Sine Qua Non
About Sine Qua Non
There really is no winery quite like Sine Qua Non (means “something essential”). Manfred and Elaine Krankl followed in that noblest of Californian winery traditions in 1994, building one of the world's greatest estates from the ground up in Ventura County (Central Coast AVA). Founded from passion for the land and a relentless desire to produce simply the best wines that they could, Antonio Galloni (Vinous) declared that "the sheer drive for perfection and attention to detail at Sine Qua Non is something I have rarely witnessed anywhere else in the world".
Today, Sine Qua Non is probably the quintessential tiny production, cult winemaker, producing just 4,000 cases a year across a number of wines made from different vineyards. The huge global demand is based on the critical acclaim for almost the winery produces. It takes years to get onto the mailing list, and the wines almost never come back onto the market once purchased. Older vintages are occasionally sold at auction for stratospheric prices.
Sine Qua Nons' Wines
Manfred Krankl (an Austrian immigrant in California) and his wines break all the rules. There is no standard label, every wine is named differently (every year). There is no marketing. The wines are sold via mailing list and have grown via word of mouth (and critical acclaim). Even the grapes are different – predominantly Rhône Valley varietals like Syrah and Grenache.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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California | 1 | 97-99 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€664.75 |
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Wine Advocate (97-99)The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido Vineyard. 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, redcurrant 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 siren’s note, delivering exotic spices and rose-laced accents. Beguiling. 1,350 cases and 600 magnums were made. |
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California | 1 | 97-99 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,490.24 |
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Wine Advocate (97-99)The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido Vineyard. 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, redcurrant 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 siren’s note, delivering exotic spices and rose-laced accents. Beguiling. 1,350 cases and 600 magnums were made. |
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California | 1 | 99 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€2,902.30 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)Checking in as 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, and the rest Petite Sirah and Grenache, the 2018 Syrah Ziehharmonika was largely destemmed and brought up in 51% new French oak. Gorgeous crème de cassis, smoked game, bacon fat, and spring flower notes all soar from the glass of this beauty, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ripe, building tannins, and a rare mix of richness and freshness. Unquestionably made in a more restrained, elegant style compared to a decade ago, it nevertheless is flawlessly balanced, has awesome tannins, and is just another magical wine from this address that's going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. |
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California | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€2,363.88 |
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Vinous (98)The 2018 Nuestra Señora del Tercer Gemelo is based on Petite Sirah this year. Rich and ample and explosive, the 2018 is wonderfully exotic, dense and full-throttle. Blackberry jam, chocolate, spice, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that literally explode out of the glass. The 2018 was just bottled, but is already dazzling. In the 2018, the wine is far more Petite Sirah-dominant than it has been in the past. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
California | 1 | 97-99 (WA) |
In Bond
€550.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97-99)The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido Vineyard. 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, redcurrant 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 siren’s note, delivering exotic spices and rose-laced accents. Beguiling. 1,350 cases and 600 magnums were made. |
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|
California | 1 | 97-99 (WA) |
In Bond
€1,230.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (97-99)The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido Vineyard. 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, redcurrant 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 siren’s note, delivering exotic spices and rose-laced accents. Beguiling. 1,350 cases and 600 magnums were made. |
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|
California | 1 | 99 (JD) |
In Bond
€2,395.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)Checking in as 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, and the rest Petite Sirah and Grenache, the 2018 Syrah Ziehharmonika was largely destemmed and brought up in 51% new French oak. Gorgeous crème de cassis, smoked game, bacon fat, and spring flower notes all soar from the glass of this beauty, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ripe, building tannins, and a rare mix of richness and freshness. Unquestionably made in a more restrained, elegant style compared to a decade ago, it nevertheless is flawlessly balanced, has awesome tannins, and is just another magical wine from this address that's going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. |
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|
California | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
€1,950.00 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The 2018 Nuestra Señora del Tercer Gemelo is based on Petite Sirah this year. Rich and ample and explosive, the 2018 is wonderfully exotic, dense and full-throttle. Blackberry jam, chocolate, spice, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that literally explode out of the glass. The 2018 was just bottled, but is already dazzling. In the 2018, the wine is far more Petite Sirah-dominant than it has been in the past. |