Mike R

9.7

Omg good - prefect construction with some intriguing blackberry seed and purple plum notes that desperately wanted to jump out of the glass. Believe it or not only decanted for 45 mins - created an utter explosion of flavor and power - the wine absolutely amazed me with the intensity and deep flavor

It’s a big wine and it’s not “ready” by scientific standards, but boy oh boy was this thing singing in prefect pitch already with its electric blueberry, blackberry, purple plum and river rock spices - this surreal bombastic wine is reflecting both youth and a seeming modern stylistic character I have not experienced from a previous Manfred wine I have tried

Whatever your preference, it’s hard to deny the expert construction of this particular wine. Captivating, driven, complex, and pure. The only thing missing from this at the moment is some finesse, which I have confidence it will gain over the next few years. Ideally, wait until after 2022++. 98-100 points.

A huge contrast with the 2013 Next of Kyn No.7, which was all balled-up with nowhere to go all night; hyper-vigilantly tannic and on-guard. The 2014 was just as big, but had the presence of amazing flavor to back up its intensity and fortitude. — 7 years ago

with David

Bill Bender

9.5

Sensational SQN at 16.9% alcohol was the sexiest “little chick” (Gallinita) at the party courtesy of @Eric LaMasters while you could feel the substance of this wine the high alcohol was not a factor at all....illustrating once again how Manfred is a magician at bringing the chained inhabitant of the barrel to the edge of the waterfall but never allowing it to go up and over the edge and crash and die on the rocks below. Massive (for a rose’) but an intricate and somehow delicate wine. Grenache dominates the blend with ample bright red fruit, herbs, stewed strawberry and a decided creamy texture. Unfurled and blossomed throughout the night. Best Glass was the last. — 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.8

2004 Sine Qua Non Covert Fingers Pinot Noir. 14.9% alcohol from the Santa Rita Hills Vineyard. Beautiful, youthful garnet hues with a seductive bouquet of dark fruits and freshly cut flowers on the nose. On the palate, sweet, ripe cherries predominate with notes of cinnamon and candied orange rind nicely balanced against a yeasty, freshly baked bread-like savoriness that blows me away. Texture in Spades. Wonderful acidity. Complex and perfectly balanced. My brother-in-law Joe said it best when he described the wine as ethereal. Wine of the weekend for me which is saying something since the weekend just started. Hate to sound like a broken record, but Manfred Krankl. Nuff said! — 8 years ago

with Bill, Charles and 3 others

Roman Sukley

9.2

2000 Sine Qua Non “The Filly” California Table Wine. 14% alcohol. The last Rose’ of Summer for me. Gorgeous color in the glass. Sort of reminds me of one of my favorite Porsche colors, Rubystone Red. Still fruity on the nose. Strawberries, watermelon and fresh cut rose petals. Similar flavors on the palate with some brambles thrown in. Vibrant acidity. Undoubtedly past its prime, but let’s have a show of hands, who else out there is drinking a 17 year old Rose’? Yeah, that’s what I thought. This one was obviously made before Manfred began what I affectionately like to call his Frankenstein Rose’s. They defy description. They’re over the top. They push the envelope. They’re everything I love about the experiment otherwise known as SQN. Some people hide them in their cellar. I say drink ‘em in the sunshine. — 9 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

2005 Sine Qua Non "Over & Out" Pinot Noir, or, as it says on the back of the bottle "pinotmore" as this was Manfred's last. Beautiful garnet hues with an opulent and seductive bouquet of fruits, flowers and smokey herbs on the nose. On the palate, ripe cherries predominate with hints of cinnamon, cola and candied orange rind nicely balanced against earthy notes of smoke, leather and freshly baked bread. Good acidity. Complex and perfectly balanced, there's an elegance to this wine which takes it to another level. 12 years young with years ahead of it. My favorite SQN Pinot. Makes me wish Manfred hadn't abandoned the Pinot Project. I can just imagine what they would be today. Thinking of forming a consortium to buy some quality Pinot grapes from Shea Vineyard and seeing if Manfred will make us a barrel. Who's in? — 9 years ago

Elizabeth Van Wazer

9.0

RCS - 2015 — 9 years ago

Andy Hock

9.0

Lemon and tart white stone fruit. Light+ body and nice clean mineral acid finish. Pleasant — 7 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.8

2006 Sine Qua Non "The Raven" Series No. 5
I decided to cut my SQN French class today with all the new French named SQN labels and go slightly old school with the Raven. But instead, I found myself still mired squarely in the Northern Rhône Valley. Perhaps Manfred should have named this one “Corbeau” or “Noir Comme du Charbon” because this one has me thinking Guigal La La. As these older SQN’s age, they seem to take on more Northern Rhône characteristics. A blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier primarily from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard with small quantities from the Bien Nacido and White Hawk vineyards. Bottled after spending 22 months in oak casks. Potpourri of sweet black and blue fruits, forest floor, Asian spice, bacon fat, tar, black olives and spring flowers on the almost overwhelmingly sumptuous nose. Mind-blowing really.
On the palate, blackberry jam, cracked white pepper, cherries, cinnamon, tobacco and allspice. Opulent mouthfeel. Ethereal texture. Dense, seamless, elegant. Complex, bold, rich and layered. So much finesse. “Tres Bon”Mr. Krankl!




— 8 years ago

Melissa Rose

10

Fantastic big bold red. Super special vintage.. 🍷 — 8 years ago

Keith Fisher

9.7

As you would expect from Manfred. After a while you just run out of superlatives and just sit there with a Syrah stained smile on your face. Rich dark fruit with beef blood smell (that term doesn’t do justice to how interesting and delicious the combination really is). Tremendous finish, dark color to the edge. Just a great wine experience. My only bottle. I have no clue how long this wine could go before peaking. — 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.8

2008 Sine Qua Non "Jinete Bajo Vin de Paille" California Roussanne (375ml). A sweet wine named after E’s favorite horse. Beautiful, fathom-deep gold color. Apricots and orange marmalade on the nose. Unctuous, syrupy, creamy texture with notes of candied citrus and creme brûlée. Monstrous 240 grams per liter of residual sugar with perfectly balanced acidity. Manfred really is the master of these high wire balancing acts. Is there anything that this guy doesn’t excel at? Simply spectacular. A beautiful dessert wine that is itself a dessert. — 9 years ago

with Tyler, Mike and 1 other

Shawn R

9.4

Maggie was once a student under Manfred Krankl, this bottle was her second vintage. Shows a restrained nose even after 3 hours after the decant. Hints of wild game and blackberry compote on the nose. Sweet tannins that integrate well and provide backbone. Layers of cassis, plum and wild flowers set up a stellar finish that sails for over a minute. — 9 years ago

Cody Short

9.5

Gave this a 3hr decant and needed every bit of it and continued to evolve in the glass. Big wine but extremely well balanced. Manfred is the master. — 9 years ago

Steve Bozich

9.4

Intense dried cherry, pepper, a touch of funk after it has been open awhile. Since she trained under Manfred, I was shocked to see the ABV is only 12.7! I have to admit here that I no longer purchase wines from Maggie - to be honest, lovely, well made wines, but I find her price point to be too high. Especially on the white and rose. But this was a reminder of how talented she is, and why in the past I bought a lot of wine from her. AnticaTerra, and Lillian. — 9 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Another 4th Friday for the books. What a much needed time out of the house and to be with friends after this past week.

This was my contribution for the evening...it was a bottle that was given to me via “trade” with @TheSkip . I’ve been quite curious of this wine for a while and he graciously included this along with the other wines he sent. The winemaker used to work for Manfred Krankel of SQN...need I say more? Also the winemaker for Antica Terra. The nose on this is EXPLOSIVE. Not quite as much as the SQN Grenache tonight, but it’s up there...potpourri, lavender and black licorice. Needed every bit of the 1.5hr decant I gave it. Complex from start to finish...red and black fruit driven, savory and herbal on the mid-palate. Not meaty/olive driven. More bramble notes and dusty cedar. Drinking absolutely perfect. What a wine @TheSkip ! — 8 years ago

with Dan, Mark and 1 other

Josh Weinstein

9.7

Yeah, Manfred knows what he’s doing!!!! — 8 years ago

with John

Roman Sukley

9.7

You know what I like about Manfred Krankl? (“I’m going to go out on a limb and say ‘everything’?” is my wife’s sarcastic answer to my posed hypothetical). Well yes, but that’s not where I was heading tonight. What I was going to say is that I like that Manfred’s wines are thought provoking. And not just the wine itself, but also the ever-changing labels and names. Take this evening’s selection. Entre chien et loup is one of my favorite French expressions from my college French class days. Literally translated, it describes a specific time of day, just before night, when the light is so dim you can’t distinguish a dog from a wolf. But like most good French expressions, it delves much deeper. It’s all about that limit between the familiar and the unknown, the comfortable and the dangerous. Pushed to the extreme, it’s that fine line between hope and despair. Layers of meaning.

And the wine? Layers of flavor. As usual for an SQN white, a blend. Mostly equal parts Chardonnay and Roussanne with a touch of Viognier and Petite Manseng thrown in. Vibrant gold color. A vigorous four hour decant reveals a huge nose of peaches and apricots with a yeasty, buttery brioche note that just rings the bell. Palate of tropical fruits and a hint of burnt toast with that unctuous silky texture only Roussanne can provide. A butterscotch finish of great length. Dense concentration. Full-bodied. Wonderful structure. Positively elegant. Personally, I prefer my SQN whites with several years of cellar time, but hey, sometimes you just can’t wait. This is excellent now, but will get nothing but better with age.

Finally, that label? I’ll just say that the TTB approves and so do I and leave it at that. And speaking of the TTB, check out that banned label in the background. — 8 years ago

Meeter B

9.0

This is very light. I’m blinded in a Manfred Mann kinda way. Subdued. This could become a true love affair based on respect, admiration and tasty tannins. — 9 years ago

Michael Park

9.4

You just can't go wrong with Manfred — 9 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.9

2002 Cariad. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and the rest Cab Franc and Petite Verdot. Dark purple in color with a little brickiness on the rim. Opulent and sexy old world bouquet of graphite, smoke, Blackberry liqueur and expresso roast. Yet another one of those wines that I could swirl and contemplate into the evening. On the palate, dark berry, sage, cedary tobacco leaf and loamy earth flavors, along with Asian spices, duck sauce and exotic herbs and spices. Rich and intense with silky tannins. Beautiful structure. Intense. Complex. Elegant. Ethereal is the word I'm searching for. Endless finish. Just sensational. I stopped buying California Cabernet as I was simply priced out of the market. I had to choose, and I went with my main man Manfred and never have looked back. But whenever I taste one of these gems from my favorite Cabernet producer, @anncolgin and @colgincellars, I'm reminded of how compelling a truly great California Cabernet can be. — 9 years ago