No Products in the Cart
Pinot Noir · Shea Vineyard
Only 96 cases - First Vintage of Pinot made.
“The 1996 Pinot Noir from Oregon's Shea Vineyard called Left Field is the first wine from Sine Qua Non that has not received an outstanding rating. The color is medium ruby/garnet and the nose complex with plenty of smoky new oak intermixed with plum damp forest aromas and berry fruit. Like many 1996 Oregon Pinot Noirs there is a slight austerity and hollowness in the mid-palate. This elegant offering could easily pass for a classy Burgundy in a blind tasting. All the Sine Qua Non wines reviewed in this segment are bottled with virtually no fining and rarely any filtration.”
Every detail we hold on this bottle, in one place, so you know exactly what is going into your cellar.
Sine Qua Non
1996 Pinot Noir, Shea VineyardSine 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
One bottle, 750 ml, of the 1996 vintage.
Local pickup is by appointment only. If you choose pickup at checkout, please email sales@cultwine.com to schedule your pickup.
Winemaker Manfred Krankl, at Sine Qua Non, owned by Manfred Elaine Krankl.
Yes. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase.
Looking for a specific bottle, vintage, or large format? Tell us what you're after, and a CultWine specialist will personally track it down for you. Request a wine or call 1 877 285.8946.
Can't find it? We'll find it. A CultWine specialist will personally track down the bottle you're after.
