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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 | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1996 |
| Rating | RP95 |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | White |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Rating | RP95 - 1996 Sine Qua Non Omadhaun Poltron White Blend The blockbuster whites Sine Qua Non is now producing are a blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay, with the former varietal dominating the blend in both 1996 and 1997. The massive, dry 1996 Omadhaun Poltron's 15.2% alcohol is well-concealed beneath this full-bodied wine's glycerin and unctuous texture. The knock-out nose of honeyed citrus and rose petals is followed by a chewy, remarkably pure, dry wine oozing with extract. I suspect it will become even more civilized with 12-18 months of bottle age, but I would opt for drinking it over the next 2-3 years. All the Sine Qua Non wines reviewed in this segment are bottled with virtually no fining, and rarely any filtration. RP |
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| Wine Spectator |
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| Burghound |
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| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1996 |
| Rating | RP95 |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | White |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1996 |
| Rating | RP95 |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | White |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1996 |
| Rating | RP95 |
| Barrels |
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| Style |
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| Owners |
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| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Winemaker |
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| Production |
| Robert Parker Rating | RP95 - 1996 Sine Qua Non Omadhaun Poltron White Blend The blockbuster whites Sine Qua Non is now producing are a blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay, with the former varietal dominating the blend in both 1996 and 1997. The massive, dry 1996 Omadhaun Poltron's 15.2% alcohol is well-concealed beneath this full-bodied wine's glycerin and unctuous texture. The knock-out nose of honeyed citrus and rose petals is followed by a chewy, remarkably pure, dry wine oozing with extract. I suspect it will become even more civilized with 12-18 months of bottle age, but I would opt for drinking it over the next 2-3 years. All the Sine Qua Non wines reviewed in this segment are bottled with virtually no fining, and rarely any filtration. RP |
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| Antonio Galloni Rating |
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| Wine Spectator Rating |
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| Burghound Rating |
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