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Sine Qua Non is one of California's most famous wine producers. Based just north of Los Angeles in Ventura County, and with most of its vineyards in Santa Barbara, it eschews the usual image of top California wine as being only from Napa Valley. That is not the only thing eschewed at Sine Qua Non – the same wine is rarely made more than once, turning the idea of the American icon wine on its head.
The cult winery specializes in Rhône grape varieties, with most of the red wines based on Syrah and Grenache. White wines are typically based on Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier and are also modelled after Rhône wines. While most of Sine Qua Non's vineyards are located in Santa Barbara, the home vineyard (and the winery) is located in Oak View. Many of the wines are labeled under the more generic California and Central Coast AVAs, rather than the specific AVAs the vineyards are located in, giving more freedom when it comes to blending.
Sine Qua Non's first vintage was 1994, as Austrian-born winemaker Manfred Krankl released three barrels of Syrah as "Queen of Spades" with a label he had designed himself. Previously, Krankl had made wines with other winemakers – including the "Black and Blue" wine with Havens Cellars and several wines with John Alban of Alban Vineyards. After releasing Queen of Spades, Krankl sent a bottle to Robert Parker, who promptly gave the wine 95 points – then the highest he'd given any American wine based on a Rhône variety
| Varietal | Syrah & Grenache |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Rating | 100/99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 6 x 750ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 6 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | Central Coast |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Robert Parker |
100 RP - The 2018 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is slow to unfold but stunning once it opens, featuring layered aromas of cassis, coffee beans, garrigue and cracked pepper before segueing to soaring floral perfume. A blend of 82% Syrah, 10.6% Grenache, 5.3% Petite Sirah and 2.1% Viognier, it's made entirely of estate fruit. It was fermented with 28% whole clusters and matured about 38 months in 50% new French oak. It has an opaque ruby-purple in color, and the palate is full-bodied, powerful and seamless, boasting powdery tannins and integrated acidity. It has a concentrated core of floral fruit and a tremendously long finish. It was bottled on December 15, 2021, and tasted May 24, 2022. 99 RP - The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a barrel selection and is composed of 83.7% Grenache, 9.1% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah and 1.2% Viognier. It was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for about 38 months in 52% new French oak barrels and demi-muids. It has a deep ruby-purple color and slowly opening scents of Morello cherries, coffee beans, licorice, thyme, tea leaves and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet energetic, offering bursts of juicy acidity and grainy tannins to counter its concentrated fruits. After spending some time in the glass, the long finish blossoms to a kaleidoscope of spicy, floral accents, suggesting this may require more bottle time than some of the other wines in this lineup before reaching its peak. This was bottled on December 17, 2021, and tasted May 24, 2022. |
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| Wine Spectator |
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| Burghound |
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| Varietal | Syrah & Grenache |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Rating | 100/99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 6 x 750ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 6 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | Central Coast |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Syrah & Grenache |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Rating | 100/99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 6 x 750ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 6 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | Central Coast |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Syrah & Grenache |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Rating | 100/99 RP |
| Barrels |
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| Style |
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| Owners |
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| Region | California |
| Location | Central Coast |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Winemaker |
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| Production |
| Robert Parker Rating | 100 RP - The 2018 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is slow to unfold but stunning once it opens, featuring layered aromas of cassis, coffee beans, garrigue and cracked pepper before segueing to soaring floral perfume. A blend of 82% Syrah, 10.6% Grenache, 5.3% Petite Sirah and 2.1% Viognier, it's made entirely of estate fruit. It was fermented with 28% whole clusters and matured about 38 months in 50% new French oak. It has an opaque ruby-purple in color, and the palate is full-bodied, powerful and seamless, boasting powdery tannins and integrated acidity. It has a concentrated core of floral fruit and a tremendously long finish. It was bottled on December 15, 2021, and tasted May 24, 2022. 99 RP - The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a barrel selection and is composed of 83.7% Grenache, 9.1% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah and 1.2% Viognier. It was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for about 38 months in 52% new French oak barrels and demi-muids. It has a deep ruby-purple color and slowly opening scents of Morello cherries, coffee beans, licorice, thyme, tea leaves and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet energetic, offering bursts of juicy acidity and grainy tannins to counter its concentrated fruits. After spending some time in the glass, the long finish blossoms to a kaleidoscope of spicy, floral accents, suggesting this may require more bottle time than some of the other wines in this lineup before reaching its peak. This was bottled on December 17, 2021, and tasted May 24, 2022. |
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| Antonio Galloni Rating |
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| Wine Spectator Rating |
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| Burghound Rating |
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