James Suckling (98)

This is really amazing with an exotic dried-fruit character of pineapple and mangoes. Full-bodied, rich and fruity with cream, pie-crust and caramel character. Crazy chardonnay with a little Jura style and some flor undertones. It really does have flor in the barrel when aging. Love. Get it. Drink now.

James Suckling (98)

A tight and beautiful white with a dense palate of beautiful, ripe lemons and apples. Layered and refined with phenolic tension. Complex yeast and hints of oak and flor. Full body. Great length. 80 per cent flor-growth in barrel. Drink now.

James Suckling (97)

This is another rock-star chardonnay from here with dried-apple, pear-skin, crushed-stone and peach-pit character. Full body. Creamy texture. Phenolic form and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

Cooked apple, lemon curd and light vanilla on the nose, together with stone, mineral and some dried flowers. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and beautiful fruit. Hints of vanilla and pie crust in the aftertaste. Always great quality for the price. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.

James Suckling (97)

A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (98+)

The nose of the 2012 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard almost made me fall from my chair. It is the expression of elegance and austerity coupled with strong minerality. It is mostly Cabernet Franc from a very chalky vineyard in Gualtallary at 1,430 meters altitude that fermented together with a small percentage of Malbec. In 2012 they fine tuned the élevage and fermentation, which was in rolling 500-liter barrels that were new in 2006 (so by then quite neutral), where the wine was kept for one more year and then transferred to 1,000-liter egg-shaped cement vats for one further year. This reminded me of my favorite Bordeaux, Lafleur, because of the elegance, the refinement of the tannins and length. It has citric, effervescent acidity that makes you salivate. Winemaker and Owner Alejandro Vigil has done a very strict selection of the soils in the field, and only kept the very center of the vineyard where the high density (12,000 plants per hectare) generates a lot of competition, because the plants from the borders have more space in the sides, which means in 2012 he could only fill 1,800 bottles. Awesome, and ultra fresh for a vintage like 2012. Bravo!

Wine Advocate - Robert Parker (100)

I was really looking forward to tasting the 2013 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard since all of the previous vintages have been truly exceptional, and I wanted to see what it would be in a cooler year. The bottled wine contains perhaps 15% Malbec in the blend, and they will soon stop mentioning Cabernet Franc on the label. It fermented in 500-liter oak barrels with 50% of the Cabernet Franc and all of the Malbec and then matured in used oak foudres. It's very intense and powerful, but at the same time, there is a kind of lightness on the palate that makes if feel light on its feet but with great inner power. There is citrus acidity that makes it effervescent and electric. It has some 7.5 grams of acidity and a pH of 3.45, very healthy parameters. The peppery character appears after some time, giving it a Chinon-like twist, and it also reminds me of my favorite Bordeaux, Pomerol's Lafleur. This is definitely world-class and worth lying down, as it should develop further complexity in bottle. This is one of those wines where the only improvement I can think of is having magnums rather than bottles. Bravo! Some 3,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2016.

Wine Advocate (98)

I also tasted the 2014 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard, which might take some months to come into the market. It has some balsamic aromas, medicinal hints, traces of orange peel, saffron and a touch of sweet spices. It's built around very fine tannins and a notable core of acidity that acts as backbone, giving it length and lifting up the finish. This is quite in line with the 2010 vintage, with power and freshness in a rare combination of clout and elegance only the very best wines manage to show.

Wine Advocate (98)

I also tasted the 2014 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard, which might take some months to come into the market. It has some balsamic aromas, medicinal hints, traces of orange peel, saffron and a touch of sweet spices. It's built around very fine tannins and a notable core of acidity that acts as backbone, giving it length and lifting up the finish. This is quite in line with the 2010 vintage, with power and freshness in a rare combination of clout and elegance only the very best wines manage to show.

James Suckling (98)

This is such a fabulous red with ripe berries, blackberries and hints of dried mushrooms and black tea. Full body and crystalline tannins that carry the wine on for minutes. Energetic and takes off like a rocket. Extreme, great wine. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (99)

The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle.

Wine Advocate (99)

The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2017 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard didn't show any heat or excess ripeness from a warm and dry year. On the contrary, it's austere and has citrus acidity, with great freshness and minerality. The palate is super austere with vibrant acidity—by far the highest among the Gran Enemigo bottlings—and very fine, chalky tannins. This is remarkable, serious, balanced and fresh with a very, very long and salty finish. This fermented in barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in centenary oak foudres for 15 months. 3,000 bottles were filled in July 2018.

Wine Advocate (98)

One of the finest and more regular wines from Argentina, the 2018 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard is austere and shows restraint, with great freshness and gobsmacking balance and complexity, but in the context of the 2019 and 2020 vintages that I also tasted next to it, it comes thorough as slightly less refined but still with 13.5% alcohol and with very good parameters of acidity and freshness. It has a medium-bodied palate and a rare combination of power and elegance, with very fine, chalky tannins. It's very long and has a salty and tasty finish. It matured in centenary oak foudres for 15 months. 9,000 bottles were filled in July 2019.

James Suckling (100)

A complex, restrained and deliciously austere cabernet franc with damp earth, oyster shells, blueberries, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms. Super serious and chalky on the palate with lots of dissolved, minerally-textured tannins. Very long and uncompromising! An incredible cabernet franc from Gualtallary by Alejandro Vigil. Extremely pure, mineral and seductive. A fabulous cabernet franc that grows on the palate with remarkable tension and texture. I’d want to drink a bottle now even it can hold extremely well.

James Suckling (100)

A complex, restrained and deliciously austere cabernet franc with damp earth, oyster shells, blueberries, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms. Super serious and chalky on the palate with lots of dissolved, minerally-textured tannins. Very long and uncompromising! An incredible cabernet franc from Gualtallary by Alejandro Vigil. Extremely pure, mineral and seductive. A fabulous cabernet franc that grows on the palate with remarkable tension and texture. I’d want to drink a bottle now even it can hold extremely well.

An expression of the chalkiest and most mineral-heavy parcel within the Uco Valley, PerSe Gualtallary Inseparable is the latest addition to PerSe’s line-up and is a “good introduction to their portfolio”. Sourced from the central parcel of the Monasterio vineyard, this is a “classical Gualtallary” that made its debut in 2018. Thunderously applauded as an “impressive inaugural vintage”, it was awarded 95 points from Decanter and 94 points from the Wine Advocate.

Hand-picked, fermented in concrete and aged for 14 months in neutral French oak, this is a lifted and refined style of Malbec. Gutiérrez, who finds this wine “hard to resist” (WA), is mesmerized by the “very pure and floral” aromas and a palate that reveals “velvety texture and round tannins with citrus freshness” (WA).

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2019 Inseparable comes from the original vineyard planted by the monks in the Monasterio del Cristo Orante in Gualtallary Monasterio at 1,450 meters above sea level. The destemmed grapes fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete for one year, different from the first vintage that matured in oak. 2019 was a cold and wet year when they picked in early April in a year with a small ripening, the last vineyard they harvest. The nose has flowers and dark fruit and notes of graphite and earth, and the palate has a strong chalky sensation. It's ripe at 14.5% alcohol and juicy, with good freshness and acidity (pH 3.5 after malolactic and 6.2 grams of tartaric acid). It's a serious and somewhat austere red. 7,700 bottles were filled in March 2020. It was a good yielding year.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2020 Inseparable comes from a warm and dry year, when they picked earlier and achieved a wine with lower alcohol than the 2019 that I tasted next to it, 14% here versus 14.5% in 2019—half a degree that was noticeable. It's juicier and more approachable too, and it feels fine-boned and balanced, with good acidity. Since 2019, the wine is kept unoaked, fermented and matured in concrete for 12 months. It's a more approachable vintage with fine-grained tannins. 6,000 bottles were filled in February 2021, as it was a lower-yielding year.

Wine Advocate (100)

I fell in love with the 2019 La Craie as soon as I put my nose in the glass, and the wine stood out like a sore thumb in a flight with the rest of the wines from Per Se. The nose is subtle, elegant, harmonious snf ethereal despite the 14.5% alcohol, This comes from the south-facing slope, the cooler exposition in the southern hemisphere and is the co-fermentation of the field blend of Malbec and Cabernet Franc; depending on the vintage, it can contain some 20% of Cabernet Franc, but they don't even know for sure because the different vintages yield differently depending on the grape. It's perfumed and floral, with the freshness of a forest, notes of graphite and an ethereal quality, not only on the nose but also on the palate, where it's only medium-bodied and has ultra-fine, elegant, fine-grained tannins. It fermented and matured in barrel for 16 months. 1,440 bottles were filled in November 2020.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2020 La Craie was also picked earlier, and the wine achieved lower alcohol (14%) than the 2019 through fermenting the destemmed grapes in their new crylon vats. It matured in used 225-liter barrels for 16 months, the same barrels they have always used from the beginning. It's a less austere expression of LaCraie, more open, aromatic and gentler but keeping the personality, the delicate tannins and the DNA from the place, the large bones with little meat. Great effort for the vintage. 912 bottles were filled in December 2021.

Iubileus is a profound expression of pure Malbec, too long associated with unimpressive mass-produced wines – the varietal flexes its considerable muscles in this 98 pointed wine. Whilst the 2018 will require patience and time in bottle, its striking quality is clear. Endless layers of minerality and elegant fruit are reticent at this stage but unmistakably present. Hidden amongst the flanks of impeccably fine yet abundant tannins is a core of sensational acidity and perfume simply biding its time to burst forth.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2019 Iubileus comes from Malbec from a plot planted in 2013 on limestone-rich soils with some 40 centimeters of soil, worked organically since it was planted but not certified. It fermented in used rolling barrels with indigenous yeasts, with a maceration of 30 days and matured in used barriques for 16 months. It has moderate ripeness, 14% alcohol and good freshness and acidity, coming through as balanced, harmonious and juicy, with some earthiness, fine, chalky tannins and a long, persistent finish. 1,380 bottles were filled in November 2020.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2020 Iubileus comes from the northern exposure (the warmer exposure in the southern hemisphere) of the hill in Gualtallary where Per Se has its vineyards, where the soils are a little deeper and help to cushion the heat from warmer years like 2020. There is a change in 2020: the wine didn't ferment in barrel like all the previous years but instead was in crylon vats, a sort of inert and very clean material that can be closed. It matured in used 225-liter barrels for 16 months. The wine is open, expressive and floral, with 14.1% alcohol. They achieved harvesting earlier in the warmer and lower-yielding year (around March 10th) to avoid over-ripeness and too much concentration in the wine. It has fine tannins and feels approachable and gentle. 864 bottles were filled in December 2021.

Wine Enthusiast (92)

Crisp boysenberry and black raspberry aromas meet with lthyme, oregano and a touch of caramelization on the nose of this Sea Smoke bottling. Dark cranberry fruit shows on the palate, lifted by anise, pepper and an array of herbs, all framed by a leathery texture. Drink now until 2028.

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.

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

The Eleven Confessions vineyard is a 33-acre plot located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA, which is widely known to be a cool climate region. True to their spirit of being non-conformists, the Krankls chose to focus primarily on Rhône varietals, dedicating 22 aces to Syrah, Grenache and some Rhône whites - while leaving the remaining 11 acres to Pinot Noir planted by the former ranch owner. The cool climate allows a longer hang-time for the grapes to develop full phenolic ripeness. Also, the Krankls kept yields very low, resulting in the phenomenal concentration that their wines are well-known for.

 

Made of a blend of approximately 97% Syrah with Roussane and Viognier completing the blend, the 2011 Syrah Patine earned a massive 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 96 pointsfrom Antonio Galloni, delivering “Guigal La Landonne like aromas and flavors of graphite, sweet oak, smoked meats, pepper and black raspberry and cassis-like fruit " (Dunnuck). Galloni finds “mocha, plums, violets, bittersweet chocolate and dark spice” from this “deep, powerful and intense” wine that he thinks will drink well out to 2035.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2018 Pinot Noir Estate is equally brilliant, offering a vivid ruby/purple hue as well as loads of raspberry and tart cherry fruits, notes of violets and spice, medium-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a great finish. Drink it any time over the coming 4-5 years. I suspect it will keep even longer.