2012 Sine Qua Non Grenache Stein, USA, California, Wine Review

Few people make Grenache in California at a level of this. Manfred Krankl, the owner/winemaker here, does it consistently. It skirts the line of being large yet having elegance. This is a blend of 76% Grenache, 16% Syrah, and 8% Mourvedre. Just a delicious wine. Inky purple in color. The nose has great raspberry fruit along with black raspberries, char, black pepper and spice. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, the raspberries and black raspberries come thru. Wonderful lush texture. Underlying pepper and char. Long finish. This needs about five more years until peak and should have another ten to fifteen after that. It will work well with steaks, roasts but also Indian foods.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2012

Current Price:

$225.00USD

America’s Best Rhone Style Red Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. Last month we discussed the white Rhone style wines offered at the 2008 Rhone Rangers tasting event at Fort Mason in San Francisco on March 18. This month we turn to the reds, of which we tasted 50. Among those we tasted were some old favorites and some wineries or bottlings with which we were not yet familiar. We don’t pretend that we tasted a representative group of wines, because our sample was skewed to wines we have loved in the past and others about which we have heard positive comments.

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2008 Hospice du Rhone Events: Highs & Lows of American Rhone-style Wines Tasted

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. The 16th annual Hospice du Rhone events in Paso Robles, California from May 1 to 3, 2008 was an opportunity to consider Rhone-style wines from a fresh perspective. Unlike most tasting opportunities, these events included Rhone-style wines from the Rhone Valley itself (51 wineries), elsewhere in France (4 wineries) as well as from Spain (4 wineries), Australia (17 wineries), South Africa (6 wineries), Chile (2 wineries), Argentina (1 winery) and the United States. The American wines were mostly from California (144 wineries), but a few examples from Arizona (2 wineries) and Washington State (5 wineries) were also included. While this is a California-dominated event, and while many of the Rhone Valley’s best producers aren’t represented, there is still sufficient European and other entries to make for interesting comparisons and contrasts. The events included two general tastings and a series of focused seminars.

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Top Ten California Syrahs - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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2011 Sine Qua Non Grenache Dark Blossom, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage:

2011

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$1007.00USD

From Magnum. This is a blend of 75% Grenache, 12.5% Syrah, 11.5% Mourvedre, and 1% Roussanne. 2011 was a difficult vintage, but a bit less so in southern California where these grapes were grown. Manfred Krankl (the owner and winemaker) did a great job here. Garnet in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, spice, black olives, white pepper and dried flowers (violets?). Medium tannins. This is a big wine on the palate. Black cherries, licorice, with some char. Long finish. This is delicious. It needs another five to eight years to get to peak and s

2008 Sine Qua Non Grenache The Duel, Eleven Confessions Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$365.00USD

There are not a lot of great producers of Grenache in California, but there are a few who excel and at the top is Manfred Krankl and his Sine Qua Non wines. At age 13, this is just hitting its stride and just outstanding. A blend of 82% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 2% Viognier and 2% Roussanne. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with black cherries, black raspberries, roasted meats and spices. Full bodied. 15.8% abv but no heat. On the palate, black cherries with some black raspberries over a bit of char. Deep and powerful. Delicious. Long finish. The kind of wine that

2012 Sine Qua Non Grenache Stein, USA, California, Wine Review

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2008 Sine Qua Non Grenache The Duel, Eleven Confessions Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills, Wine Review