Sine Qua Non, Eleven Confessions Vineyard Grenache, Central Coast, California, 2018

Overview of the Wine
Sine Qua Non was created after the 1994 harvest of a Bien Nacido Syrah named “The Queen of Spades”. Winemaker Manfred Krankl feels strongly that each vintage is a completely unique wine and thus he gives each wine a unique name. He also creates the artwork for each new label himself. Previously, Manfred had made wines with Bryan Babcock and John Alban and still sources much of his fruit from Alban’s vineyard. The basic white wines have always been a white blend of Chardonnay, Roussanne and Viognier and a red wine based on Syrah plus Grenache. Sometimes there are small quantities of Rose and a Grenache-based red.

Sine Qua Non has its own winemaking facility in Ventura, California not far from the Santa Barbara vineyards where the fruit is sourced from. In the last few years Manfred and his wife, Elaine, have begun creating their own vineyards dedicated to Rhone varietals. Their winemaking philosophy is to work in very small batches, gravity flow, natural yeasts (unless a fermentation problem is anticipated), long lees aging for the whites and repeated racking for the reds to open them up. This is a modified explanation of a very dedicated and artistic approach to winemaking. The wines are simultaneously very rich and elegant, superbly balanced and thoroughly harmonious with food, never overwhelming.

Grape / Blend
83.7% Grenache, 9.1% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah, 1.2% Viognier

Origin
Central Coast, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Quite dark for Grenache, but brilliant...even sparkly. Right away it is forward, sprite and lively. There is a singing nose with a dark backdrop. I get tones of pomegranate and a nuance of sap from the under-the-bark limb of a tree. Fresh spring herbs too. The mouth is fanned out and broad with quiet notes of chopped olives. The wine is very soft and gentle, but has amazing persistence. A mild and caressing finish sticks with you until the cows come home. The longer it sits in the glass, the better it gets. It is sneaky, very supple and mind-blowingly determined.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard comes all from the estate vineyard located on the eastern side of the Sta. Rita Hills and is even more Grenache-dominated, checking in at close to 84% Grenache with 9% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah, and the rest Viognier. Aged a whopping 38 months in 52% new barrels, it has an insane bouquet of black raspberries, herbes de Provence, violets, mulled cherries, sandalwood, and new leather. As complex and nuanced as they come, this full-bodied beauty has awesome purity of fruit, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, sweet, fine-grained tannins, and a great, great finish. It's one of those wines that makes you run out of adjectives. One of the finest examples of Grenache to pass my lips, give it 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

99 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a barrel selection and is composed of 83.7% Grenache, 9.1% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah and 1.2% Viognier. It was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for about 38 months in 52% new French oak barrels and demi-muids. It has a deep ruby-purple color and slowly opening scents of Morello cherries, coffee beans, licorice, thyme, tea leaves and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet energetic, offering bursts of juicy acidity and grainy tannins to counter its concentrated fruits. After spending some time in the glass, the long finish blossoms to a kaleidoscope of spicy, floral accents, suggesting this may require more bottle time than some of the other wines in this lineup before reaching its peak.

97 Points - Vinous
The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard has tightened considerably since it was bottled. That's probably a good thing for the long-term, but today, the 2018 doesn't show the opulence and richness that is such a signature of this wine. Perhaps the 45 whole clusters are contributing to that. Readers will have to be especially patient.

Product size: 750ml