William Lauder

9.6

Truly amazing Oregon Pinot. In magnum. Still drinking beautifully. Manfred is the best wine maker. — a year ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.4

Vintage 2011 | magnum | divine nectar | paired with Tarte Tatin — 2 years ago

Fraser McKinley

10

This was stunning today; Elixir-esq concentration sporting deep bass notes, a plethora of vital high tones, some carbon, a little graphite and impeccable purity. It would have likely tasted delicious anywhere but to share it with the Krankl family and perfect gentleman turned SQN chevalier @Roman Sukley was an honour and a privilege. It was part of a diamond day and the summit of a 17 year pilgrimage that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Thank you kindly Roman, Manfred, Elaine & August - 2014 — 7 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.8

Absolutely brilliant. This is one of the best grenaches I’ve had in a long time. Incredible aromas of plumbs, blackberries, candied blueberries, along with hints of cinnamon and clove. The palate is absolutely stunning: seamless evolution of fruit coupled with perfectly intergrated sweet tannins leading to a finish that goes on for over a minute. I have no idea if this will improve with more time in the cellar, but I have no idea why you would wait: this is unreal. Manfred Krankle is a GOD!!! 👍 — 8 years ago

with Vanessa

Steve Anderson

9.4

“The Return of Mike Grammer” Dinner on 7/5. - still a bruiser at age 18. Most robust Oregon PM I’ve had, but still shows some character and and extra 0.1 on the score for day two. Could go a few more years. — 8 years ago

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

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

Raul Puga

9.7

Wow. Just 🤯delicious. Still a baby. Opened and decanted for two hours — a year ago

with Mariana

Shay A

9.7

I had the ‘15 counterpart, the Syrah, about a year ago and was shocked at how accessible it was. This isn’t as open, but it’s not far off. The bottle was poured blind to a group of 5-7 of us. I called this 5yr old SQN Grenache. For my taste, nobody in the new world can do Grenache like Manfred. Seductively aromatic and spice driven, showing cracked black pepper, spicy rhubarb and red fruits with herbs de Provence. Lifted profile due to the use of whole cluster. Great acidity. The dominant notes of red fruits are highlighted by just a touch of blue and black fruits, with dark cocoa, potpourri and cherry jerky. A baby, but a glimpse at a monster in 5-7yrs. Thank you @Keith Fisher . — 7 years ago

with Dan

Andrea Watt

8.9

dark, and rich, smells smokey. Tastes of fig jam, smoke, and cassis. — 7 years ago

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. — 8 years ago

with David

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

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

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(decent fine/cloudy sediment). A striking dark magenta color. On the nose: sweet black fruit, earthy mushroom, leather, bacon, floral. Taste: deep, dark, rich, and silky as you would expect from a Manfred Krankl wine with blackberry, dark chocolate, bacon fat, earth, and a long peppery coffee ground finish. YUM! — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Bryan Kesting

9.4

A very plush wine and similar in feel to other Krankl wines except very different flavor profile. Hard to explain other than I have never had a straight Graciano. Lavender, mint, Indian spices, and pepper. I would love to try this again in 4-5 years. — 7 years ago

with Scott

Jim McCusker

9.8

Manfred. Grenache. QED. — 7 years ago

with Jeff

Andy Hock

9.0

Lemon and tart white stone fruit. Light+ body and nice clean mineral acid finish. Pleasant — 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.8

2006 Sine Qua Non "The Hoodoo Man" White Blend
39% Roussanne, 31% Viognier and 30% Chardonnay. 15.8% alcohol. “There ain’t a horse that can’t be rode, there ain’t a man that can’t be throw’d” Yet another of my Sine Qua Non guilty pleasures. Similar to the 2009 “The Thrill Of Stamp Collecting” and the 2011 “Patine,” this is one of those Sine Qua Non wines that I find to be a might more compelling than the expert reviews. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why, but this one has always sort of tickled my fancy, and never fails to please. Ive always been rather fond of the perhaps Grant Wood, American Gothic inspired label. Now, some 12 years down the road, as with most of Manfred’s whites, the extra cellar time has just added nuance to this sexy effort. Lustrous, radiant gold in the stem, with a stunning bouquet of smoky, nutty peach cobbler with hints of white flowers lurking in the background. Tropical fruits and orange marmalade with a toasty, butterscotchy finish of substantial length. Absolutely wonderful acidity. Unctuous, oily texture that I treasure. Powerful and intense. Great balance. I like to taste great whites slightly warmer than cellar temperature, but I would say this one just got better and better with more air and as it warmed. Just beautiful. “Salud, chindon Mr. Krankl!”
— 8 years ago

Josh Weinstein

9.7

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

with John

Melissa Rose

10

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