2012 Sine Qua Non, SQN, Eleven Confessions Collectors Case, Sta. Rita Hills, Case of 6 btls [3 Syrah & 3 Grenache]

Manfred Krankl built Sine Qua Non on the idea that rules are optional and scarcity is sacred, and this 2012 Eleven Confessions case is as good an argument as any for why collectors keep chasing the label.

True to form, each SQN release comes wrapped in its own one-of-a-kind label and bottle design, hand-crafted by Krankl himself, so no two vintages ever look alike.

Both wines here come entirely from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills: the Syrah Touche, built around Petite Sirah and a splash of Viognier and aged 40 months (Extended Barrel Aging) in mostly new French oak, and the Rattrapante Grenache, given 33 months in oak with a portion of whole clusters folded in.

This six-bottle case, split evenly between the two, is a chance to hold two perfect-score SQN wines from the same vineyard and vintage side by side.

Wine Advocate |100 Points | Syrah

"Lastly, the utterly perfect 2012 Syrah Touche reminds me of a great vintage of Guigal’s Cote Rotie La Landonne. A blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Petite Sirah and 2% Viognier, all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, it spent 40 months in 78% new French oak. Deep, concentrated, full-bodied and layered, with a multidimensional texture and to-die-for notes of camphor, cured meats, violets, smoke and assorted dark fruits, this beauty has fine, perfectly ripe tannin and blockbuster length. Give it 3-4 years and drink over the following two decades." 

Wine Advocate |100 Points | Grenache

"A perfect wine any way you look at it, the 2012 Grenache Rattrapante comes all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and spent 33 months in 27% new French oak. My notes start - and end - with “Wow.” Giving up tons of black raspberries, peppery herbs, licorice, dried flowers and cured meats, it’s a massively concentrated, rich and layered Grenache that somehow manages to stay graceful, lively and fresh on the palate. There are roughly 800 cases of this elixir and any Grenache lover should do their best to latch onto a bottle (or two). It’s also worth noting that this cuvee saw 26% whole clusters, which is a small change from past vintages."