Sine Qua Non Pre-Sale

We are excited to offer the new releases from Elaine and Manfred Krankl

Pre-Sale End January 12th

Please note: These wines are set to arrive in early February.

 

Grenache 'Profuga' 2018 $299 per bottle

Profuga is the Latin for "female refugee, fugitive, deserter or eluding one’s grasp."

 

The 2018 Grenache Profuga is glorious. Sweet, nuanced, and exquisitely perfumed, the 2018 possesses terrific energy and plenty of verve. A rush of ripe red/purplish berry fruit, mint, blood orange, pomegranate, and cinnamon races out of the glass, with silky, polished tannins that give the wine so much pure immediacy. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine. The blend is 77.5% Grenache, 10.0% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier taken from Cumulus, The Third Twin Estate Vineyard, Eleven Confessions, and Bien Nacido which makes it nearly a pure estate wine.      

-- Antonio Galloni 97

 

Scheduled to be bottled in August, the 2018 Grenache Profuga is based on 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, and the rest Petite Sirah and a tiny splash of Viognier. Mostly destemmed (there were 41% stems from the Grenache) and aging in just 37% new French oak, this heavenly beauty has a rare mix of elegance and richness that just begs to be drunk already. Loads of kirsch liqueur, spiced meats, charcuterie, herbes de Provence, and peppery notes define the bouquet, and this full-bodied Grenache is flawlessly balanced, has silky, polished tannins, and a monster of a finish.   

--97- 100 J DUNNICK

 

The 2018 Grenache Profuga is 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. 41% whole cluster was performed predominately on the Grenache, the small portion of the Viognier was co-fermented with red grapes, but interestingly, because it ripens earlier than the reds, the white berries were frozen and added to the reds at the time of fermentation. As an added bonus, these frozen grapes helped a cool and, therefore, slow the fermentation. The wine was aged for 23 months in 37% new French oak, 57.8% used oak, and 5.2% concrete. Deep garnet-purple in color, the wine does bedazzling pirouettes out of the glass with the most gorgeous rose oil, Kirsch, licorice, and fragrant earth scents, leading into a powerful core of black raspberries, red currant jelly, and powdered cinnamon plus a waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is incredibly fresh, elegant, and polished, yet make no mistake – there is a lot of power and energy on the mid-palate. This is all beautifully framed by tightly knit, very finely grained tannins, and the finish holds this provocative, lingering sirens note, delivering exotic spices and rose laced accents. Beguiling.   

--99 WA

 

Syrah 'Ziehharmonika'  2018 $299 per bottle

It was named squeezebox for the original reviews, then they change the name to the German version ZIEHHARMONIKA.

 

Vineyard sources for this one are 51% The Third Twin, 43% Eleven Confessions, and 6% Cumulus - all estate vineyards. The 2018 Syrah ZIEHHARMONIKA is composed of 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petit Sirah, 2.3% Grenache, 2.7% Viognier, and 1.3% Muscat.   Very deep garnet purple-colored, the nose kicks off with bright, vivacious scents of freshly cracked black pepper, licorice, baker’s chocolate, and menthol before opening out to a core just singing a black forest cake, wild blueberries and ripe blackberries with wafts of smoky bacon and garrigue. Full-bodied, firm and beautifully textured with perfectly ripe, velvety tannins, it has an invigorating freshness and a very long, multi-layered finish. Its rock-solid structure and intensity suggest this wine will be very long-lived indeed.  

-- 100 WA

 

The 2018 Syrah ZIEHHARMONIKA is another absolutely exquisite wine from Elaine and Manfred Krankl. Rich, deep, and potent to the core, the 2018 captures a striking mix of lush fruit as well as the energy of the year. All the elements simply fall into place in a magical Syrah that will thrill Sine Qua Non-lovers. The 2018 is 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5.0% Petite Sirah, 2.3 % Grenache, 2.7% Viognier and 1.3% Muscat. Interestingly, the whole clusters are just 14%, so quite a bit lower than found in the Grenache. Vineyard sites are The Third Twin, Eleven Confessions, and Cumulus, all estate ranches.  

--Antonio Galloni 98 AG

 

The 2018 Syrah ZIEHHARMONIKA looks to be another magical wine in the making. This release comes mostly from the Third Twin and Eleven Confessions Vineyards yet has 6% from the Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View. The blend is 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite Sirah, and the rest Grenache, all still aging in 51% new French oak. A killer nose of blue fruits, white and black pepper, lots of spice, white flowers, and a touch of minerality gives way to a full-bodied, beautifully textured 2018 with good acidity, plenty of underlying tannins, and the purity of fruit and elegance that makes 2018 such a compelling vintage.

--96-99 J DUNNICK