2005 The 17th Nail In My Cranium (Syrah)
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Tasting notes
I've only been able to taste the 2005 The 17th Nail In My Cranium Eleven Confessions Vineyard on a handful of occasions, and to say it never failed to impress would be an understatement. Based on 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier aged 38 months in French oak, it's still incredibly concentrated and opulent, with a sensational perfume of bloody red and blue fruits, leafy herbs, gamey meats, and ground pepper. It hits the palate with full-bodied richness as well as a layered, deep, opulent mouthfeel with resolved tannins and a sensational finish. While this is clearly mature, it still needs plenty of air to show at its best, and this bottle held up beautifully over two days, without a hint of fatigue or oxidation. It's a remarkable, singular wine from this genius of a winemaker that readers should enjoy over the coming 5-10 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
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. About as good as it gets across the board, these singular, incredible wines are the result of an obsessive attention to detail at all stages of the wine making process. There is no secret or hidden magic going on here. The incredibly talented and down-to-earth Manfred Krankl simply walks the walk as opposed to only talking about attention to detail or offering up the standard, wine is made in the vineyard comments. Looking at the vintages focused on here, 2009 has produced a decadent, voluptuous style that offers up thrilling levels of fruit as well as an approachable, heady richness that-s hard to resist. While they possess ample depth and structure, I would drink these before either the 2010s or 2011s. The 2010s here are stunning and have everything; gorgeous fruit, awesome concentration and incredible purity. While the most age-worthy of the recent vintages, they're a spectacular drink even today. The 2011s, which were all tasted out of barrel, have additional freshness and focus over the 2010s. They have solid concentration and overall balanced profiles that should allow them to cruise in the cellar. Tel. (805) 649-8901; www.sinequanon.com
Glass-staining purple. Hypnotic bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, black pepper, olive tapenade and smoked meat, with a strong note of potpourri gaining with aeration. Deep, sweet and remarkably pure, offering broad dark berry and cherry compote flavors, with exotic floral and spice notes adding complexity. Becomes chewier on the finish but yields none of its sweet, palate-saturating fruit. (JR)
About the producer
The brainchild of Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non (commonly known as SQN) is a cult California producer whose wines are avidly collected. The winery focuses on Rhône-inspired blends, however is famously non-conformist with each release totally unique.