This wine is a beautiful beast!
9.6
Cody Short
Sexy and hedonistic. SQN whites are so unique and polarizing
Sexy and hedonistic. SQN whites are so unique and polarizing
9.4
Dr. Owen Bargreen
The 2015 Entre Chien et Loup is a stunning blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Petit Manseng and 8% Viognier that was sourced from the Bien Nacido Vineyard, the Cumulus (Estate) Vineyard and as well as the Eleven Confessions (Estate) Vineyard. The silky texture and unctuous quality of the wine really impressed. Despite having serious weight, the tension of the wine really sings, as a bright beam of salinity races through the core of the wine. A knockout at this stage, I can see this beautiful wine cellaring well for at least another five to seven years. Drink 2019-2026- 95
The 2015 Entre Chien et Loup is a stunning blend of 44% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne, 8% Petit Manseng and 8% Viognier that was sourced from the Bien Nacido Vineyard, the Cumulus (Estate) Vineyard and as well as the Eleven Confessions (Estate) Vineyard. The silky texture and unctuous quality of the wine really impressed. Despite having serious weight, the tension of the wine really sings, as a bright beam of salinity races through the core of the wine. A knockout at this stage, I can see this beautiful wine cellaring well for at least another five to seven years. Drink 2019-2026- 95
9.5
Shay A
WNH event number 3...new world Pinot. Such a treat to experience the many different variations of Pinot! And the final night cap was this insane bottle. A prep for the main SQN event tonight! So incredibly unique. Rich, waxy, butterscotch, lemon squares, honeyed cashews and mango. Complexity epitomized, as expected from Manfred. Exceptional bottle, @Eric LaMasters !
WNH event number 3...new world Pinot. Such a treat to experience the many different variations of Pinot! And the final night cap was this insane bottle. A prep for the main SQN event tonight! So incredibly unique. Rich, waxy, butterscotch, lemon squares, honeyed cashews and mango. Complexity epitomized, as expected from Manfred. Exceptional bottle, @Eric LaMasters !
9.6
Roman Sukley
You know what I like about Manfred Krankl? (“I’m going to go out on a limb and say ‘everything’?” is my wife’s sarcastic answer to my posed hypothetical). Well yes, but that’s not where I was heading tonight. What I was going to say is that I like that Manfred’s wines are thought provoking. And not just the wine itself, but also the ever-changing labels and names. Take this evening’s selection. Entre chien et loup is one of my favorite French expressions from my college French class days. Literally translated, it describes a specific time of day, just before night, when the light is so dim you can’t distinguish a dog from a wolf. But like most good French expressions, it delves much deeper. It’s all about that limit between the familiar and the unknown, the comfortable and the dangerous. Pushed to the extreme, it’s that fine line between hope and despair. Layers of meaning. And the wine? Layers of flavor. As usual for an SQN white, a blend. Mostly equal parts Chardonnay and Roussanne with a touch of Viognier and Petite Manseng thrown in. Vibrant gold color. A vigorous four hour decant reveals a huge nose of peaches and apricots with a yeasty, buttery brioche note that just rings the bell. Palate of tropical fruits and a hint of burnt toast with that unctuous silky texture only Roussanne can provide. A butterscotch finish of great length. Dense concentration. Full-bodied. Wonderful structure. Positively elegant. Personally, I prefer my SQN whites with several years of cellar time, but hey, sometimes you just can’t wait. This is excellent now, but will get nothing but better with age. Finally, that label? I’ll just say that the TTB approves and so do I and leave it at that. And speaking of the TTB, check out that banned label in the background.
You know what I like about Manfred Krankl? (“I’m going to go out on a limb and say ‘everything’?” is my wife’s sarcastic answer to my posed hypothetical). Well yes, but that’s not where I was heading tonight. What I was going to say is that I like that Manfred’s wines are thought provoking. And not just the wine itself, but also the ever-changing labels and names. Take this evening’s selection. Entre chien et loup is one of my favorite French expressions from my college French class days. Literally translated, it describes a specific time of day, just before night, when the light is so dim you can’t distinguish a dog from a wolf. But like most good French expressions, it delves much deeper. It’s all about that limit between the familiar and the unknown, the comfortable and the dangerous. Pushed to the extreme, it’s that fine line between hope and despair. Layers of meaning. And the wine? Layers of flavor. As usual for an SQN white, a blend. Mostly equal parts Chardonnay and Roussanne with a touch of Viognier and Petite Manseng thrown in. Vibrant gold color. A vigorous four hour decant reveals a huge nose of peaches and apricots with a yeasty, buttery brioche note that just rings the bell. Palate of tropical fruits and a hint of burnt toast with that unctuous silky texture only Roussanne can provide. A butterscotch finish of great length. Dense concentration. Full-bodied. Wonderful structure. Positively elegant. Personally, I prefer my SQN whites with several years of cellar time, but hey, sometimes you just can’t wait. This is excellent now, but will get nothing but better with age. Finally, that label? I’ll just say that the TTB approves and so do I and leave it at that. And speaking of the TTB, check out that banned label in the background.
9.7
Seth Morgen Long
Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long
Quite pleasingly wooden, bright, and rich.
Quite pleasingly wooden, bright, and rich.
9.4
Jim McCusker
Anniversary dinner, part II (only one bottle on Tuesday in advance of seeing Hamilton...which was awesome, by the way). As always, with SQN we start at awesome and go from there. Incredibly complex wine - really remarkable, actually - but the wine seems a bit disjoint. My guess is that we’re catching it in transition, so if you have this in your cellar, I suggest holding off for 6 months or a year. Strong suspicion that it’s going to reemerge as a significantly better wine than just the great one we’re enjoying now!
Anniversary dinner, part II (only one bottle on Tuesday in advance of seeing Hamilton...which was awesome, by the way). As always, with SQN we start at awesome and go from there. Incredibly complex wine - really remarkable, actually - but the wine seems a bit disjoint. My guess is that we’re catching it in transition, so if you have this in your cellar, I suggest holding off for 6 months or a year. Strong suspicion that it’s going to reemerge as a significantly better wine than just the great one we’re enjoying now!
9.4
Jeffrey Long
Absolutely brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant!
9.5
See all reviews and ratings on Delectable WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.