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! — a month ago

with Brenda

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 — 5 years ago

Andy Hock

9.0

Lemon and tart white stone fruit. Light+ body and nice clean mineral acid finish. Pleasant — 6 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

2003 Sine Qua Non "Omega-Shea Vineyard" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 15.5% alcohol. “The Last But Certainly Not The Least.” Y’all know my passion for all things Krankl, but I have a particular soft spot for the SQN Pinots. Maybe it’s because they are no more. But the coolest thing is that they’re not just a fond memory. They’re still making me smile every time I pull the cork. Tonight’s selection continues that trend. In the stem, not a hint of its age. Closer inspection reveals just a touch of amber on the edges. Otherwise crystal clear and light crimson. On the nose, an amazing potpourri. A Black fruit medley. Blackberries, black cherries, black cap raspberries. Chocolate/espresso notes with a hint of woody spices and forest floor. Just a whisper of rosemary. More than ample fruit on the palate with a pleasing nutmeg/dark chocolate chord along with hints of cedar and sandalwood. Sweet and somewhat syrupy but in a good way. Cherry liqueur comes to mind. Voluptuous really. Silky and elegant with a much longer than anticipated finish. Big and powerful, yet balanced and seamless. If you ever get the opportunity to try one of these SQN Pinots, don’t be put off by their age or reviewer scores. They’re unique with that magic Manfred touch. They were perhaps ahead of their time when compared with the big, full-bodied Pinots out there today. In my opinion they are terrific and all still singing! — 6 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.4

Vintage 2011 | magnum | divine nectar | paired with Tarte Tatin — 6 months ago

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 . — 5 years ago

with Dan

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. — 6 years ago

with David

Jim McCusker

9.5

This is the No. 5 Syrah from Andremily - had it last night. Absolutely terrific bottle. Intense yet elegant at the same time. Very reminiscent of Sine Qua Non (I guess mot surprising given that the owner/winemaker apprenticed with Manfred for many years if I recall correctly). Between this and the mourvedres they’re making, this is definitely a wine list that you want to get on. Great stuff! — 4 years ago

with Vanessa

Andrea Watt

8.9

dark, and rich, smells smokey. Tastes of fig jam, smoke, and cassis. — 6 years ago

Roman Sukley

10

2004 Sine Qua Non "Ode to E" Central Coast Grenache.
Gearing up for a major snowstorm here in Chicago. A great reason to pull the cork on greatness. On one of the best Grenache wines I’ve ever tasted. Heck, maybe THE best. If not first in it’s class, it definitely doesn’t take long to call the roll. Certainly one of my favorite wines, period. I love everything about it including the label: “A Love Forever In Bloom, Face With Tracks Of Life’s Attacks, Tattooed Scars Of History, Weathered Crust, Full Of Lust For That Rose Of Love For E.” The wine? The nose is a dreamy aromatic symphony of roses and raspberry compote. Also incense, pepper, graphite and a touch of smokey something off in the background somewhere. Beautiful. The palate is blast of sweet dark berry liqueur with that pepper and Asian spice creeping in on the backside. So lush. So complex. The finish? Intense, rather spicy and never ending. Never ending! As with all things Krankl, mind boggling balance between depth, complexity, raw power and utter weightless elegance. Simply put: Perfect. However you choose to define it. I think my favorite definition of perfection is from Coach Gary Gaines: “Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done.” Well Manfred can certainly look us all in the eye on this one! — 6 years ago