Roman Sukley

9.8

2015 Sine Qua Non "Le Chemin Vers L'Hérésie" California Grenache
(“the way to heresy”)
Manfred continues on with his French obsession, apparently fueled by his unrequited youthful passion for a Citroen 2VC. Slow and under-powered in its day (I think my lawnmower has more horsepower), but today rather chic. The wine Is a bit different from what we have come to expect from an SQN Grenache. It’s a blend of 75% Grenache, 13% Mourvèdre 8% Touriga Nacional and 4% Petite Sirah. A whopping 44% whole clusters resulting in a nose that is simply astonishing! As with most Sine Qua Non wines, the fragrant bouquet just overwhelms me. Absolute killer aromas of violets, ripe black cherry and blackberry with notes of lavender, eucalyptus and menthol, that just explode from the glass and envelope your total consciousness. Hints of toasted marshmallow, vanilla, nutmeg and a touch of smokey bacon lurking in the background. Profound! Deep garnet/purple in the stem. Palate-coating and tooth-staining dark fruits along with cinnamon, rosemary and thyme. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated. The tannins are more velvety than I expected. But the texture is just pure silk, and I can’t emphasize that enough. Just satiny plush. Simply sublime. Lengthy, peppery finish. Usually, my SQN advice would be to wait and cellar, but if you have more than one, pull that cork! You will not be disappointed. — 6 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! — 7 years ago

with Bill, Charles and 3 others

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. — 7 years ago

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. — 7 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. — 7 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

2012 Next Of Kyn No~6. Way back when,...when Manfred first mentioned to me that he was thinking about a second label for a wine made from his Cumulus Vineyard property, I remember asking "why." And he told me that the profile of the wine was unique, and that instead of just blending it, he thought it would be more interesting on its own. Now, having tasted through them, I can understand his vision. The wines are unique and don't quite fit the SQN profile, at least in the sense that I don't think that I would mistake them for SQN in a blind tasting. Beautiful seductive nose of lilacs and berries. Dark fruits and baking spices on the mid-palate with a hint of beef blood. Multi-layered and dense. Knockout explosive finish that lasts literally minutes. The wines in this series just keep getting better as the vines age. Chapeau Mr. Krankl! — 7 years ago

Josh Weinstein

9.7

Yeah, Manfred knows what he’s doing!!!! — 6 years ago

with John

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. — 6 years ago

Roman Sukley

10

2002 Sine Qua Non “Just For The Love Of It” Syrah. 15.2% Alcohol. So I have a confession to make. When this wine was released and Mr. Parker rated it 100 points (and correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this might have been the first Parker SQN 100 pointer), I couldn’t wait to pull the cork. And when I did, I was totally.......underwhelmed! I began questioning Parker. Questioning Manfred. Questioning my palate. What was I missing? What was my problem? Could I continue on in this world? Well, I never did reconcile things, and then “Papa” was released and all was right with the world again. So here we are, 15 years hence, and I’m here to report that Mr. Parker knew what he was talking about after all. We’re talking absolute perfection screaming from my Zalto stem. Notes of exotic flowers, toasty oak, anise and spice box on the nose. Just gorgeous. I could swirl and sniff all evening. On the palate, a predominance of sweet black currant, white pepper, blackberries and plum jam. Juicy, opulent, intense, pure. Stunning really. Endless finish. I haven’t tasted this wine in ten years because as I said, it never impressed me. But it just jumped up to co-number 1 SQN Syrah with me along with “Poker Face” and “The 17th Nail In My Cranium.” One addendum to Mr. Parker’s review which stated this wine would drink well for 10-15 years. This piece of art is just getting started! Remember, “...never for money.” — 6 years ago

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. — 7 years ago

Michael Park

9.4

You just can't go wrong with Manfred — 7 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.4

Excellent grenache from Manfred at SQN...but not etherial. As I'm writing that I realize that this is still awesome - just that Manfred sets the bar absurdly high. Blackberries, kirsch, and a hint of licorice on the nose. Very full mouthfeel with lots of glycerin. The wine is a lot more evolved than I was expecting - possibly a consequence of a warm vintage? - so I'm not sure how many more years of evolution this has left (then again, this is my last bottle of this, so whateves!). Manfred is a genius. 'Nuff said. — 7 years ago

with Vanessa

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. — 7 years ago

Elizabeth Van Wazer

9.0

RCS - 2015 — 7 years ago

Melissa Rose

10

Fantastic big bold red. Super special vintage.. 🍷 — 6 years ago

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. — 6 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. — 7 years ago

with Tyler, Mike and 1 other

Roman Sukley

9.5

“And An Eight Track” 2013 Sine Qua Non Rose’. 15.4% alcohol. Perfect wine when it’s 90 degrees in Chicago in late September. In the words of Mr. Krankl, “Youthful Happiness.” If you’ve never tasted an SQN Rose’, prepare yourself. First, clear your mind of all preconceived notions of what a Rose’ is, or you expect it to be. Next, prepare your senses for a wild ride. Sort of like driving a Porsche Cup Car through The Kink at Road America. You might not appreciate it at the time (mainly because your life will be flashing before your eyes), but after it’s over, you can’t wait to try and convey the experience to anyone who will listen. Finally, appreciate the fact that you’ve experienced the liquid equivalent of a Chagall painting. Have I mentioned that I’m a Manfred Krankl fan? — 7 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? — 7 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. — 7 years ago