Sine Qua Syrah Capo Dei Putti 2014 1x75cl - 3 bottles in the case

99 points | Jeb Dunnuck
Leading off the reds, the extended barrel-aged 2014 Syrah Capo Dei Putti boasts an insane bouquet of cedarwood, white chocolate, caramelized meats, candle way, and assorted red and black fruits. With full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible elegance, it changed every time I came back to the glass and is a multi-dimensional, riveting red wine from California. A blend of 90% Syrah and the balance Viognier, Petite Sirah, and Grenache, partially destemmed and aged 38 months in 94% new French oak, give this beauty 2-3 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 10-15 years.

Sine Qua Non Grenache Testa Dei Cherubini 2014 1x75cl - 3 bottles in the case

99 points | Jeb Dunnuck
As with the extended aged Syrah release, the 2014 Grenache Testa Dei Cherubini (80% Grenache, 15.5% Syrah, and the rest Petite Sirah and Viognier) comes all from the estate Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and spent just under 38 months in 25% new French oak, with the balance in neutral barrels (varying sizes). Layers of black raspberry, cassis, white chocolate, white flowers, and Asian spices flow to a full-bodied, supple, powerful Grenache that has silky, silky tannins, a seamless texture, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s already approachable, yet in my experience, this extended élevage results in a very stable wine, and I suspect this beauty will have another two decades of longevity.

Wine Advocate (100)

In The Crosshairs (Grenache) - 100 pts 2006 In the Cross Hairs 11 Confessions Vineyard: This is Sine Qua Non’s extended barrel-aged Grenache (meaning that in most vintages since 2003, Krankl has produced two cuvees of Grenache, one aged 18-22 months before bottling, and the other one with extended barrel-aging, in this case 32 months in wood). A blend of 84% Grenache, 12% Syrah and 4% Viognier, all from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills, this is one of the most extraordinarily elegant Grenaches Krankl has produced. It is an intellectual wine, yet it doesn’t wimp out by any means. It is full-bodied and voluptuously textured, with notes of spice box, licorice and Provencal herbs, copious quantities of black currant and kirsch liqueur, stunning richness and a finish lasting close to a minute. This amazing effort confirms Krankl’s meticulous and nearly obsessively detailed work in both the vineyard and the winery.(31 Aug 2011) Drinking Window: 2011 - 2022 A Shot In The Dark (Syrah) - 100 pts The soon-to-be-released 2006 A Shot in the Dark is composed of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills. Performing better from bottle than it did from barrel, this prodigious red exhibits incredibly velvety tannins, a seamless style, and no noticeable oak (which is remarkable given the fact it spent 32 months in barrel). Dense purple to the rim with an extraordinary perfume of blueberry pie, blackberries, soy, Asian spices, and hints of forest floor and charcoal, this is a complex, rich, seamless, well-balanced tour de force in winemaking. A full-bodied, exuberant, unabashedly California Syrah, it will offer stunning drinking over the next 10-15+ years. (31 Aug 2010) Drinking Window: 2010 - 2025

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.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The 2019 Grenache Distenta I, which was tasted from bottle, is cut from the same cloth as the 2020, although it's a touch more focused and elegant. Black raspberries, white pepper, new saddle leather, and beautiful floral and spicy notes all soar from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. The blend is 76% Grenache, 9.3% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, and the rest Petite Sirah and Viognier that saw 43.5% whole clusters and 23 months in 26% new French oak, with 6.8% in concrete and the balance in used oak. It's another sensational wine from this estate that flirts with perfection.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred told me last year. “It kinda triples the effect of the wine.” The red winemaking included 33% whole cluster. The vineyard sources for this wine are 35% The Third Twin, 33% Eleven Confessions, 31% Cumulus and 1% Molly Aida—all estate-owned vineyards. This wine was bottled at the end of July 2021, after 23 months in French oak, 43% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with a powerfully fragrant nose of red roses, Morello cherries, boysenberries and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of mocha, star anise, cardamom and cassia. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, crunchy black, blue and red fruits. It has a rock-solid structure of firm, finely-grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the shimmering layers to a long, energetic finish. The complexity and vivacity of this Syrah are simply jaw-dropping!

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred told me last year. “It kinda triples the effect of the wine.” The red winemaking included 33% whole cluster. The vineyard sources for this wine are 35% The Third Twin, 33% Eleven Confessions, 31% Cumulus and 1% Molly Aida—all estate-owned vineyards. This wine was bottled at the end of July 2021, after 23 months in French oak, 43% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with a powerfully fragrant nose of red roses, Morello cherries, boysenberries and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of mocha, star anise, cardamom and cassia. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, crunchy black, blue and red fruits. It has a rock-solid structure of firm, finely-grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the shimmering layers to a long, energetic finish. The complexity and vivacity of this Syrah are simply jaw-dropping!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Starting with the white, the 2019 Distenta I White is pure perfection, and there's not a finer white coming out of California today. Coming from a final blend of 41% Roussanne, 26% Chardonnay, 14% Petit Manseng, 12% Viognier, and the rest Gelber Muskateller, it spent 23 months in 64% new French oak. It offers a heavenly bouquet of caramelized oranges, toasted bread, honeyed citrus, and almond paste. This carries to a full-bodied, deep, concentrated white with incredible intensity and depth, yet it’s never heavy or overbearing and is flawlessly balanced. These have a great track record of aging brilliantly, but you can’t go wrong drinking them in their youth, either. I know Krankl’s reds get all the attention, but he continues to produce brilliant, brilliant dry whites. There were 824 cases produced.

Jeb Dunnuck (97-100)

The 2020 Grenache Distenta II is a blend of mostly 78% Grenache and the rest Mourvèdre, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and a tiny splash of Viognier. It's a ripe, sexy, insanely good barrel sample that has remarkable purity, tons of black raspberry and cassis fruits, perfect balance, full-bodied richness, and an already complex bouquet of violets, spice, and flowers. I continue to be blown away by what this estate seems to achieve with Grenache in just about every vintage.

Wine Advocate (99)

The recently bottled 2020 Syrah Distenta 11 is a blend of 82.9% Syrah, 7.5% Grenache, 3.9% Mourvèdre, 3.4% Petite Sirah and 2.3% white grapes (1.5% Muskat and 0.8% Petit Manseng, to be precise). It comes entirely from estate vineyards: The Third Twin (43%), Eleven Confessions (32%), Cumulus (21%) and Molly Aïda (3%). It was fermented with 16% whole clusters and matured for about 23 months in 66% new French oak. "I like whole cluster less on Syrah," Manfred Krankl explains. "It can be more herbal. But these 2020s are much more fleshy and unctuous, so it shows better." Opaque ruby in color, it opens significantly as it spends time in the decanter, unfolding to cassis, crème de violette, coffee and warm chocolate. The palate embodies weightless power, its concentrated, graphite-laced flavors carried by a velvety, seamless frame, while soft bursts of acidity highlight floral perfume on the long finish. Still very tightly coiled, its intense, latent flavors suggest this has much more to give as it unwinds in bottle. 1,999 cases and 600 magnums will be released in the spring of 2023.

Vinous (98)

The 2021 Syrah Distenta III is another magnificent offering in this great vintage. A wine of penetrating depth and vibrancy, the 2021 explodes onto the palate with copious dark fruit, new leather, licorice and spice. It possesses statuesque energy and pedigree to burn. The Distenta III is one of my favorite recent SQN wines. The blend is 81.7% Syrah, 11.3% Grenache, 3.3% Mourvèdre, 2.1% Petite Sirah and 1.6% Muscat and Petit Manseng.

This assortment case contains:

1x150cl The Duel Syrah 2008 – 99 points | Wine Advocate

1x150cl The Duel Grenache 2008 – 97 points | Wine Advocate

This assortment case contains:

3x75cl Capo dei Putti Syrah 2014 - 99 points | Jeb Dunnuck

3x75cl Testa dei Cherubini Grenache 2014 - 99 points | Jeb Dunnuck

Wine Advocate (98)

Dangerous Birds Syrah (98 pts) In addition to these new releases, I was also able to taste through a number of older vintages, including the 2001 Albino, 2006 Hoodoo Man, 2003 The Inaugural, 2004 Ode to E, 1998 E Raised, 2001 On Your Toes, 2005 Nail in My Cranium and 2007 Syrah Dangerous Birds. To say I came away impressed would be an understatement. Anyone who claims this big, rich style can-t age needs to taste these wines. I opted to just list my scores for the older releases as I find Bob-s initial write-ups spot on. (JD) Dangerous Birds Grenache (97 pts) The 2007 Grenache Dangerous Birds, from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard, is a big, huge wine loaded with dark cherries, plums, licorice and smoke, all of which come together in a sensual, captivating wine of the highest level. This shows gorgeous inner perfume and fabulous overall balance. The silkiest of tannins frame the long finish. If forced to choose, I have a slight preference for the 2008 among the Estate Grenaches, but both wines are beautiful. Dangerous Birds is 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier. A portion of the Grenache (36% of the total blend) was fermented with whole clusters. The wine spent 34 months in oak and was bottled in August 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. (AG)

Every case contains 3 bottles of each Sine Qua Non Grenache E 2015 and Sine Qua Non Syrah M 2015

 

Sine Qua Non Grenache E 2015

 

100 points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

  “This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl’s initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 5% Petite Syrah and 1% Viognier, and 56% was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 28% new.

 

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Grenache E slides beguilingly out of the glass with a powerfully evocative, earthy/meaty nose of wood smoke, grilled meats, fragrant soil, truffles and iron ore with a core of kirsch, blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and aniseed plus touches of wild sage, rose hip tea and Indian spices. The palate is full-bodied, surprisingly muscular and built like a brick house with an unbelievable structure of very fine, densely pixilated tannins supporting the generous, multi-faceted layers, finishing with epic length, jaw-dropping texture and tons of cerebral mineral and spice nuances. WOW! 900 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were made.” Drinking Window: 2020 – 2035

 

 

Sine Qua Non Syrah M 2015

 

99 points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

“This is a single-vineyard Syrah-dominant blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Manfred Krankl’s initial and a provocative self-portrait on the label. The blend is 90.6% Syrah, 4.4% Petite Syrah, 2.6% Grenache and 2.4% Viognier. Forty-three percent was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 66% new.

 

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Syrah M starts off a little closed, slowly unfurling to show layer upon layer of savory notes: peppered salami, woodsmoke, marmite and black olives, beneath a profound core of preserved plums, blueberry coulis and Chinese five spice with fragrant touches of fenugreek, Sichuan pepper, crushed rocks and mossy bark. Exquisitely textured with firm, rounded tannins, the taut, full-bodied, muscular fruit is laced with seamless freshness, finishing with fantastic persistence. This is a Syrah for the long haul! 913 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were made.” Drinking Window: 2021 – 2050