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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 |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2001 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 1500 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Rating | 99 RP - 2001 Sine Qua Non On Your Toes Syrah Magnum - 99 pts! The virtually perfect 2001 On Your Toes is 100% Syrah (aged 39 months in new oak) from three vineyard sources, White Hawk, Alban, and Stolpman. I have already consumed two bottles of this extraordinary wine and, amazingly, the oak is less noticeable than in SQN's Syrahs bottled after a normal elevage of 24-26 months in wood. It boasts a gorgeous blue/purple color to the rim as well as exceptional aromas of pure creme de cassis and blackberries intertwined with acacia flowers, licorice, and delicate, subtle toast notes. In the mouth, it is pure silk. An opulent, voluptuously-textured offering that cascades over the palate with no hard edges and nothing out of place, it is a brilliant tour de force in winemaking that can be drunk now or cellared for more than a decade. RP The world's most profound wines are always made by the same kind of people ... artists, craftspeople, revolutionaries, and traditionalists who have one overwhelming trait in common ... they are irrefutably dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, and their hearts, souls, and enormous talents are reflected in wines of singular personality and achievement. There are never any compromises, so it is no surprise that what takes place in these cellars is the transformation of a commonplace beverage into a form of drinkable art! RP |
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| Wine Spectator |
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| Burghound |
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| Varietal | Syrah |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2001 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 1500 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Syrah |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2001 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 1500 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | |
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Syrah |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2001 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| 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 | 99 RP - 2001 Sine Qua Non On Your Toes Syrah Magnum - 99 pts! The virtually perfect 2001 On Your Toes is 100% Syrah (aged 39 months in new oak) from three vineyard sources, White Hawk, Alban, and Stolpman. I have already consumed two bottles of this extraordinary wine and, amazingly, the oak is less noticeable than in SQN's Syrahs bottled after a normal elevage of 24-26 months in wood. It boasts a gorgeous blue/purple color to the rim as well as exceptional aromas of pure creme de cassis and blackberries intertwined with acacia flowers, licorice, and delicate, subtle toast notes. In the mouth, it is pure silk. An opulent, voluptuously-textured offering that cascades over the palate with no hard edges and nothing out of place, it is a brilliant tour de force in winemaking that can be drunk now or cellared for more than a decade. RP The world's most profound wines are always made by the same kind of people ... artists, craftspeople, revolutionaries, and traditionalists who have one overwhelming trait in common ... they are irrefutably dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, and their hearts, souls, and enormous talents are reflected in wines of singular personality and achievement. There are never any compromises, so it is no surprise that what takes place in these cellars is the transformation of a commonplace beverage into a form of drinkable art! RP |
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