Sine Qua Non Wine Tasting California's Ultimate Cult Rhone Producer

"I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury.  On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens." - Thomas Jefferson

If only a modern day politician could contribute as much to the quality of our life as the late great Thomas Jefferson.  He was one of the first advocates of wine in the United States and he is one of the reasons why we have the greatest selection of wines from all around the world in the U.S. today.  So, remember...no matter how bad it gets, we still have great wines here in the U.S. of A.

Next week we will be continuing the party with some GREAT wines from the U.S.A…. I need a few good men or women to help me drink some really fine wine on this occasion- our annual Sine Qua Non California Cult Rhone tasting.

What makes a "cult wine"? Do the producers pick the grapes at night under the full moon? Do they make it under a secret oath or while sacrificing a small farm animal? These ultra expensive, hard to find wines from California just have more customers than they do bottles to go around.  The simplest factor in the economy kicks in with these wines, good old supply and demand.  

This is one of the only California Cult wineries that makes wines from Rhone varietals that demands ridiculous prices and that is due to the tiny quantity produced and the ridiculous scores by the critics.  These wines defy all odds and they change the names of the wines and the bottle shapes every year which would seemingly confuse even the most astute collectors, but they sell out of everything on the mailing list in short order every vintage and the wines skyrocket in price shortly after release, some selling for over $1000 per bottle!!

This evening you can taste 10 different wines from this producer for less than the cost of a single bottle in most cases!  And the price of this event includes dinner!!  There are only 12 spaces available for this event.  The fee for this tasting is $295 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Sine Qua Non Cult California Rhone tasting at Wine Watch
Thursday, February 13th 2020
7:30 PM
2017 Sine Qua Non White Rhone Blend Tectumque
List Price: $225.00             Your Price: $198.00          Quantity in Stock: 2
(97 Points) Tectumque means “shelter” in Latin. This wine was initially going to be called “Inconnue” (“unknown” in French), but that name had already been trademarked. “Naming wines is becoming impossible,” mentioned Manfred. “Everything has already been taken. Even, 'No Name!'” This is a blend of 38% Roussanne, 31% Petit Manseng, 18% Chardonnay, 9% Viognier and 4% Muscat. The vineyard components are 52% Cumulus Estate, 19% Eleven Confessions Estate, 18% Bien Nacido Vineyard and 11% The Third Twin Estate. It spent around 20 months aging in 9% concrete eggs, 4% amphora, 9% used barrels and 78% new French oak puncheons. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2017 Sine Qua Non Grenach The Gorgeous Victim
List Price: $315.00             Your Price: $277.20          Quantity in Stock: 2
(98-100 points) The 2017 Grenache “No Name As Of Yet” is a finished blend, set to be bottled in August. Composed of 76% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 9% Syrah, 3.8% Petit Sirah and 1.2% Viognier, and the vineyard sources are: 46% Cumulus Estate, 29% Eleven Confessions Estate, 6% Molly Aida Estate, 17% The Third Twin Estate and 2% Bien Nacido Vineyard. It was aged for around 23 months in 23% new French oak, 48% used oak (various sizes) and 29% concrete, and 46% (mainly Grenache) was fermented using whole clusters. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Issue # 243 - Jun 2019)

2017 Sine Qua Non Syrah The Halted Hunter
List Price: $315.00             Your Price: $277.20          Quantity in Stock: 11
(97-100 points) This wine will be bottled in August this year. Made exclusively from estate-grown fruit, the 2017 Syrah “No Name As Of Yet” is composed of 82.4% Syrah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 2% Grenache, 1.2% Petit Manseng and 1.4% Viognier that was fermented with 26% whole cluster. The vineyard sources are 32% Eleven Confessions, 41% The Third Twin, 25% Cumulus and 2% Molly Aida. It is to be aged for around 23 months in French oak, 59% new. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Issue # 243 - Jun 2019)

2016 Sine Qua Non Dirt Vernacular Grenache
Price: $295.00    Your Price: $259.60          Quantity in Stock: 7

(96 Points) The 2016 Grenache Dirt Vernacular wafts from the glass with heady aromas of kirsch, plums and Griotte cherries that mingle with nuances of sweet spice, rose petals and pepper. It saw 34% new oak (along with 53% used oak and 9% concrete), but it's hardly noticeable—much less so than in some of Sine Qua Non's debut Grenache bottlings. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and chewy, with tangy acids despite its considerable power and ripeness, with a deep, layered mid-palate and a long, lusty finish. It's an eclectic blend of 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvèdre, 7% Touriga Nacional and 2.5% Petite Sirah that was fermented with 43% whole cluster—whole cluster being largely reserved for the Grenache component. The blend is dominated by estate fruit, but some 9% came from the Krankl's blocks at Bien Nacido Vineyard that are farmed to their specifications. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 2016 Sine Qua Non Syrah Ratsel
Price: $295.00    Your Price: $259.60          Quantity in Stock: 20

(96+ points) Produced entirely from estate fruit, the 2016 Syrah Rätsel 16 offers up a brooding bouquet of smoky blackberries, French roast, cassis liqueur and subtle grilled meat, with only hints of all the savory complexity it will show down the line. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and chewy, with a rich chassis of velvety structuring tannins, a deep, super concentrated core of fruit and a long, sapid finish. Like the Grenache Dirt Vernacular, it's quite expressive and giving in profile by comparison with the firmer, more structural 2015s from Sine Qua Non, but its more brooding profile makes me suspect it has more potential upside with some time in bottle. It's a blend of 81% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite Sirah, 2.5% Grenache and 4.5% Viognier that was fermented with 47% whole cluster. 1791 cases and 600 magnums were produced.   William Kelley, Wine Advocate (Issue # Interim - Aug 2018)

2012 Sine Qua Non Grenache Stein
Price: $399.00    Your Price: $351.12         Quantity in Stock: 3
Moving to the Grenache-driven efforts, the 2012 Grenache Stein incorporates 16% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre. Aged 22 months in mostly used oak (various sizes), it offers awesome purity and freshness in its black raspberry, cassis, ground herbs, white pepper and licorice-driven bouquet. The palate follows suite and is full-bodied, deeply concentrated and layered, with fabulous precision and length. This is blockbuster stuff that will have two decades of longevity.
These latest releases from Sine Qua Non and Next of Kyn are at the pinnacle of wine, and it’s simply impossible to taste through these and not be blown away. While I think the star of the show at the moment is the 2010 vintage, the 2011s aren’t far behind, and the 2012s should rival them as well. In addition, to give you an idea how these wines age, don’t miss the recent 2004 retrospective on these wines that was published at eRobertParker.com. We finished the tasting with Manfred’s Next of Kyn releases, and these are the strongest set of wines yet to come out under this label. The focus here is exclusively on his estate Cumulus Vineyard planted around the estate in Oakview. eRobertParker.com #214, Aug 2014

2012 Sine Qua Non Syrah Stock
Price: $395.00    Your Price: $347.60          Quantity in Stock: 4
The Syrah releases started with the 2012 Syrah Stock. Coming mostly from the Eleven Confessions vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, it also has portions from Cumulus, The Third Twin and White Hawk. Made from 84% Syrah, 7% Grenache, 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Viognier and the rest Mourvedre, it spent 20 months (it’s not yet bottled) in 52% new French oak. Showing the purity and suppleness of the vintage, yet with no lack of concentration, depth or richness, it gives up fabulous cassis, black raspberry, smoked meats and violet-like aromas and flavors that continue to change in the glass. In short, it’s a rock-star Syrah that could come from nowhere else. It should be approachable on release and evolve gracefully for two decades or more.

These latest releases from Sine Qua Non and Next of Kyn are at the pinnacle of wine, and it’s simply impossible to taste through these and not be blown away. While I think the star of the show at the moment is the 2010 vintage, the 2011s aren’t far behind, and the 2012s should rival them as well. In addition, to give you an idea how these wines age, don’t miss the recent 2004 retrospective on these wines that was published at eRobertParker.com. We finished the tasting with Manfred’s Next of Kyn releases, and these are the strongest set of wines yet to come out under this label. The focus here is exclusively on his estate Cumulus Vineyard planted around the estate in Oakview.  eRobertParker.com #214, Aug 2014

2005 Sine Qua Non Atlantis Fe203 Grenache 2a-2b-2c-2d Sta Rita Hills
Price: $495.00    Sale Price: $395.00           Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) 2005 ATLANTIS Fe203 2A: Another brilliant 2005 (93% Grenache and 7% Syrah), it has put on weight and seems to be developing more complexity. California’s cooler year seems to have given all the top 2005s loads of perfume and distinctive aromatics. Oodles of kirsch, licorice, charcoal and floral notes along with some blacker fruit characteristics jump from the glass of this dense bluish/purple wine. Medium to full-bodied, yet extraordinarily elegant for a Grenache, with beautiful purity in its hints of white chocolate and forest floor and its admirably textured, long finish, this wine is still young but approachable thanks to its aromatics fireworks, yet should last for an additional 10-15 years. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2005 Sine Qua Non Atlantis Fe203 Syrah 1a 1b & 1c Central Coast
List Price: $695.00             Sale Price: $595.00           Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 points) "The 2005 Atlantis Fe 203-1a is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, with about 25% whole clusters (stems) utilized. The vineyard sources include the Eleven Confessions as well as White Hawk, Alban, and Bien Nacido. An inky/blue/black/purple hue is followed by sweet blackberry, charcoal, and chocolate aromas, graphite and blackberry flavors, full body, decent acidity, and a stunningly long finish. This terrific effort should turn out to be one of the most French-styled Syrahs Krankl has yet produced. It reveals the great intensity and purity of California fruit superimposed on a European structure and sense of harmony.
To reiterate, it is a challenge to analyze these wines. I know they are distinctive, and I think I am beginning to understand why they are so much greater than just about every other Syrah or Grenache-based wine in California. In short, it is talent and incredibly meticulous hard work. No one works as hard or is as maniacal about a vineyard's viticulture and winemaking as Manfred Krankl. Take that, add in exceptional talent, humility, top-notch vineyards, and I believe I understand the fundamentals of why these wines are so special."            -Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Crispy Sous Vide Pork Belly with Black Cherry Balsamic Glaze on Creamy Cashew Grits
Oven Roasted Australian Lamb Chops with jalapeno Garlic Mint Jam and Roasted baby fingerling potatoes
Dark Cherry Mousse Napoleon with Belgian Chocolate Ganache

There are only 12 spaces available for this event.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $295 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

A bit about Sine Qua Non from their web page:

"an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary."

Our wines were born of pure passion and a wishful dream – to make something that is so distinctive and so delicious as to make it indispensable to wine lovers the world over. Clearly a rather lofty, even unrealistic notion, but one we decided to pursue anyway. And so with the 1994 vintage  started Sine Qua Non, made a whopping four and a half barrels of Syrah that we called “Queen of Spades.”

That first wine was a much greater hit than we could have ever imagined and it literally changed our life. What started as a hobby, more or less on a whim, has become not only our full time occupation, but indeed our life. It is now a part of just about everything we do.

These first four and a half barrels have grown into four different vineyard sites (see our Vineyards section please), a good number of wonderfully dedicated and hard working employees, a new winery building and a simply amazing number of loyal wine lovers the world over. In fact there are so very many lovely folks interested in our wines that we don’t have enough to go around and instead had to create something as annoying as a waiting list.

We are humbled by all the positive feedback we continuously receive by people like you as well as critics and journalists from all corners of the earth. We take that as our mandate to forever strive to get better, to never compromise and to stay true to ourselves and by extension to all those who have supported us and believed in us since those first 100+ cases of wine left our cellar…now so many years ago.

Although at heart we are a Rhone (Ranger) house where Syrah and Grenache play top fiddle… supported by Mourvedre, Rousanne and Viognier, we have an aversion to labels and dogmas or mindless ritual that are sometimes called tradition. And so we also grow non-Rhone-origin grapes such as Petite Manseng, Touriga Nacional, Graciano and Petite Sirah. Varieties we believe can work well on a Rhone canvas.

We are not working on a grape growing or winemaking THESIS. Instead we want all of our efforts to be reflected in every glass of SQN. And so our goal has been and always will be to understand Mother Nature’s often oblique ways and (re)act accordingly so that we may create wines that express all that Nature has so generously given us. And all that this beautifully warm and sunny place called California has to offer. Wines that speak to the heart and the mind both. Wines that are ripe and flavorful, but also graceful and balanced. Wines  that are perfectly enjoyable and delicious young, but  that will age and show a new and interesting personality with each passing year. Wines that surprise with each sip and where the last drop – not the first sip – was the best one. Wines that make you smile and happy and appreciate all that is lovely.

Wines that make you sense they were crafted by people who loved making them.

With that we hope you’ll join our vinous family and thanks again for looking us up.

In vino veritas,

Elaine & Manfred Krankl

The rest of the stuff were not drinking this evening is still available for sale!

2000 Sine Qua Non In Flagrante Central Coast
Price: $500.00 Sale Price: $350.00     Quantity in Stock: 1

(96 points)  The 2000 In Flagrante (a 725-case blend of 86% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and 4% Viognier) is a world-class, provocative effort. It reveals many of the same aromatic and flavor components found in the 2001 Midnight Oil and 2002 Syrah-dominated, unnamed offering. A black color is followed by a seamless effort loaded with blackberry, honey, and flower aromas, and an extraordinarily long, concentrated finish. As with all great wines, tasting notes/descriptors just can’t do it justice. Among the recent SQN Syrahs, it is a strikingly elegant and powerful wine that has a decidedly French flair to it.  Wine Advocate #148, Aug 2003

2002 Sine Qua Non Syrah Just For the Love of It
Price: $1100.00           Sale Price: $895.00     Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 Points) A dead-ringer (at least aromatically) for Guigal’s single vineyard Cote Rotie La Mouline, the 2002 Just For The Love of It is the greatest California Syrah I have yet tasted. A one-thousand case blend of 96% Syrah, 2% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, it is nearly equal parts Alban, Bien Nacido, and Stolpman fruit with a small amount from both Shadow Canyon and White Hawk. It boasts a provocative perfume of creme de cassis, toast, blackberries, licorice, barbecue spice, and exotic floral scents. Extremely full-bodied, with fabulous intensity, great purity, awesome length, and a finish that lasts over a minute, this classic is a must purchase. Already accessible, it will drink well for 10-15 years. Wine Advocate #154 Aug 2004 Robert Parker

2011 Sine Qua Non Patine Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard
Price: $395.00 Your Price: $347.60    Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points)  "Coming all from Manfred's Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and a blend of 77% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 1% Viognier (fermented with 25% whole clusters), the 2011 Grenache Patine spent a full 33 months in almost all neutral oak, with just 11% being new. It offers perfumed and spice-laced notes of white pepper, black raspberry, blackberry and ground herbs that flow to a full-bodied, elegant, nicely concentrated 2011 that has nicely integrated acidity, no hard edges and a terrific finish. It's certainly one of the fresher, more elegant Grenaches from Manfred, yet it still has rocking levels of fruit. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and enjoy bottles over the following decade." The Wine Advocate

2013 Sine Qua Non Grenache Female California
Price: $350.00 Your Price: $297.50    Quantity in Stock: 1

(98 points)  Manfred's 2013 Grenache Female checks in as a blend of 78% Grenache, 19% Syrah and 3% Mourvèdre that is mostly from his Eleven Confessions estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, yet has smaller portions from his Cumulus, The Third Twin and Bien Nacido vineyards. Seeing just over 24 months in a mix of demi-muids, 300-liter Hog Heads and barrique, it has a sensational bouquet of spring flowers, black raspberries, black cherries, violets, licorice and camphor. Reminding me of a great vintage of Raymond Usseglio's Cuvée Imperiale, this full-bodied, elegant Grenache is impeccably balanced, has a full and layered mid-palate (which is missing from just about every other Grenache made in California), and sweet tannin on the finish. It's almost impervious to air and didn't budge an inch over the three days I followed this bottle. It will cruise for over two decades.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 5/2016

2013 Sine Qua Non Male Syrah California Magnum
Price: $795.00 Your Price: $699.60    Quantity in Stock: 1
2013 Sine Qua Non Male Syrah California
Price: $350.00 Your Price: $308.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

(98 points) The 2013 Syrah Male is an elegant, seamless Syrah that exudes class in its creme de cassis, black raspberry, smoked meats, graphite and asphalt-laced bouquet. This is a blend of 80% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 3.5% Touriga National and 3.5% Viognier, fermented with 28% whole clusters and aged 25 months in 65% new French oak. It's full-bodied, beautifully layered, silky and seamless, with no hard edges and wonderful freshness in both the aromatics and palate. Give bottles 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 10-15. (JD) (5/2016) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2014 Sine Qua Non Testa Dei Cherubini Grenache
Price: $425.00 Your Price: $374.00    Quantity in Stock: 4
(98 Points) The 2014 Grenache Testa dei Cherubini saw fully 37.5 months in wood, some 25% new, but its influence is imperceptible; the wine is strikingly pure and vibrant. Krankl commented that the longer the wines spend in barrel, the more slowly they seem to evolve in bottle. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of juicy red cherries, peonies and plums, it's initially quite reserved, becoming more expressive with air. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered and very concentrated, with strikingly fine-grained, revolved tannins, juicy acids and impressive length and depth. Like the 2015 Le Chemin Vers l'Hérésie also reviewed in this report, it's remarkably pure and integrated and ranks as one of the finest Grenache bottlings I've tasted from Sine Qua Non. It's also one wine that will clearly benefit from bottle age, no matter how tempting it may be when it's released in November of this year. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2014 Sine Qua Non Capo Dei Putti Syrah
Price: $412.50 Your Price: $363.00    Quantity in Stock: 4

 (96 Points) The 2014 Syrah Capo dei Putti saw an amazing 38 months in fully 94% new oak, and it was showing superbly when I tasted it, unfurling in the glass with brooding aromas of blackberry preserve, cherries, bay leaf and a remarkably integrated framing of smoky new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, hyper-concentrated and deep, with an incredibly dense core of fruit that's definitely ripe but avoids overt sucrosity—and is complemented by an impressive degree of savory nuance. It's a blocky, dense Syrah that will merit some time in bottle, but it is sure to make a considerable impact whenever it's opened. 896 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were produced.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2015 Sine Qua Non Grenache Le ChemIn Vers L'Heresie (Magnum)
Price: $817.50 Your Price: $719.40    Quantity in Stock: 1

The 2015 Grenache Le chemIn vers l’hérésIe means “the path to heresy.” As you surely know heresy is a belief contrary to orthodox doctrine, strongly at variance with established beliefs – it is a term usually used relative to religious teachings, but it is also used of views strongly opposed to any generally accepted ideas; a dissention, nonconformity, unorthodoxy and even blasphemy. I am sure not much has to be added to “explain” more. The cuvee is a paganistic marriage of 75% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, 8% Touriga Nacional (The Man made a mistake here – this should have been a Rhone variety) and 4% Petite Sirah. We used 44% whole clusters to ferment this beauty. This mama is surprisingly dark for Grenache. There are terrific aromas and flavors of lots of blueberries, black cherries, garrigue (wild herbs, thyme, rosemary, fennel), spice and even some fountain pen ink. It has a full, voluptuous texture that covers every crevice of your mouth. There are lots of tannins, but they are lush and satiny. Although the wine starts out with a punch, it is really quite lovely and like liquid velvet. There is not only a path to “heresy” but also a path to cellaring as this will clearly reward further patience and time, although I am sure you will find it tantalizing right off the delivery truck.

2015 Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Grenache "E
Price: $450.00 Your Price: $396.00

(100 Points) This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl’s initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 5% Petite Syrah and 1% Viognier, and 56% was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 28% new.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Grenache E slides beguilingly out of the glass with a powerfully evocative, earthy/meaty nose of wood smoke, grilled meats, fragrant soil, truffles and iron ore with a core of kirsch, blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and aniseed plus touches of wild sage, rose hip tea and Indian spices. The palate is full-bodied, surprisingly muscular and built like a brick house with an unbelievable structure of very fine, densely pixilated tannins supporting the generous, multi-faceted layers, finishing with epic length, jaw-dropping texture and tons of cerebral mineral and spice nuances. WOW! 900 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were made. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2015 Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Syrah "M”
Price: $450.00 Your Price: $396.00    Quantity in Stock: 3

(99 Points) This is a single-vineyard Syrah-dominant blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Manfred Krankl’s initial and a provocative self-portrait on the label. The blend is 90.6% Syrah, 4.4% Petite Syrah, 2.6% Grenache and 2.4% Viognier. Forty-three percent was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 66% new.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2005 Sine Qua Non Mr. K Strawman Marsanne 375ml
Price: $499.00 Sale Price: $399.00     Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 points) Even more remarkable is the 2005 Mr. K. Marsanne Vin de Paille The Straw Man. One-hundred percent Marsanne from the Beckmen Vineyard, with remarkably low alcohol (7.5%), a whopping 392 grams of residual sugar per liter, and exceptional acidity (6.4 grams of acid per liter), this is one of the most singular sweet wines I have ever tasted. It rivals the great 2000 Suey that was made from Roussanne and ended up with 241 grams of residual sugar. The individualistic, prodigious sweet wines are the products of meticulous attention to detail, obsessive harvesting requirements, and amazing vinifications and upbringings. They are unbelievable elixirs, and this one is as complex and intense as any sweet wine made in the world. It is a fitting tribute to the genius of both Manfred Krankl and his late partner, Luis Kracher. (RP)  (6/2008) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2001 Sine Qua Non Pagan Poetry Rose 375ml
Price: $471.00 Sale Price: $395.00     Quantity in Stock: 1

About the Vineyards where these wines come from:

We own and lovingly farm four rather different Estate vineyards. All have different soils and micro-climates, but all share farming practices that are gentle, hands-on, natural (although we are not certified, we are essentially organic) and consistent. We believe these to be the four cornerstones of great fruit and subsequently great wine.
 is 33 acres located in the cool Santa Rita Hills appellation. We planted 22 acres in 2001, primarily Syrah and Grenache, but also some Roussanne and a tiny bit of Viognier and Petite Sirah. The other 11 acres were Pinot Noir, planted by the previous ranch owners. About half of this has been grafted to three different clones of Chardonnay and a touch of Muscat. Because the climate is rather cool, we regularly experience very late harvests; seldom before the end of October and frequently well into November. This means very long “hang time” and thus full flavored, but never over-ripe or raisined fruit. Although the vineyard is densely planted with 2,420 vines per acre, we typically have very low yields of less than 1.5 tons per acre or more importantly around 1 ¼lb. of fruit per vine. This is one of the many criteria toward great wine quality.
 is our “home” vineyard. It is located in the rather little known area of Oak View (south of Santa Barbara) where we live and where we also have our winery. The area is relatively warm and therefore it typically is the first of our vineyards to be harvested. Here we have numerous small blocks of varying vine training styles. The first block was planted in 2004 and is comprised of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne. In 2008 we planted two more blocks. These house the rare white grape Petite Manseng, the equally rare Portugese Touriga Nacional, as well as small amounts of Mourvedre, Petite Sirah and two more small Syrah sections. One of these blocks is trained in a sort of Cote Rotie style. It is a super dense planting at 4,350 vines per acre and also own-rooted (no foreign rootstocks grafted onto the scions).
This CUMULUS Vineyard is also the fruit source for a newer brand that was launched with the 2007 vintage. It is called NEXT OF KYN. A young sister to SINE QUA NON if you will.
is a vineyard property that we purchased in the spring of 2010. It is located near the quaint town of Los Alamos in the central coast. A small vineyard of mostly Syrah and a bit of Petite Sirah had been planted there in the year 2000 and, much to our surprise and delight, it was all own-rooted… our favorite, albeit a somewhat risky proposition because of the exposure to the dreaded phylloxera. This vineyard has rather sandy soils and the micro-climate could be called moderate. Staggeringly beautiful fruit has come from this site. In fact, we were so impressed that in the early spring of 2011 we planted another block, in even sandier soils. In fact, almost pure sand and very deep. The first delightful fruit from that vineyard block came with the amazingly great 2014 harvest. What a treat this site is. Hard to put into words.
 is a place tucked away in the remote Tepusquet Canyon. It is a Hermit’s paradise. Hard to find, hard to access, way up at some 1800 feet elevation. There, in that hidden paradise, we planted a little bucolic 2 acre vineyard in a Chateauneuf-du-Pape like bush vine style, but all Mourvedre for now. We picked the first tiny bit of fruit nuggets there in the stingy 2015 vintage. The effort is a bit disproportionate to the quantity received, but heck it is worth the struggle at times.
At this time, we only have one more fruit source that is not grown and owned by us. And that is the heart warming Bien Nacido Vineyard in the very cool area of Santa Maria. Syrah from that vineyard was our very first fruit source and our first SQN wine… “Queen of Spades”… came from that fruit. We no longer contract Syrah, but we still have a small section of delightful Chardonnay for our white wine program and a tiny little “laboratory” block for Grenache, Mourvedre, Roussanne and Marsanne.