Sine Qua Non
Syrah The 17Th Nail In My Cranium Eleven Confessions Sta. Rita Hills
Sta. Rita Hills, Central Coast, California, USA
Woof. Dangerously well balanced. Not a screamer unless you want it to be.
Woof. Dangerously well balanced. Not a screamer unless you want it to be.
1 person found it helpfulOct 26th, 2014
Dark as night in the glass with some purple hues, beckoning aromas of spice, clove and cooked red fruits--probably the most distinctive, inviting nose I've encountered in a SQN...layers and layers of deep flavors of expresso, beef tenderloin, sausage infused marinara and bay leaf (what?) that all rolls in to a sensational full, warm, lush, smooth finish. The weight in the mid palate had me prepared for some bite but I got exactly the opposite--a warm satisfying delicious Father's Day embrace. Happy Father's Day to me! This was a ridiculously transcendent CA Syrah moment for me. Did I mention I gave my Dad only a glass and hoarded the rest for my personal consumption....all the while tossing decoy wines at my in-laws. Sometimes greed is good--Gordon Gekko would have been proud.
Dark as night in the glass with some purple hues, beckoning aromas of spice, clove and cooked red fruits--probably the most distinctive, inviting nose I've encountered in a SQN...layers and layers of deep flavors of expresso, beef tenderloin, sausage infused marinara and bay leaf (what?) that all rolls in to a sensational full, warm, lush, smooth finish. The weight in the mid palate had me prepared for some bite but I got exactly the opposite--a warm satisfying delicious Father's Day embrace. Happy Father's Day to me! This was a ridiculously transcendent CA Syrah moment for me. Did I mention I gave my Dad only a glass and hoarded the rest for my personal consumption....all the while tossing decoy wines at my in-laws. Sometimes greed is good--Gordon Gekko would have been proud.
Jun 22nd, 2015
This is phenomenal! Concentrated and juicy, powerful yet restrained. I absolutely loved it. A true contemplation wine. This wine is to open by itself with your favorite book. On the league of Yquem. Not a wine: this is a lifetime experience. #californiawines #sinequanon #sqn #manfredkrankl
This is phenomenal! Concentrated and juicy, powerful yet restrained. I absolutely loved it. A true contemplation wine. This wine is to open by itself with your favorite book. On the league of Yquem. Not a wine: this is a lifetime experience. #californiawines #sinequanon #sqn #manfredkrankl
May 19th, 2015Mightbe tonights Wine so far, despite still an infant- Much to Young to enjoy now
Mightbe tonights Wine so far, despite still an infant- Much to Young to enjoy now
May 9th, 2015
Founder Sandhi Wines & Domaine de la Côte, Evening Lands Vineyards, Seven Springs & Maison l'Oree
Juicy!!
Juicy!!
Mar 25th, 2014
Boom goes the dynamite!
Boom goes the dynamite!
Oct 27th, 2013
2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”
2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”
Hits me harder than the last bottle. A delicious adventure best enjoyed on it's own.
Hits me harder than the last bottle. A delicious adventure best enjoyed on it's own.
Apr 7th, 2017