{"product_id":"2003-sine-qua-non-inaugural-grenache-99-pts","title":"2003 Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Inaugural Grenache - 750ml","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2003 SQN Eleven Confessions Inaugural Grenache - 99 Pts!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSine 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSine 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\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e \u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"first odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eVarietal\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eProprietary Blend\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eVintage\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e2003\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eRating\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e99 RP\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eBottle Size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e750 ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eBottle Quantity\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eCountry\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eUSA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eRegion\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eCalifornia\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eLocation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eProducer\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eSine Qua Non\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eColor\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eRed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"last odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eWine Type\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eTable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"first odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eRating\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e99 RP - The recently released 2003 The Inaugural (90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, the first vintage from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard) is a stunning effort. Boasting superb intensity and purity, it spent 38 months in French oak, and has taken on mind-boggling nuances and subtleties. It is a huge wine dominated by black cherry, blackberry, and cassis fruit, but also offering notions of plums, figs, soy, smoke, and roasted meat-like notes. The wine's enormous complexity, silky, full-bodied, voluptuous texture, and remarkable finish suggest it will last over a decade, but who can resist it now? It hits all the palate's and olfactory gland's sweet spots, a hedonistic and intellectual joy! To reiterate, it is a challenge to analyze these wines. I know they are distinctive, and I think I am beginning to understand why they are so much greater than just about every other Syrah or Grenache-based wine in California. In short, it is talent and incredibly meticulous hard work. No one works as hard or is as maniacal about a vineyard's viticulture and winemaking as Manfred Krankl. Take that, add in exceptional talent, humility, top-notch vineyards, and I believe I understand the fundamentals of why these wines are so special. RP\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"first odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eWine Spectator\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"first odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eBurghound\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"first odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eVarietal\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eProprietary Blend\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eVintage\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e2003\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eRating\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e99 RP\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eBottle Size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e750 ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eBottle Quantity\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eCountry\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eUSA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eRegion\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eCalifornia\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eLocation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eProducer\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eSine Qua Non\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"even\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eColor\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eRed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"last odd\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"label\"\u003eWine Type\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"data last\"\u003eTable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e","brand":"CultWine.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33955376693379,"sku":"4986685","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0353\/9864\/7939\/files\/2003-sine-qua-non-eleven-confessions-inaugural-grenache-750ml-wine-370.webp?v=1770237411","url":"https:\/\/cultwine.com\/pt\/products\/2003-sine-qua-non-inaugural-grenache-99-pts","provider":"CultWine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}