Sine Qua Non

"Manfred Krankl’s 2010 The Monkey, which is tight and reserved right out of the gate (don’t be afraid to give Manfred’s whites plenty of air, they ...

"Tons of red, blue, and black fruits as well as peppery herbs and liquid violet-like nuances emerge from the 2020 Syrah Distenta II, a full-bodied,...

"The new cuvee of white wine, the 2007 Body and Soul, a 475-case blend of 71% Roussanne and 29% Viognier, is primarily from the 11 Confessions Vine...

"Based on 81.8% Grenache, 8.6% Mourvèdre, 7.7% Syrah, and the rest white varieties, the 2023 Grenache Distenta V will spend 23 months in 58% new Fr...

"SQN's rosé style is darker and more full-bodied than a typical rosé, and it also carries a longer drinking window. Praise from Wine Advocate: "The...

"The finest Grenache based wine I have tasted from California is Manfred Krankl’s 2000 Incognito, but his 2002 SQN (80% Grenache and 20% Syrah) is ...

"The 2003 Sublime Isolation is a blend of 44% Chardonnay, 37% Roussanne, and 19% Viognier, all from the Alban vineyard. Aromatically restrained by ...

"A brilliant Syrah, the 2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series benefits greatly from a decant and boast awesome aromatics of smoked meats, bacon fat,...

"A brilliant Syrah, the 2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series benefits greatly from a decant and boast awesome aromatics of smoked meats, bacon fat,...

"As with the extended aged Syrah release, the 2014 Grenache Testa Dei Cherubini (80% Grenache, 15.5% Syrah, and the rest Petite Sirah and Viognier)...

"This remains an historic wine and probably the greatest Grenache (95% Grenache and 5% Syrah) made in California up to this timeline. We were lucky...

"A perfect wine any way you look at it, the 2012 Grenache Rattrapante comes all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and spe...

"The 2013 Grenache Jusqu' a l'os was produced from 79% Grenache from the 11 Confessions Vineyard along with 18% Syrah and 3% Petite Sirah, produced...

"Complex aromas of dried blueberry, mineral, sage and espresso. Finishes with taut tannins and lovely floral and spicy nuances that give this a sen...

"Another brilliant 2005 (93% Grenache and 7% Syrah), it has put on weight and seems to be developing more complexity. California’s cooler year seem...

"The 2005 Grenache Atlantis Fe203-2a has been absolutely thrilling both times I have tasted it within the last year. A huge, vertical wine, Atlanti...

"A wine that started out mind blowing, and just went up from there, was the 2006 Sine Qua Non Grenache In the Crosshairs! A blend of 84% Grenache, ...

"A Shot in the Dark is composed of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills. Performing better f...

"The 2001 Ventriloquist is a blend of 82% Grenache and 18% Syrah. Sixty percent of the fruit came from the Alban Vineyard, 32% from the Stolpman Vi...

"Mountains of jammy black fruit and spices jump from the glass. Very concentrated. The sexy juice coats your palate with layers of dark berries." -...

Sine Qua Non, one of California’s most renowned cult wineries, is celebrated for its highly limited productions of Rhône-inspired varietals. While ...

Best known for its Rhône-style red and white blends, Sine Qua Non also produces extremely limited rosé releases. XL is an exceptionally rare dry ro...

"Good deep red. Complex aromas of red berries, woodsmoke and tobacco. Lush, silky, smoky and very concentrated, with a strong flavor of strawberry....

"About as good as it gets across the board, these singular, incredible wines are the result of an obsessive attention to detail at all stages of th...

"Dark enough to remind you of a barrel sample, and while you might expect it to be tannic, it's not. It is delicious, though, with tiers of ripe bl...

"In addition to these new releases, I was also able to taste through a number of older vintages, including the 2001 Albino... To say I came away im...

"Amazingly complex, pungent aromas of hazelnut, pineapple, lemon, peach, truffle, petrol, honey and resiny earth; like a cross between Hermitage bl...

"Still fresh and lively, and much younger tasting than the 1998 Antagonists or the 1995 Red Handed, this wine was certainly the biggest of the earl...

"Pale peach skin color. Deep, complex nose of apple, nut skin, apricot and minerals; this somewhat resembled a bottle of 1990 Pol Roger Winston Chu...

"1998 Antagonists: This was a surprising effort (93% Grenache, 5% Syrah and 2% Viognier) from a challenging vintage throughout California. The dram...

"The 2019 Syrah Distenta I comes entirely from the Krankls' estate vineyards: 35% from The Third Twin, 33% from Eleven Confessions, 31% from Cumulu...

"Checking in as 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, and the rest Petite Sirah and Grenache, the 2018 Syrah Ziehharmonika was largely destemmed and brought u...

"The 2017 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is the wine of the vintage, and Syrah simply doesn’t get any better. Even in these more difficult vinta...

"Krankl's 1999 Tarantella is one of the finest white wines he has made. It possesses outstanding underlying acidity, a terrific, citrusy, honeyed p...

 "The current benchmark for Grenache in California. The nose explodes with massive layers of fruit and sweet spice aromas. The palate enjoys the so...

The "Good Girl" label was never released, as its artwork was rejected by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). The wine was rebrande...

 "This has really calmed down and morphed into a beauty. The wine reminds me of a very, ripe vintage of Cote Rotie, with its silky tannins, soft, s...

"Mountains of jammy black fruit and spices jump from the glass. Very concentrated. The sexy juice coats your palate with layers of dark berries." -...

"The 2005 The Petition (a blend of 37% Viognier, 33% Roussanne, and 30% Chardonnay; 62% from John Alban's vineyard and 38% from the Eleven Confessi...

"The funky artwork on the bottle emerges from Manfred Krankl's artistic side, but as the label says, "the truth is in the inside." I have already w...

"The 2000 In Flagrante (a 725-case blend of 86% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and 4% Viognier) is a world-class, provocative effort. It reveals many of the ...

"The 1997 Twisted and Bent (540 cases) is no wimpy wine. All of the fruit comes from the Alban Vineyard in San Luis Obispo. The 1997's blend is 60%...