2015 Sine Qua Non E
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Grenache E comes all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard and spent a whopping 38 months in 28% new French oak, with the balance in used barrels of varying sizes. An incredible effort that offers complex notes of cured meats, graphite, ground white and black pepper, flowers, and cassis, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a purity level that’s just about off the charts. Showing the concentrated, powerful, structured style of the vintage, give bottles 3-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade or more. The tasting at Sine Qua Non with Manfred, Elaine, and family, has been one of the highlights of my year for coming up on a decade now. It seems little has changed here, with low yields, impeccable farming and attention to detail, and no compromises in the cellar being the norm. I also don’t think I’ve had a tasting where at least one wine (and in most cases more than one) doesn’t merit a perfect rating. Looking at the vintages reviewed here, the 2017s are largely in the style of the 2015s, with slightly tighter, more focused, and structured profiles that are going to reward bottle age. The 2016s are perfection in a bottle, and these wines offer powerful, full-bodied, incredibly sexy profiles as well as the purity and class that’s the hallmark of the vintage. While they have plenty of upfront charm due to their wealth of fruit, they have the balance, concentration, and purity to evolve for two decades or more. Lastly, the Eleven Confession/extended aged cuvees currently being released are the 2015s, and these are ripe, powerful, structured wines. All of these vintages reaffirm Sine Qua Non’s status as one the benchmark estates in the world of wine today.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Grenache E, from Elaine and Manfred Krankl’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard, is stunningly beautiful. Remarkably light on its feet for such a sumptuous wine, the 2015 has so much to offer. Beautifully expressive aromatics make a strong opening impression. Dark red and purplish berry fruit, mint, sweet spice and licorice develop with air, but it is the wine’s overall feel that stands out most. At times, the E is quite powerful, while in other moments it is much more delicate. That contrast makes for an utterly captivating wine. (AG)
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.
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.