Hour Wine Tasting Featuring RIISE wines from Paso Robles with Special Guest Juan Mercado Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 6:00 PM and New Releases from Alban, Andremily and Sine Qua Non on SALE!!
“I hope that someday (we are at a point where in California) we rate the great wines based on the terroir." – Jess Jackson
We have been following the handy work of Juan Mercado since his days at Realm winery in Napa Valley. This is an exciting new project that Juan has been working on for over a decade. I remember the last time I saw Juan at the 2019 Napa Valley Premier tasting and he told me about the project. The AMAZING RIISE wines have just made it to Florida and Wine Watch is one of the first stores to feature them.
Join us as we welcome Juan to South Florida for a special Happy Hour wine tasting at the wine bar. The fee for this event is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring RIISE wines from Paso Robles
with Special Guest Juan Mercado
Thursday, June 26th, 2025
6:00 PM
2019 Riise Peace Paso Robles
2019 Riise Doyen Paso Robles
2019 Riise Jovian Paso Robles
2020 Riise Peace Paso Robles
2020 Riise Doyen Paso Robles
2020 Riise Jovian Paso Robles
Menu
Charcuterie Pizza
Beef Short rib Empanadas with Mole Sauce
Tuna Tacos with Sauteed Mushrooms and Lavender Aioli
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sesame Dipping Sauce
Avocado Fries with Creole Remoulade
The fee for this event is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Juan Mercado’s RIISE – His second act leads to Paso Robles
The Napa Valley vintner Juan Mercado, founder of Napa’s coveted cult wine Realm Cellars, has launched a new wine venture RIISE — appropriately incorporating the Roman numeral II in the label, thus referring to his second act — this time in Paso Robles.
“This [Paso] has always been a place I’d admired especially the camaraderie here,” said Mercado when I met him at his hilltop home on a blustery rainy afternoon. The camaraderie he’s referring to is a group of winemakers he initially met located mainly in Paso’s Willow Creek District. Among them were such original Willow Creek rockstars as Justin Smith, Eric Jensen, Scott Hawley and Chris Cherry.
Long before that, Mercado’s introduction to Paso came through Pax Mahle, his winemaker friend noted for the PAX brand of Syrah wines from Sonoma.
“My first stop in Paso was at Justin’s house,” Mercado recalled of his initial visit in 2003. “He was just starting Saxum and his 2001 [vintage] hadn’t been released yet.” Mercado soon met other local winemakers and cemented a connection with Paso. “It was a natural move for me to come down here.”
That move would take over a dozen years, however. During that time, Mercado launched Napa’s cult wine Realm Cellars in 2003. The former nurse, who ran the pulmonary unit at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland for nine years, got bitten by the wine bug during visits to nearby Napa.“The last five of those years, I was moonlighting,” he said, “nurse by night and vintner by day.”
Looking back, he reflected: “Realm was just a concept I was buying fruit, we had one vintage in barrels and we were trying to figure it out.” Mercado’s initial partner was Wendell Laidely and the two were later joined by Scott Becker and Benoit Touqette.
Mercado compares the evolution of Realm to kids growing up and going to college. “That’s how I look at Realm — it kinda developed its own momentum and [now] I can step back. It’s not relying on me like initially.
“Realm turned out to be amazing. I think it’s the hottest brand in the last 20 years. A lot of it is timing: it’s the right place, right time, right people, there’s a lot of factors involved.”
RIISE wines eye-popping artwork
But Mercado was ready for a second and solo venture. “I knew I had another one in me.” When he stepped away from his ongoing duties from Realm (he continues as a partner and investor) it was time to set his sights finally on Paso.
“I wanted to do something that wouldn’t compete with Realm,” Mercado remarked. “It would look odd if I did another project in Napa.”
Mercado’s RIISE is a personal project with a small 1200-case production. The 2019 vintage consists of three wines — Doyen, Peace and Jovian produced at Denner Vineyards. Mercado has no partners. His gold-star team is led by winemaker Anthony Yount with Lucas Pope and Kevin Wilkerson as viticulturists.
Dressed in black with a matching baseball cap and socks (sans shoes), Mercado sports a friendly relaxed persona. “Black house with a yellow door,” are his directions to the hilltop house surrounded by his 22-acre Arbor ranch in the Willow Creek District. Mercado divides his time between Paso and Napa.
Mercado credits Paso winemaker Eric Jensen (founder of Booker Vineyard) as his mentor. “For sure, no doubt, Eric has been a good mentor. He definitely helped facilitate my move down here.”
In 2019 Mercado acquired the 42-acre Shadow Canyon ranch which had 16 acres under vine atop York Mountain, the AVA now getting on the radar of many local winegrowers.
A year later he acquired two more properties in the Willow Creek District: the 22-acre Arbor ranch planted to 16 acres of vineyards and in 2023 the 85-acre Heaton Ranch with 48 acres under vine. So, a total of 80 acres are planted mostly to red Rhône varieties with some Bordeaux plantings. Plans include a tasting room and a winery at Arbor ranch.
Mercado’s team practices organic and biodynamic farming but there’s no certification yet. “I’m not going to spray anything that’s going to harm the vines and affect the ecosystem here,” he affirmed.
Mercado favors blends. “I like the ability to be able to layer.” Plus being new to Paso, he’s getting to know the sites and the vineyards. “Why am I going to try to make single varietal wine or single vineyard when I’ve never made wines from some of these sites before? The fewer restrictions I put, the better the wine is going to be. I’ve got more flexibility.”
The flexibility of blending fruit from multiple vineyard sites offers an exciting challenge for Yount, who makes wines for Denner, Sixmilebridge and his own label Royal NoneSuch Farm.
“We found the right sourcing of fruit and developed the right vineyards to create the flavor profile we’re looking for,” Yount explained. From a winemaker’s point of view, he noted that working with several different vineyards creates a unique style.
And that style is about texture, richness, mouthfeel and length, “all the things in my book that make an incredible wine and we do that naturally within what Paso has to offer.”
Hedonistic, textural and, yes, gutsy wines as we tasted them at the kitchen counter of Mercado’s home. The three 2019s, all blends, are produced from Shadow Canyon and supported by fruit sourced from some of Paso’s prized vineyards.
The wines are bold, powered by bright fruit offering a sensory explosion on the palate; yet they are elegant, layered and well-knit, offering an engaging complexity.
The Grenache-driven muscle-flexing Doyen is supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. The deep-hued Syrah-dominant Peace is blended with Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. In the Jovian, Tempranillo is joined by Petite Sirah and old-vine Graciano from Paderewski vineyard. All labels are graced with eye-popping Dali’esque artwork created by Barcelona artist Sergio Albiac.
Each label carries a thoughtful meaning, Mercado explained. “Grenache is a chameleon grape; it does well everywhere,” he said comparing Grenache to Paso as a chameleon. “The people [Paso] attracts, the maverick individual that’s very adaptable, it has a wild west vibe.”
About Jovian, an alien and extra-terrestrial, he explained: “The Tempranillo is not from here and I’m not from here. Someone not from here is like an alien.” The clock in the image represents the early ripening time of Tempranillo.
The Syrah-dominated Peace is a nod to his friend Pax. “His name translates to peace and he introduced me to Syrah.”
All three wines are priced alike at $130 per bottle (available through allocation only). “The idea was that it’s all at the highest level and you get to decide which one you like. They’re all world-class wines. I don’t want there to be a hierarchy [by creating different prices for each].”
Mercado is impressed by Paso’s diversity — access to so many varieties and the ability to create blends, not to mention Paso’s signature limestone soil. “There’s no limitation in a region like this. For me, that’s part of the intrigue.”
All the RIISE wines in the store on SALE!
2019 Riise Peace Paso Robles
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00
(95 Points) The 2019 Syrah Based Blend is 75% Syrah and the rest a mix of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 26 months in 70% new barrels. Blackberries, peppery herbs, graphite, and some spicy wood notes all define the bouquet, and this beauty is full-bodied, with a plush, sexy texture, ripe yet substantial tannins, and a great finish. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following decade or more. It's a classic, ripe, yet perfectly balanced Paso Robles Syrah. Review Date: 09/2022, Jeb Dunnuck
2020 Riise Peace Paso Robles
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00
2019 Riise Doyen Paso Robles
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00
*Blend: 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre
*Vintage production: n/a
*Self-taught vintner and winemaker Juan Mercado set the wine world alight as founder of modern-day Napa icon, Realm Cellars, which worked out pretty well! Having paved the way for Realm’s success, Juan set his entrepreneurial guile and vision due south to Paso Robles with his new Estate: RIISE Wines.
RIISE only went ‘live’ in early 2024, so this is ground-zero: the beginning of something remarkable, and the rarest of chances to say you were part of it from the start!
2020 Riise Doyen Paso Robles
List Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00
2019 Riise Jovian Paso Robles
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00*
Blend: 75% Tempranillo, 20% Petit Sirah, 5% Graciano
*Vintage production: n/a
*Self-taught vintner and winemaker Juan Mercado set the wine world alight as founder of modern-day Napa icon, Realm Cellars, which worked out pretty well! Having paved the way for Realm’s success, Juan set his entrepreneurial guile and vision due south to Paso Robles with his new Estate: RIISE Wines.
RIISE only went ‘live’ in early 2024, so this is ground-zero: the beginning of something remarkable, and the rarest of chances to say you were part of it from the start!
2020 Riise Jovian Paso Robles
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00
Some of the other Rhone Rangers from this part of California:
Alban Vineyards
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“Before I was old enough to drink wine (legally), I spent a lot of time wondering why Europe fermented over 500 different grape varieties, while California was using about 6. The strangest part was that people only drank 2 of the six. Fortunately, I was too young to recognize that anyone seriously planning to change how many wine types were being produced in California would have to contend with the American love affair with Cabernet and Chardonnay; our wine equivalents of chocolate and vanilla.
Far into my quest for wine grapes that would make sense for California, I celebrated my 24th birthday. That evening a friend handed me a glass of Condrieu. Knowing nothing about the wine, and informed simply (though erroneously) that it was cheap, I downed what would prove to be one of the most significant gulps of my life. Instantly I could see myself producing the world's greatest six-dollar bottle of wine. I envisioned myself hanging out with the Gallo boys. The next day I researched everything U.C. Davis had on the subject of Condrieu- about 12 sentences. I learned 3 key facts: Viognier is the grape of Condrieu, it ain't cheap, and I'd soon be moving to the Rhone if I wanted to learn much more.
I frantically completed my course work and research for my Master's in enology at Davis, immersed myself in everything Rhone, and applied for a scholarship that was being offered by the Franco-American chamber of commerce. The degree "allowed" me to start re-paying my student loans, the Rhone immersion kept me smiling, and the scholarship was my ticket to France.
While apprenticing anywhere producers would let me- from Beaujolais to Provence, I also spent a good bit of time organizing climate and soil information. Everything I found indicated that Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Roussanne made more than mere sense for California. The information left me puzzling over how we ever planted Chardonnay from Ukiah all the way down to Temecula. I would have plenty of time to puzzle as my next 6 years would be spent 'picking up sticks'.
Vines are propagated from vines. Just as it's tough to get a chicken without an egg and vice versa, it's impossible to get vines without vines. Because there was essentially no Grenache Noir, Roussanne, or Viognier in California at that time, and the clones of Syrah were few and poorly documented, I would need a lot of time to make cuttings. Starting with only a handful of various selections, it took years to generate commercial quantities of the vines I wanted to grow.
Spending all those years in green houses, I lost touch with reality. At a time when there were fewer than 50 acres of Viognier in the world, I propagated 32. Perhaps the only wine more obscure than Viognier was varietally labeled Roussanne. Our release of pure Roussanne in 1991 was the second such wine produced globally and the first from the United States (what exactly Bergeron is remains in doubt).
Since reds take more cellar time, I originally hit the road pouring my two whites-Viognier and Roussanne. If I had not been so young and brash, I might have been discouraged by the barrage of folks who kept telling me that consumers haven't heard of these wines, and no one can pronounce Viognier (Vee-own-yeah is easy to say; tough to read. Anything with the word So-veenyown; as in Cabernet So-veen-yown is truly hard to say).
What I really discovered on my journeys was that compared to the amount of wine I had, there was an abundance of progressively minded folk all over the world open to the idea that delicious is more important than varietal recognition. I am forever indebted to the core group of courageous and passionate wine buyers and sommeliers who championed Alban Vineyards in the early years. The people who were driven to hand-sell and promote wines that in and of themselves were of little economic significance to them. These 'missionaries' nurtured the fledgling California rhone movement, and with it took our wine trade from black and white into the age of color. I am delighted to see Rhone varieties flourish throughout California and rather overwhelmed by Robert Parker's declaration in The Wine Advocate that I am "...the spiritual and qualitative leader of the movement..."
Many of our original customers are now my good friends. Some I have even worked with to help start wineries of their own focusing on Rhone varieties. Two moved to San Luis Obispo County to help organize Hospice Du Rhone- the world's largest international celebration of these wines, visit www.hospicedurhone.org. As the Rhone renaissance became truly international and significantly rooted in what happened here in California, perhaps the greatest surprise in my life thus far was how the story came full circle. In 2005 I was made an honorary citizen and Decurion of Cote Rotie and Condrieu. The sons and daughters of the producers who were terrified about my plans to develop their then threatened varieties internationally, believed that my efforts had actually accelerated recognition and interest in their own wineries. Being presented this distinction before the leaders of these key northern Rhone appellations, on their home turf, remains somewhat surreal to this day.
In some ways my life is still measured in sticks. As more people have discovered the world beyond chocolate and vanilla, there has been an explosion in plantings of these varieties. Alban Vineyards has provided a large portion of the cuttings needed to see California's Viognier acreage go from 0 to over 2000, and Syrah has jumped from a few hundred acres to more than 17,000. Grenache will be next. But the story has gone way beyond change and diversity. Of the 22 wineries in California included in Robert Parker's The World' Greatest Wine Estates, 10 currently make at least one 'Rhone', and 2 produce almost exclusively wines from Rhone varieties. While we Rhone producers may forever be 'garage bands' at heart, our stage is now very much international.
2024 Alban Vineyards Viognier Central Coast
Price: $35.00 Your Price: $30.80 Quantity in Stock: 18
The Central Coast bottling that is often more than 75% from our own vineyard, and an Estate bottling. It showcases the forward heady stone fruit of this variety. It is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel and bottled early.
2021 ALBAN VINEYARDS 'PATRINA' SYRAH EDNA VALLEY, USA
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $57.20 Quantity in Stock: 6
Patrin is a Roma word for leaf and grass blades. We wanted a romani association for this wine because it is not a wine from a ‘place’ so much as one shaped by us; our traditions and joys. The Roma have a very strong and romantic culture, but they are not tied to any particular location.
By mounding up patrin in specific configurations called Patrina, Romani mark secret trails that their comrades can follow to special gathering places. Under the right circumstances, Patrina lead these kindred spirits to wonderful celebrations underscored by wine and song.
Our vineyards are a patchwork of isolated soil types that you may recognize as Reva, Lorraine, Seymour’s and Pandora (very much wines of a place). Between and in route to these well healed sites are vineyards that are not so obviously distinct. We have blended these disparate and ‘disenfranchised’ blocks into a single wine we call Patrina. Like the Romani trails from which Patrina derives its name, we hope these bottles lead you to some great merriment, or more.
While the grapes for Patrina are raised with the same detail and attentiveness as the rest of our vineyards, and then fermented open top with indigenous yeast, gentle pump overs and a few punch downs once soft, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered after ‘just’ 22 months in barrel to preserve its youthful exuberance. All the density and concentration folks have come to expect from our reds with black and blue fruits, mineral notes, and flowers.
2019 ALBAN VINEYARDS SYRAH REVA ALBAN ESTATE VINEYARD
Price: $125.00 Your Price: $110.00 Quantity in Stock: 10
In the earliest years of Alban Vineyards, I lived in a rented green house propagating cuttings. When I wasn’t making vines, I was busy looking for the future home for all the vines in my nursery. I spent 7 years looking at possible vineyard sites all over the Central Coast of California. Whenever I found a promising site, I negotiated a due diligence period during which I could do soil and site analysis. While mapping out the last piece I’d ever evaluate (because it was the one that turned into Alban Vineyards) I happened to name a little ridge on one part of the ranch ‘Reva’s Ridge’. It was a play on words incorporating the name of a Kentucky Derby winner: Riva’s Ridge, and my mother’s name which is Reva. Clearly I’d been in the sun too long and I will admit that I am a total ‘mama’s boy’. Years later, after calling the vineyard Reva and tagging the first barrel as Reva, I embraced the obvious: I named the wine Reva.
The grapes that go into Reva (97-100% Syrah with the balance Viognier) are from neutral sandy soils and portions of ranch that are chalky and quite alkaline. This combination makes for a wine with dark color, concentrated flavors of black fruits, fennel, and graphite. Perhaps the most distinguishing note of Reva is a unique iodine and oyster shell aromatic that is unlike anything in our other Syrahs. The wine is aged 3.5 years in barrels before bottling unfined and unfiltered.
2019 Alban Vineyards Lorraine Estate Syrah Edna Valley, USA
Price: $219.00 Your Price: $192.72 Quantity in Stock: 5
(96 Points) I tasted the 2019 Syrah Lorraine on July 8, shortly after its bottling in June. With air, it unfolds steadily from cassis, blueberries and aniseed to nuances of violet, mint and botanicals. The full-bodied palate is plush and silky, refreshing and lifted, with tremendously perfumed fruit and a long finish with generous, graphite-laced fruit. This graceful, juicy Syrah is approachable straight from the bottle but will benefit from another 3-5 years in bottle to unwind. It will be released in the spring of 2024. Wine Advocate
2020 Alban Seymour's Syrah Edna Valley
Price: $202.50 Your Price: $178.20 Quantity in Stock: 6
(98-100 Points) As with the Lorraine release, the 2020 Syrah Seymour's is a monster of a wine offering more density and depth than normal while staying balanced with classic Seymour's structure. This inky purple-hued beauty offers a gorgeous perfume of pure cassis, crushed stone, graphite, and ground pepper. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, and pedal-to-the-metal on the palate, it has building tannins and a solid spine of freshness that keeps you coming back to the glass. It will take a solid decade to hit the early stages of maturity, but don't let that stop you from trying a bottle in its youth. Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 08/2023
2010 Alban Vineyards Lorraine Estate Syrah Edna Valley, USA
Price: $265.00 Your Price: $233.20 Quantity in Stock: 2
(97 Points) Sporting the same inky color as the Reva, the 2010 Syrah Lorraine Vineyard has terrific elegance and purity in its sweet black raspberry fruits, crushed flowers, creme de cassis and subtle smoked meat characteristics. Seriously concentrated and backward on the palate (this cuvee normally is the most approachable of the lineup), with a rich, full mouthfeel, a big mid-palate and a great finish, give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy through 2030. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2019 Alban Vineyards Lorraine Estate Syrah Edna Valley, USA
Price: $219.00 Your Price: $192.72 Quantity in Stock: 5
(96 Points) I tasted the 2019 Syrah Lorraine on July 8, shortly after its bottling in June. With air, it unfolds steadily from cassis, blueberries and aniseed to nuances of violet, mint and botanicals. The full-bodied palate is plush and silky, refreshing and lifted, with tremendously perfumed fruit and a long finish with generous, graphite-laced fruit. This graceful, juicy Syrah is approachable straight from the bottle but will benefit from another 3-5 years in bottle to unwind. It will be released in the spring of 2024. Wine Advocate
2020 Alban Lorraine Syrah Edna Valley
Price: $202.50 Your Price: $178.20
Critics have scored this as one of the top 5 Edna Valley wines: The Wine Advocate gave the 2013 vintage a score of 96 and Jancis Robinson gave the 1998 vintage a score of 18/20. Ranked fifth for number of awards won among wines from this region: the Wine Spectator Top 100 awarded the 2013 vintage Wine Spectator Top 100 #79 and the 2006 vintage Wine Spectator Top 100 #13. This is among the highest-priced wines from Edna Valley. The price has been stable over the past year.
2021 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard
Price: $125.00 Your Price: $110.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
(95-97 Points) Based on 95% Grenache and 5% Syrah, the 2021 Grenache has a juicy, upfront style in its blackberries, blueberries, pepper, lavender, and violet-like aromas and flavors. With a big, exotic, full-bodied mouthfeel and a terrific mid-palate, it brings a powerful, opulent, yet classic 2021 focused style. Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 08/2024
2020 Alban Vineyards Pandora Red Edna Valley
Price: $219.00 Your Price: $192.72 Quantity in Stock: 1
(93 Points) Hailing from the pure chalk soils of Seymour's Vineyard, the 2020 Grenache Pandora was aged for 34 months in 60% new French oak. The nose is a fragrant yet immensely concentrated mix of ripe berries, purple flowers and hints of kelp-driven umami tones. The palate is full-bodied and slick in texture, featuring loads of polished black fruits lined with subtle acidity that lead to a finish dominated by saturated fruit flavors, crushed stones and oak tannins.
John Alban is a pioneer through and through, having spearheaded the Rhône Ranger movement and set into motion what would become some of the Central Coast's most sought-after bottlings, both through his eponymous label and those he inspired and mentored. The Alban wines are unapologetically style-driven, anchored around ripe, forward fruit intensity and the equally unabashed use of extended élevage in new French oak. Although they remain primarily full-throttle examples of the Edna Valley, recent vintages have seen many wines reeled in from some of their prior hedonism, most notably the signature trio of vineyard-designate Syrahs. Published: Jul 18, 2024, The Wine Advocate
Andremily Wines
Andremily Wines has quickly earned the respect and now sits alongside some of the greatest producers of Rhône-varietal blends in California’s Central Coast. This should not come as a surprise as owner and winemaker Jim Binns earned his winemaker wings during his 12 years as assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non (2006-2017). During his tenure at Sine Qua Non they achieved an amazing 27×100 points scores! Jim continues to add to his fame with every vintage as his stunning line-up at Andremily seems to just get better and better every year, balancing hedonism and elegance to near perfection every year.
Jim and his wife Rachel’s work hand and hand with their two children which were the inspiration of the winery name. Andremily was inspired by, their son Andrew, and daughter Emily. When thinking of names for their new brand, they wanted their new venture to express a sense of family, which was accomplished by combining both of their children’s first names. In 2012, Andremily was born and Jim decided to moved on from Sine Qua Non in 2017 in an effort to dedicate 100% all of his time and efforts to Andremily Wines. The winery is located in the coastal city of Ventura, where they bring their rare elixirs through elevage.
Manfred Krankl was very supportive from day one, and literally gifted Jim SQN’s contracts for two of his prized blocks of the White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara’s Cat Canyon. Jim then started looking for other sources to compliment White Hawk, and luckily was able to secure a few great blocks at the Larner Vineyard in Ballard Canyon and then Alta Mesa Vineyard in the Cuyama Valley. Thus the foundation of Andremily winery was firmly in place and the debut 2012 vintage of ‘Andremily No.1’ was released to huge critical acclaim. A few more sources have been added to the tool box since, including the purchase of the Slide Vineyard in Edna Valley, which marks the beginning of Andremily Estate Vineyard.
Jim like most wine producers considers the vineyards and his team to be farmers first and therefor everything starts in the vineyards. They work tirelessly to control the yields and to ensure a uniform balanced vineyard. The fruit must be picked at optimal ripeness, then it goes through a series of sorting tables before it finally reaches the fermentation vessels. Then before fermentation the grapes undergo a period of cold soaking before fermentation takes place. The whole process from vineyard to winery at Andremily is very hands-on: They monitor each fermentation closely, and work to optimize extraction at every point in the process. After the fermentation is complete the finished wine goes into French oak barrels of which 60%-70% are new. Andremily wines usually spend 22- 28 months in barrel before bottling but every vintage demands a slightly different regime at the winery.
All the wines from Andremily in the store on SALE!!
2022 Andremily "White Cuvée" Central Coast White Blend
Price: $120.00 Your Price: $105.60 Quantity in Stock: 9
(97 Points) "Awesome notes of buttered citrus, toasted spice, brioche, toasted almonds, and white flowers all emerge from 2022 White Cuvee, a rich, full-bodied white based on 35% Chardonnay, 28% Roussanne, 21% Marsanne, and the rest Viognier. With that classic Andremily richness and breadth, it stays flawlessly balanced, has good acidity, and a great finish. It’s a stunning white that readers should snatch up. I love it today, yet it should have 4-6 years of prime drinking, possibly longer. But why wait?" (08/2024) Jeb Dunnuck:
2022 Andremily Number 11 Santa Barbara County Syrah Magnum
Price: $337.50 Your Price: $297.00
2022 Andremily Number 11 Santa Barbara County Syrah
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
(96-98 Points) "Another big, rich, opulent 2022, the 2022 No 11 offers a smorgasbord-like array of red, black, and blue fruits as well as pepper, herbes de Provence, violets, and cured meats. It's heavenly stuff on the palate and is full-bodied, with a round, deep, full-bodied mouthfeel and velvety tannins. Based on 91% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre, and 3% Viognier, aging in 65% new oak, I suspect it’s going to drink nicely right out of the gate (that’s the vintage) yet, nevertheless, evolve gracefully for 15 years or more given its concentration and balance." (08/2024) Jeb Dunnuck
2022 Andremily Wines Mourvedre, Santa Barbara County Magnum
Price: $337.50 Your Price: $297.00
2022 Andremily Wines Mourvedre, Santa Barbara County
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00 Quantity in Stock: 11
(96-98 Points)The 2022 Mourvèdre is going to be brilliant, and it’s clearly in the same ballpark as the 2021, although slightly riper in style. Blackberries, black raspberries, ground pepper, sandalwood, and loamy earth all define the aromatics, and this puppy hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a broad, layered mouthfeel, velvety yet building tannins, and a blockbuster finish. Wine Advocate
2022 Andremily Wines Syrah Slide Hill Edna Valley
Price: $225.00 Your Price: $180.00
2022 Andremily Wines Syrah Slide Hill Edna Valley Magnum
Price: $450.00 Your Price: $360.00
Slide Hill Vineyard consists of 3 rolling hills and a meadow with a variety of slopes, orientations, and soils. The vineyard consists of 39 planted acres in total. Counting Syrah and Grenache as its primary offering, there are also small blocks of Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, Albarino, and Tempranillo. We are very thrilled to have Slide Hill Vineyard as a major component to the Andremily Wines.
2021 Andremily Wines Rose California
Price: $84.00 Your Price: $73.92 Quantity in Stock: 3
This is the first vintage of Rose from Andremily that we have received and although there seems to be no information on this wine in the past it has been a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache.
2021 Andremily Wines Grenache Santa Barbara County
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00 Quantity in Stock: 4
(96 points) The 2021 Grenache is blended with 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. Grapes come from the Alta Mesa Vineyard in Santa Barbara County and Andremily's new Slide Hill estate vineyard in the Edna Valley. It was vinified using 45% whole clusters and matured for around 21 months in 50% new French barriques and 600-liter demi-muids. Bottled on August 26 and tasted on October 25, its red and black fruit is densely coiled, and it takes plenty of air to reveal pure notes of black licorice, coffee beans, lilac, graphite and tobacco. The full-bodied palate is plush, ripe and spicy, with chocolate-textured tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity to call you back to the glass. Powerful yet seamless, it will continue to unfold as it matures in bottle over the next 15 years or more. (EB) Wine Advocate Review Date: 11/2023
2021 Andremily Wines EABA Santa Barbara County, USA
Price: $150.00 Your Price: $132.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
(94 Points) The 2021 EABA is a blend of 63% Syrah, 21% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache and 1% Viognier sourced from several Santa Barbara County sites and the Slide Hill estate vineyard in Edna Valley. It was fermented with 65% whole clusters and saw a 31-month élevage in 60% new French barrique. The nose is immensely inky and opaque, driven by lavish dark berry compote aromas supported by dark chocolate, amaro and subtle meaty accents. The palate is extraordinarily saturated and staining, containing immense body and plushness. The finish is quite taut and inward, framed with a welcome amount of fine-grained tannins to support the otherwise massive fruit density. While this developed additional aromatic complexity in the glass, its appeal is primarily tethered to its boisterous power and is best enjoyed on the early side. (ML) Wine Advocate Review Date: 08/2024
2019 Andremily Wines Eaba, Santa Barbara County
Price: $145.00 Your Price: $127.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
The 2019 is an enticing blend of 61% Syrah, 24% Mourvedre, 13% Grenache and is finished off with a splash of Viognier. The 2019 jumps from the glass offering loads of rich ripe blackberries, violets, charcuterie, pepper, and olive notes, possessing a rich full texture, super fine tannins, and a finish that goes on and on. This wine begs to be enjoyed now, but will certainly reward those who wait, as this beaty has just begun to show her true potential.
2021 Andremily Wines Syrah #10 Santa Barbara MAGNUM
Price: $300.00 Your Price: $264.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2021 Andremily Wines Syrah #10 Santa Barbara
Price: $144.00 Your Price: $126.72 Quantity in Stock: 10
(97+ Points) The 2021 No. 10 is a blend of 93% Syrah 5% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier. Grapes come from several vineyards including Andremily's new Slide Hill estate in Edna Valley White Hawk Larner Harrison-Clarke Kimsey and Alta Mesa Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. It was vinified with 50% whole clusters and matured for around 22 months in 65% new French barriques. Bottled August 12 and tasted October 25 it boasts a supermassive black hole of dark perfumed fruit at the core. With time in the glass it reveals pure accents of mint chocolate vanilla bean olives lilac tar and botanical nuances. The palate is incredibly concentrated its graphite-laced fruit waiting to explode. All that depth of fruit is balanced by fireworks of fresh acidity and velvety tannins and it has a highly latent finish. 900 cases were made which will be sold as part of a three-bottle box set for $330. A few magnums were also made which will be sold as part of a two-bottle set with the 2021 Mourvèdre. Published: Nov 16 2023 Wine Advocate
2020 Andremily Wines Syrah #9, Santa Barbara County, USA
Price: $145.00 Your Price: $127.60 Quantity in Stock: 4
(99 Points) "The 2020 No. 9, still in barrel, is a blend of 89% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier, made with 50% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards throughout the Central Coast including Slide Hill, White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke, Kimsey and Alta Mesa. It will mature for 22 months in 65% new and 35% used French barriques. Opaque ruby-purple in color, it features aromas of black olives, ground coffee, turned earth and forest floor, before unfolding to pure blueberry liqueur, cassis, licorice and violet—what alluring aromas! Full-bodied, the palate is grainy and seamless, with concentrated, floral fruits and a very long, nuanced finish."- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
2020 Andremily Wines Syrah Slide Hill Edna Valley
Price: $295.00 Your Price: $259.60 Quantity in Stock: 8
Slide Hill Vineyard consists of 3 rolling hills and a meadow with a variety of slopes, orientations, and soils. The vineyard consists of 39 planted acres in total. Counting Syrah and Grenache as its primary offering, there are also small blocks of Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, Albarino, and Tempranillo. We are very thrilled to have Slide Hill Vineyard as a major component to the Andremily Wines. Only 12 bottles of this Syrah came to Florida and it was a ringer at our last Sine Qua Non tasting and came in second place overall that night with our group of Sine Qua Non lovers!!
(100 Points) The 2020 Slide Hill Estate Syrah is the first estate release from Andremily, composed of 95% Syrah and 5% white grapes from 39 planted acres at Slide Hill Vineyard in Edna Valley, which Andremily recently purchased. It was vinified with 30% whole clusters and matured for around 34 months in 80% new French barriques. Bottled August 26 and tasted October 25, it's an incredible wine that opens with a deep well of pure aromas: blueberry, violet and lilac give way to star anise, roasted coffee, sagebrush and botanical tones. The palate is explosive! Highly concentrated and focused, it's defined by its surprising vibrancy and sheer depth of flavor. It has a support of abundant, chocolate-textured tannins and incredible length. This mind-bending Syrah, already incredibly delicious, deserves plenty of bottle time to continue to unfold. Just 200 cases were made, which will be sold as part of a three-bottle box set (price to be determined). Magnums will be sold separately. (EB) Review Date: 11/2023, Wine Advocate
2021 Andremily Wines Mourvedre Santa Barbara County MAGNUM
Price: $300.00 Your Price: $264.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2021 Andremily Wines Mourvedre Santa Barbara County
Price: $144.00 Your Price: $126.72 Quantity in Stock: 5
(100 Points) Jim Binns manages to polish what can be a naturally rustic variety into a shining sapphire-like expression. Bottled on August 26 and tasted on October 25 it shows the elegance and juiciness that is characteristic of a cooler growing season. It's explosive and electrically blue on the nose with incredibly pure aromas of blueberry candy violet juniper and accents of coffee beans warm chocolate aniseed and grilled Wagyu beef?it continually unfurls to reveal new scents with each return to the glass. The palate is just as impressive with its balance of concentrated fragrant fruit fireworks of fresh acidity and finely chalky tannins and it has a tremendously long perfumed finish. The 2021 is blended with 12% Syrah and fruit comes from Andremily's new Slide Hill estate vineyard plus the Alta Mesa Vineyard and White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. It was vinified using 75% whole clusters and matured around 21 months in 50% new French barriques and 600-liter demi-muids. 500 cases were made which will be sold as part of a three-bottle box set for $330. A few magnums were also made which will be sold as part of a two-bottle set with the 2021 No. 10 Syrah. Published: Nov 16 2023. Wine Advocate
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
All the Sine Qua Non we have in the store on SALE!!
2021 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA SYRAH, CALIFORNIA, USA MAGNUM
Price: $1050.00 Your Price: $924.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2021 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA SYRAH, CALIFORNIA, USA
Price: $350.00 Your Price: $308.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(98-100 Points) "I tasted the 2021 Syrah Distenta III as a precise blend from barrel on July 6—it's due to be bottled in August. It comes from three estate vineyards: The Third Twin (51%), Cumulus (26%) and 23% Eleven Confessions (23%). The Syrah is blended with 11.3% Grenache, 3.3% Mourvèdre, 2.1% Petite Sirah, 0.9% Petit Manseng and 0.7% Muscat and was vinified using 21% whole clusters. It matured around 23 months in 53% new French oak, 43% one- to three-year-old barrels and 4% concrete. Opaque ruby-purple in the glass, the Distenta III's aromatic complexity requires plenty of patience, as a singular truffle, earth and coffee bean character gives way to electric streaks of crème de violette, blueberry liqueur and peppermint patty. The palate is medium to full-bodied and exceptionally light on its feet. It glides silkily through the mouth with fireworks of freshness, and its floral fruit is tempered by graphite tones. Around 1,880 cases and 600 magnums are projected to be released in January of 2024." The Wine Advocate
2021 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA GRENACHE, CALIFORNIA, USA MAGNUM
Price: $1050.00 Your Price: $924.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2021 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA GRENACHE, CALIFORNIA, USA
Price: $350.00 Your Price: $308.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 Points) "Because my visit was scheduled for July 6, just two weeks after bottling on June 22, I tasted the 2021 Grenache Distenta III as a precise blend from barrel. It comes mostly from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard (71%) and The Third Twin (23%) with the balance from the Cumulus Vineyard. It is a blend of 79% Grenache, 8.4% Syrah, 7.4% Mourvèdre, 3.2% Petite Sirah, 1.6% Petit Manseng and 0.4% Muscat. The Distenta III was vinified using about 35% whole Grenache clusters, and it matured in 42% new French oak of various sizes for around 23 months. It has a medium to deep ruby color and is incredibly fragrant at this stage. Wild berry jam aromas are accented by tones of wildflower, tar, tangerine and coffee beans. The full-bodied palate is concentrated yet lively, bursting with crunchy, floral fruit and surprisingly energetic acidity. It has detailed, grainy tannins and a long, lifted finish that wears its alcohol well. 1,459 cases and 600 magnums are projected, to be released in the spring of 2024."
"There are few greater success stories in wine than that of Sine Qua Non’s Manfred Krankl. Austrian-born and showing up penniless in Los Angeles in 1980, he went on to create one of the greatest wine estates in the world today by sheer talent and work ethic." The Wine Advocate
2020 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I GRENACHE CALIFORNIA USA MAGNUM
Price: $1150.00 Your Price: $1012.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2020 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I GRENACHE CALIFORNIA USA
Price: $350.00 Your Price: $308.00 Quantity in Stock: 5
77.9% Grenache, 9.4% Mourvedre 7.9% Syrah 4.3% Petite Sirah and 0.5% Viognier
(97-100 points) ... ...It's a ripe, sexy, insanely good barrel sample that has remarkable purity, tons of black raspberry and cassis fruits, perfect balance, full-bodied richness, and an already complex bouquet of violets, spice, and flowers. I continue to be blown away by what this estate seems to achieve with Grenache in just about every vintage. | Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com
2020 Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Grenache
Price: $487.50 Your Price: $429.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(100 Points) The 2020 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is another absolutely heavenly wine from this estate, and it's easily one of the top wines from California in 2020. Darker berries, tapenade, roasted herbs, and a bloody, iron-like character define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a great, great finish. It reminds me of a Châteauneuf du Pape from the likes of Jean-Paul Daumen and is a tour de force in Grenache that I wish every reader could taste. Coming from a hot growing season, this beauty is powerful and full throttle, yet like all of Manfred's wines, it holds onto a sense of purity, balance, and elegance that's something to behold. Drink bottles any time over the coming two decades. The blend is 82% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, and the rest Gelber Muskateller, fermented with 27% whole clusters, and aged 38 months in 41% new French oak. Review Date: 08/2024, Jeb Dunnuck
2020 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I SYRAH CALIFORNIA USA MAGNUM
Price: $1150.00 Your Price: $1012.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2020 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I SYRAH CALIFORNIA, USA
Price: $350.00 Your Price: $308.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
82.9% Syrah, 7.5% Grenache, 3.9% Mourvedre 3.4% Petite Sirah 2.3% Whites (Petite Manseng & Muscat)
This royal majesticity is a palace dance group comprised of nothing less than a wild 82.9% Syrah...Here only 16% of the fruit was whole cluster fermented. For some reason, one I don't really fully understand, Syrah is more quickly or more strongly impacted by the stems...I am super happy to report that here too all of the fruit was ESTATE grown. What a pleasure it was to write that. | Manfred Krankl for Sine Qua Non
2020 Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Vineyard Syrah
Price: $487.50 Your Price: $429.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(99 Points) One of those singular, powerhouse wines that will stop anyone in their tracks (well, its stopped me anyways), the 2020 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard offers an insane nose of bloody red and blue fruits, ground pepper, graphite, cured meats, and baking spices, with some classic Sta. Rita Hills marine/salty sea breeze-like nuances. With a dense, powerful mouthfeel, full-bodied aromas and flavors, massive fruit, and building tannins, this beauty is going to benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and blow you away over the following two decades. It reminds me of the 2005 Nail in my Cranium with its massive, powerful, yet flawlessly balanced style, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve along the same trajectory as that wine. The 2020 is 84% Syrah, 12% Grenache, and the rest Petite Sirah and white varieties, fermented with one quarter whole clusters and aged 38 months in 58% new oak. Review Date: 08/2024 Jeb Dunnuck
2019 SINE QUA NON CUMULUS VINEYARD 'NEXT OF KYN' CENTRAL COAST USA
Price: $550.00 Your Price: $484.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(99 Points) Still in barrel, the 2019 Cumulus Vineyard No. 13 also contains less Syrah than in the past—this iteration is composed of 29% Grenache, 29% Mourvèdre, 24.5% Syrah, 8% Touriga Nacional, 7.5% Petite Sirah and 2% Petit Manseng. It was made using 22% whole clusters and matured for about 32 months in 62% new French oak. Deep ruby-purple in the glass, it has a core of blackberry jam and Morello cherries, unfolding slowly to nuances of violet and loamy earth. Full-bodied and concentrated, its super-fine tannins and juicy acidity balance the expression, and it has a tremendously long finish with loads of floral perfume. It's showing fantastically despite its recent bottling on May 11, 2022—I tasted it on May 24, 2022. 369 cases and 222 magnums will be released in the fall of 2022. It will be sold as part of a four-bottle set that will include one bottle of Next of Kyn Touriga Nacional.-EB Wine Advocate:
2019 SINE QUA NON ELEVEN CONFESSIONS VINEYARD SYRAH STA RITA HILLS USA
Price: $495.00 Your Price: $435.60 Quantity in Stock: 3
(99 points) The 2019 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is elegant and perfumed and includes 13.1% Grenache, 3.3% Petite Sirah and just a splash—0.8%—each of Viognier and Muskateller (a.k.a Muscat). It was crafted with 13% whole clusters, matured in 66% new French oak for around 39 months and was bottled in January 2022. This gorgeous Syrah opens over several days and never seems to diminish. It offers pure aromas of crème de cassis, tar, salami and ringing tones of violet. The full-bodied palate is incredibly velvety in texture, and despite its concentration and powerful style, it manages noticeable freshness and detail, with that magical violet perfume echoing across the long finish. This will develop gracefully in the cellar over the next two decades or more. (EB) (6/2023) Wine Advocate
2019 SINE QUA NON ELEVEN CONFESSIONS VINEYARD GRENACHE, STA RITA HILLS, USA
Price: $495.00 Your Price: $435.60 Quantity in Stock: 3
(100 points) The late bottled 2019 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is another undeniably great wine from this incredible estate and it tops out my scale. Based on 89% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, and the balance Gelber Muskateller (Muscat Blanc), all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, it spent 39 months in 50% new French oak, with the balance in 2- to 5-year-old barrels. It's a powerful, full-bodied, opulent Grenache that brings to mind a great vintage of Domaine de Marcoux's Vieilles Vignes with its gorgeous red and black fruits, smoked herbs, leather, and assorted spicy, sandalwood, and peppery nuances. Full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, a deep, layered mid-palate, and velvety tannins. It brings that rare mix of richness and elegance that only Grenache can. (8/2023) Jeb Dunnuck
2019 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I GRENACHE CALIFORNIA MAGNUM
Price: $995.00 Your Price: $875.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
2019 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I GRENACHE CALIFORNIA
Price: $425.00 Your Price: $374.00 Quantity in Stock: 4
(98 Points) The 2019 Grenache Distenta I is composed of 76% Grenache, 8% Mourvèdre, 9.3% Syrah, 4.3% Petite Sirah and 2.4% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 11% Cumulus Estate, 39% The Third Twin Estate, 32% Eleven Confessions Estate, 3% Molly Aida and 15% Bien Nacido vineyard. Around 43% whole cluster was performed, predominately on the Grenache. The small proportion of Viognier was co-fermented with red grapes, but interestingly, because it ripens earlier than the reds, the white berries were frozen and added to the reds at the time of fermentation. As an added bonus, these frozen grapes help to cool and, therefore, slow the fermentation. The wine was aged for around 23 months in 26.5% new French oak, 66.7% used oak and 6.8% concrete. It was bottled June 21, 2021. Medium to deep garnet-purple it bursts with profound perfume of black raspberries, boysenberries and cherry preserves, leading to an undercurrent of charcuterie, charcoal, bouquet garni and aniseed. Notions of red roses and garrigue reward patient swirling and coaxing. The full-on full-bodied palate is wonderfully opulent, its intensity offset by fantastic freshness, finishing long with a savory dried herb-laced lift. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2019 SINE QUA NON DISTENTA I SYRAH CENTRAL COAST MAGNUM
Price: $1150.00 Your Price: $1012.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred told me last year. “It kinda triples the effect of the wine.” The red winemaking included 33% whole cluster. The vineyard sources for this wine are 35% The Third Twin, 33% Eleven Confessions, 31% Cumulus and 1% Molly Aida—all estate-owned vineyards. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with a powerfully fragrant nose of red roses, Morello cherries, boysenberries and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of mocha, star anise, cardamom and cassia. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, crunchy black, blue and red fruits. It has a rock-solid structure of firm, finely-grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the shimmering layers to a long, energetic finish. The complexity and vivacity of this Syrah are simply jaw-dropping! Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2018 SINE QUA NON ELEVEN CONFESSIONS VINEYARD SYRAH STA RITA HILLS USA
Price: $550.00 Your Price: $484.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(97-99 points) The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido Vineyard. Forty-one percent whole cluster was performed, predominately on the Grenache. The small proportion of Viognier was co-fermented with red grapes, but interestingly, because it ripens earlier than the reds, the white berries were frozen and added to the reds at the time of fermentation. As an added bonus, these frozen grapes help to cool and, therefore, slow the fermentation. The wine was aged for around 23 months in 37% new French oak, 57.8% used oak and 5.2% concrete. Deep garnet-purple in color, the wine does bedazzling pirouettes out of the glass with the most gorgeous rose oil, kirsch, licorice and fragrant earth scents, leading into a powerful core of black raspberries, redcurrant jelly and powdered cinnamon plus a waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is incredibly fresh, elegant and polished, yet make no mistake—there is a lot of power and energy on the mid-palate. This is all beautifully framed by tightly knit, very finely grained tannins, and the finish holds this provocative, lingering siren’s note, delivering exotic spices and rose-laced accents. Beguiling. 1,350 cases and 600 magnums were made. This wine was tasted as a tank sample to be bottled in two days, so this is pretty much “it.” With regard to name, according to Elaine and Manfred Krankl, Profuga is "the Latin female version of refugee, fugitive, deserter, exiled, eluding one's grasp." Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Issue # 250 - Aug 2020)
2018 SINE QUA NON ELEVEN CONFESSIONS VINEYARD GRENACHE STA RITA HILLS USA
Price: $525.00 Your Price: $462.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(99 points) The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a barrel selection and is composed of 83.7% Grenache, 9.1% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah and 1.2% Viognier. It was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for about 38 months in 52% new French oak barrels and demi-muids. It has a deep ruby-purple color and slowly opening scents of Morello cherries, coffee beans, licorice, thyme, tea leaves and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet energetic, offering bursts of juicy acidity and grainy tannins to counter its concentrated fruits. After spending some time in the glass, the long finish blossoms to a kaleidoscope of spicy, floral accents, suggesting this may require more bottle time than some of the other wines in this lineup before reaching its peak. (EB) (5/2022) Wine Advocate
2018 SINE QUA NON SYRAH ZIEHHARMONIKA CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA MAGNUM 1.5L
Price: $975.00 Your Price: $858.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2018 SINE QUA NON SYRAH ZIEHHARMONIKA CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA
Price: $420.00 Sale Price: $350.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(98-100 Points) Manfred Krankl did point out that the name of this wine is not definitely but probably going to be “Squeezebox.” There are still a bunch of hoops to jump through before the label is signed, sealed and delivered. He shared the artwork for the label with me, again probably final but not yet definite, but which I think fans of are going to love. Who knew Mr. K played the squeezebox? The vineyard sources for this wine are 51% The Third Twin, 43% Eleven Confessions and 6% Cumulus—all estate-owned vineyards. The 2018 Syrah Squeezebox is composed of 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite Sirah, 2.3% Grenache, 2.7% Viognier and 1.3% Muscat. “I think Muscat is the number one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred said. “It kinda triples the effect of the wine.” The wine is due to be bottled in August 2020, very soon after I tasted it, and after 23 months of aging. It was reared in 51% new French oak, 46% in used barrels and 3% in terracotta. (The terracotta is only used for whites.) Very deep garnet-purple colored, the nose kicks off with bright, vivacious scents of freshly cracked black pepper, licorice, baker’s chocolate and menthol before opening out to a core just singing of Black Forest cake, wild blueberries and ripe blackberries with wafts of smoky bacon and garrigue. Full-bodied, firm and beautifully textured with perfectly ripe, velvety tannins, it has invigorating freshness and a very long, multi-layered finish. Its rock-solid structure and intensity suggest this wine will be very long lived indeed. Final name Ziehharmonika instead of Squeezebox. Issue 250 End of August 2020, The Wine Advocate
2018 SINE QUA NON GRENACHE PROFUGA CALIFORNIA MAGNUM 1.5 L
Price: $975.00 Your Price: $858.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2018 SINE QUA NON GRENACHE PROFUGA CALIFORNIA
Price: $420.00 Sale Price: $350.00 Quantity in Stock: 4
(99-97 Points) The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido Vineyard. Forty-one percent whole cluster was performed, predominately on the Grenache. The small proportion of Viognier was co-fermented with red grapes, but interestingly, because it ripens earlier than the reds, the white berries were frozen and added to the reds at the time of fermentation. As an added bonus, these frozen grapes help to cool and, therefore, slow the fermentation. The wine was aged for around 23 months in 37% new French oak, 57.8% used oak and 5.2% concrete. Deep garnet-purple in color, the wine does bedazzling pirouettes out of the glass with the most gorgeous rose oil, kirsch, licorice and fragrant earth scents, leading into a powerful core of black raspberries, redcurrant jelly and powdered cinnamon plus a waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is incredibly fresh, elegant and polished, yet make no mistake—there is a lot of power and energy on the mid-palate. This is all beautifully framed by tightly knit, very finely grained tannins, and the finish holds this provocative, lingering siren’s note, delivering exotic spices and rose-laced accents. Beguiling. 1,350 cases and 600 magnums were made. This wine was tasted as a tank sample to be bottled in two days, so this is pretty much “it.” With regard to name, according to Elaine and Manfred Krankl, Profuga is "the Latin female version of refugee, fugitive, deserter, exiled, eluding one's grasp." Issue 250 End of August 2020, The Wine Advocate
2017 SINE QUA NON NEXT OF KYN RED WINE CALIFORNIA
Price: $959.00 Your Price: $843.92 Quantity in Stock: 1
(98+ Points) Next of Kyn Touriga Nacional 2017: This cuvée comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard—from a small, one-acre 2008 planting. The 2017 Touriga Nacional Numero Tres is a blend of 80% Touriga Nacional, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Syrah and 6% Grenache using 44% whole clusters. It spent around 33 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Very deep garnet-purple, the nose is a little reticent to begin, offering broody tar, new leather and fertile loam suggestions before giving way to come-hither scents of baked black plums, blackberry pie, dark chocolate, candied violets, pencil lead, menthol and dried roses. The first thing that hits you on the decadent, full-bodied palate is the texture—like stroking a kitten in your mouth. Wonderful freshness electrifies the bright, crunchy black fruits, developing into a long-lingering perfumed finish. Stunning! While it is delicious and certainly approachable right now, I would recommend laying this down for 4-5 years at least, to allow all the tightly wound nuances to emerge. It should continue to give pleasure for the next 20-25+ years. 89 cases and 223 magnums were made Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2016 SINE QUA NON SYRAH RATSEL
Price: $375.00 Your Price: $330.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(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)
2015 SINE QUA NON ELEVEN CONFESSIONS SYRAH "M” ELEVEN CONFESSIONS VINEYARD SANTA RITA HILLS
Price: $595.00 Sale Price: $500.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(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
2015 SINE QUA NON SYRAH TROUVER L’ARÈNE
Price: $475.00 Your Price: $418.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
The 2015 Syrah Trouver l’arène states “finding the arena.” If you re-read the burgundy portion of T.R.’s manifesto you’ll quickly see the connection. This supermodel of a wine, if nothing else, is an orgy of the palate. The partners in that orgy are 80.5% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Mourvedre, 2% Grenache and an aroma lifting, sexy, co-fermented 3.5% Viognier. All of the fruit was tenderly grown at three of our Estate vineyards.?36% at Eleven Confessions, 37% at The Third Twin... some +/- 15 miles northeast of there and 27% at the home vineyard Cumulus. Here only 34% whole clusters (of course meaning the stems also) were employed in the fermentation. For 22 months we taught this black beauty manners in barrels, 48% of which were new and all French. Like it’s Grenache sibling, this temptress was never fined or filtered, but rather left to it’s gorgeous own devices. My tasting notes from right before the bottling read – impossibly SQN dark with an almost lacquer sheen to it. There is a slightly peppery, savory, saddle leather nose that is quite pronounced.
2013 SINE QUA NON ESTATE SYRAH LE SUPPLÉMENT ELEVEN CONFESSIONS VINEYARD SANTA RITA HILLS
Price: $795.00 Sale Price: $650.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
The 2013 Estate Syrah Le Supplément is a model SQN wine if there ever was one. Its orchestra consists of 89% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah, 3% Grenache and 2% Viognier. Most of that fruit was destemmed and only 28% was whole cluster. It too is all Eleven Confessions. Here 83% new French oak was splurged on, the rest was used barrels. Don’t know if calling it a beauty is fair because it is more masculine, but it IS something to savor...no doubt about it. I could go on and on and on describing a peacock’s tail of aromas and the almost regal cloak this toned Majesty is wearing, but so as to not bore you to death and exhaust / expose my embarrassing vocabulary satchel, I’ll just say this “extra” just bursts and sings and draws from everywhere imaginable in the wilderness to express its impressive power and sophisticated stance. It is supple and refined with a nearly intimidating body, but the dainty personality of a humming bird with a Stephen Hawking mind. Don’t miss it. I have to implore - don’t miss it!!
The next Generation of the Krankl Family - Fingers Crossed
2022 Faethm Fingers Crossed Life & Death Red Wine California, USA
Price: $225.00 Your Price: $198.00 Quantity in Stock: 16
43.5% Grenache 22% Syrah 13% Mourvedre 13% Graciano 8.5% Petite Sirah
(96-99 points) Spiced red and black berry fruits, ground pepper, herbes de Provence, and savory flower notes all emerge from the 2022 Red Wine Life & Death, an incredibly textured, full-bodied red blend that has velvety tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's a perfect example of a wine bringing incredible richness and depth without any sensation of weight or heaviness. Jeb Dunnuck
2022 Faethm Fingers Crossed Life & Death Syrah California, USA
Price: $225.00 Your Price: $198.00 Quantity in Stock: 16
(96-99 Points) Dramatically different from the Red Wine, the 2022 Syrah Life & Death reveals a slightly deeper ruby/plum hue as well as a gamey, classic Syrah perfume of blackberries, bouquet garni, ground black pepper, and smoked bacon fat. It's full-bodied, plush, has a round, sexy mouthfeel, and a blockbuster finish. Jeb Dunnuck
2021 Faethm Fingers Crossed White, California, USA
Price: $239.00 Your Price: $210.32 Quantity in Stock: 5
(96-98 Points) The 2021 Unanswered Prayers White is composed of 72% Chardonnay, 15.4% Roussanne, and 12.6% Marsanne mostly sourced from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, with a smaller proportion from Bien Nacido Vineyard. It was barrel fermented and aged for 21 months in French oak, 86% new. Prancing out of the glass with a fantastically fragrant nose of grapefruit oil, lemon curd, and lime blossoms, plus hints of lemongrass, shaved ginger, and allspice, the palate is full-bodied, rich, and seductively viscous. The subtle nuttiness to the opulent apple and baking spice flavors is offset by racy acidity, finishing yeasty. Bottled in July 2023, I suggest decanting this and keeping the decanter in the fridge for a good hour or two before serving, then taking it out for about 15-20 minutes before pouring it to ensure it’s not served too cold. Only 336 cases were made. Although this wine was bottled in mid-July, I tasted tank samples drawn before botting to avoid tasting newly bottled wines with bottle shock. Therefore, while the blends and elevage had been completed, these reviews were scored as barrel samples. (LPB) Review Date: 08/2023, The Wine Independent
2021 Faethm Fingers Crossed Grenache, California, USA
Price: $295.00 Your Price: $259.60 Quantity in Stock: 3
(97-99 Points) The 2021 Unanswered Prayers Grenache comes from Bien Nacido, Rancho Boa Vista and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards. The composition is 76.5% Grenache with 11.3% Syrah, 5.5% Mourvèdre, 4% Petite Sirah, and a 2.7% splash of the White Wine (Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Marsanne) from this year. It was made with 42% whole clusters and aged 20 months in French oak, 38% new. Opaque purple-black colored, it leaps with bold notes of black cherries, black raspberries, and lilacs with nuances of tar, wild sage, and lavender. The bright, shimmery, full-bodied palate is laden with crunchy black fruits, textured by silky-soft tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of floral and red berry sparks. This was bottled in July 2023. 438 cases were made. Although this wine was bottled in mid-July, I tasted tank samples drawn before botting to avoid tasting newly bottled wines with bottle shock. Therefore, while the blends and elevage had been completed, these reviews were scored as barrel samples. (LPB) Review Date: 08/2023, The Wine Independent
2021 Faethm Fingers Crossed Syrah, California, USA
Price: $295.00 Your Price: $259.60 Quantity in Stock: 3
(98 Points) Sublime, subtle, earthy notes of wild game and truffles that open into milk chocolate and black figs. It's an imposing, formidable Syrah (83%, with 4.7% each of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah) sourced from the Bien Nacido, Rancho Boa Vista and Sanford & Benedict vineyards, yet it's graceful and fragrant, too. Produced with 35% whole clusters and aged 20 months in French oak (63% new), it's a spicy, deeply satisfying wine with a finish that melds into soft, satin-edged tannins. (AI) Review Date: 02/2024, Decanter
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