The 2008 Syrah The Duel is another thrilling wine that is a beauty to behold and taste. Plums and blackberries wrap around the palate in this sensual, mysterious red. It shows marvelous textural depth and richness to match the mesmerizing finish. The 2008 is quite a bit firmer and more delineated than the 2007, but will likely prove to be the more interesting wine over time. The 2008 Syrah The Duel is 93% Syrah, 4% Grenache and 3% Viognier from Eleven Confessions. A small portion of the Syrah was fermented with whole clusters (4%) and the wine was aged in 50% new French oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. This is a breathtaking set of wines from Sine Qua Non and Manfred Krankl. It’s hard to say precisely to what degree a greater reliance on estate owned vineyards, generally cooler growing seasons over the last few years and a reduction in new oak are shaping these wines, but the bottom line is that Krankl is coaxing fruit of incomparable elegance from the sites he works with. The silkiness and polish of the tannins is breathtaking. I also had a chance to see numerous estate vineyards during my visit with Krankl and Cellar Master Jim Binns including the Cumulus vineyard that informs Krankl’s newest project, Next of Kyn, which is reviewed separately. That said, there are fewer more perfect matches than Grenache and Syrah as farmed by Krankl in the Eleven Confessions vineyard, which is located in the Santa Rita Hills, one of the cooler spots in California’s Central Coast. The wines that emerge from this site are often profound. The sheer drive for perfection and attention to detail at Sine Qua Non is something I have rarely witnessed anywhere else in the world.Tel. (805) 649-8901

2008 The Duel: Not scheduled for release until November 2012, this was a barrel sample of the long wood-aged Grenache in 2008. A hundred percent from the 11 Confessions Vineyard, and a blend of 80% Grenache, 17% Syrah, 2% Viognier and 1% Roussanne, this wine displays wonderfully sweet, floral, waxy notes intermixed with creme de cassis, black cherry liqueur, licorice, a hint of forest floor and floral notes. Dense ruby/purple, with great intensity, full-bodied opulence, and loads of glycerin, yet at the same time possessing a surprisingly light-on-its-feet personality, this should be a terrific wine that appears to be going from strength to strength as it ages in wood. The conclusions I came to about this tasting may seem obvious just by reading the tasting notes. People forget that as famous as Sine Qua Non and both Elaine and Manfred Krankl have become over the last 15 years, their wines really only began to hit full world-class qualitative levels at the turn of the last century (2000). The vineyard sources have largely changed from Alban, Stolpman, Bien Nacido, Shadow Canyon and White Hawk Vineyards to primarily estate vineyards Cumulus Vineyard in Ventura County and 11 Confessions Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. In the future, Krankl’s newest vineyard in Alisos Canyon will be an additional component part. His meticulous craftsmanship and phenomenal attention to detail, both in the vineyard and in the winery, have been increasingly noticeable over the last decade. He seemed to hit full stride about eight or nine years ago, and what has unfolded since then is an absolutely brilliant succession of true works of genius, both in his expressive, sometimes slightly abstract artwork on the labels, to the meticulously crafted wood boxes in which the wines are housed. Of course, the most important thing of all, the actual wine itself, is both the beginning as well as the end for consumers, and where 100% of my focus and judgement are centered. Grenache, as Krankl would be the first to say, is by far the most challenging grape varietal to make majestic wine from, and unequaled in difficulty by any other grape in the world except Nebbiolo. That’s why we see so little of it from great terroirs. High quality Grenache exists in northern Spain, southern France, parts of southern Italy and Sardinia, and in southern Australia, but rarely in California. This makes Krankl’s achievement all the more remarkable. Regarding the article’s title, “Wasted” – I was so elated (by their quality) as well as depressed (because I couldn’t drink all of these elixirs) that it seemed as if too much wine had been “wasted.” On a light-hearted note, my condition once I finished the academic part of the tasting could have been described as “wasted” by those who still hold to the notion that alcohol is the demon drink.Production ranges from 250-300 cases for the long barrel-aged Grenache to nearly 1,000 cases for the earlier released Grenache. Prices are in the $150-250 range from the winery. Tel. (805) 237-1231; Fax (805) 237-1314

The 2008 Grenache The Duel, from the estate’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard, bursts from the glass with dark cherries, mint and crushed flowers. Initially quite powerful, The Duel turns increasingly elegant on the mid-palate. It finishes with dazzling intensity, elegance and polish. Dark notes of tar, creosote and spices add gravitas. The Duel is 80% Grenache, 17% Syrah, 2% Viognier and 1% Roussanne. A portion of the Grenache (28% of the total blend) was fermented with whole clusters. Krankl planned to give The Duel approximately 35 months in French oak. It is another breathtaking wine. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. This is a breathtaking set of wines from Sine Qua Non and Manfred Krankl. It’s hard to say precisely to what degree a greater reliance on estate owned vineyards, generally cooler growing seasons over the last few years and a reduction in new oak are shaping these wines, but the bottom line is that Krankl is coaxing fruit of incomparable elegance from the sites he works with. The silkiness and polish of the tannins is breathtaking. I also had a chance to see numerous estate vineyards during my visit with Krankl and Cellar Master Jim Binns including the Cumulus vineyard that informs Krankl’s newest project, Next of Kyn, which is reviewed separately. That said, there are fewer more perfect matches than Grenache and Syrah as farmed by Krankl in the Eleven Confessions vineyard, which is located in the Santa Rita Hills, one of the cooler spots in California’s Central Coast. The wines that emerge from this site are often profound. The sheer drive for perfection and attention to detail at Sine Qua Non is something I have rarely witnessed anywhere else in the world.Tel. (805) 649-8901