x
  • Country ranking ?

    437
  • Producer ranking ?

    39
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    2020-2035

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Wine Information

Poker Face - Sine Qua Non

Sine Qua Non is a small winery which was established back in 1994 by Manfred and Elaine Krankl. Manfred Krankl, the managing partner at Campanile restaurant, feels strongly that each year, each vintage, is a completely unique wine and therefore he gives each wine a unique name. Sine Qua Non is quite well known for its wines names, label artwork and heavy, irregularly shaped bottles. Manfred also creates the artwork for each new label himself, changes the vineyard sources and varies composition with each bottling. These wines are really one of a kind. Due to the tiny quantities produced and the recent 98-100 Parker points for many of their wines, Sine Qua Non is now categorically regarded as a "California Cult" wine producer.
The winery's name Sine Qua Non is Latin for "absolutely indispensible", or literally "without which not".
The Krankl's first serious commercial undertaking was a Syrah called Black and Blue, which was produced in 1992 at the Havens winery in Napa. It was followed by an assortment of oddly named wines – Queen of Spades, Red Handed, The Other Hand, The Bride, and more recently Twisted and Bent, Imposter McCoy and Veiled. All the wines have a distinctive, funky label, that are all reproductions of Manfred's artwork.
In 1997 the Krankls got their own winemaking facilities, and their goal now is to own a vineyard and grow grapes, as all their wines up untill now have been produced from purchased grapes. Almost all the grapes have come from the Santa Barbara region, except the Pinot Noir, which groe in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
The Poker Face wine is made from predominantely Syrah with a dash of Grenache.


sqn@sinequanonwines.com

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Vintage 2001

A roller coaster ride

An early spring, a surprise frost and early heat spikes led to a bit of a roller coaster ride for the 2001 crop. The up-and-down temperatures began with a cold and harsh March, with two deceptive heat spikes into the 80s, which coaxed the vines into a slightly earlier bloom. The hottest May on record and the third hottest June (in total degree days) led to harvest around two to three weeks ahead of normal. August cooled to near perfect temperatures with cool nights, allowing the grapes to settle and extend the all-important hang time on the vine, producing remarkably clean fruit.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Light

ending

Extensive

nose

Intense, Seductive and Refined

recommend

Yes

taste

Well-structured, Complex, Full-bodied, Vigor, Fresh, Medium-Dry and Hard tannins

Written Notes

Sine qua non (pronounced /ˌsaɪnɨ kweɪ ˈnɒn/, Latin: [ˈsɪnɛ kwaː ˈnoːn])[1] or condicio sine qua non (plural: conditiones sine quibus non) refers to an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient. It was originally a Latin legal term for "[a condition] without which it could not be," or "but for..." or "without which [there is] nothing." Sine Qua Non (also known as SQN) is a California cult winery known for its Rhône style blends, a tendency to avoid repetition, and a very limited production of wine that is highly difficult to obtain.[1][2] The winery is located in Ventura County,[3] within the Central Coast AVA.[4] The wines have been titled with names such as Queen of Spades, Twisted & Bent, Imposter McCoy, The Bride, Poker Face and Red Handed, and the bottles come uncommonly shaped with distinctive labels featuring own artwork Founded in 1994 by Manfred Krankl and his wife Elaine, began making his own wines in 1994 to supply the restaurant Campanile,[6][7] initially with an output of approximately 100 cases but by 1996 the production had increased to 2,000 cases.[3] Sine Qua Non's Syrahs were among the first American Syrahs to create significant interest and trading volume in the worldwide wine auction market. From the second quarter of 1999 to early 2008, the value of SQN wines at auctions appreciated by 163% in contrast to the 128% appreciation rate during the same period of other collectible wines listed on the Wine Spectator Auction Index.[7] Sine Qua Non's winery has been described by Robert Parker as "a facility that looks like a Mad Max movie set".[6] Sourcing fruit from a wide variety of growers from year to year as Krankl follows his preferences, has caused the winery to never make exactly the same wine twice, on which Krankl has said, "People buy Sine Qua Non. They don’t seem to give a toot where it’s from".[4] In collaboration with Austrian winemaker Alois Kracher Manfred and Elaine Krankl have also produced sweet wines under the label "Mr. K" (after the surnames of the two winemakers).[8] Krankl announced that this program would end with the release of the 2006 vintage due to the untimely passing of Kracher. The red wines have typically included the grape varieties of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and a whites made from Roussanne, Viognier and Chardonnay.[6] Sine Qua Non also produced a Pinot Noir through the 2005 vintage, but has discontinued that program. In certain vintages, the winery has released a sweet white wine or a rosé wine. The annual production of Sine Qua Non averages 3,500 cases (320 hL)
  • 92p
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Information

Origin

Ventura, California

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Whispering E

Wishpering

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