Sine Qua Non A Shot In The Dark Syrah 2006

Sine Qua Non A Shot In The Dark Syrah 2006

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  • Robert Parker rating 100
  • Vinous rating 96
  • Jancis Robinson rating 17
Sine Qua Non A Shot In The Dark Syrah 2006
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HED2750

75 cl

15.5%
£790.00
Taxes included.

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Established in 1994, Sine Qua Non is possibly one of the most famous Californian cult wineries. The creation of maverick winemaker, Manfred Krankl, this winery is world-famous for producing miniscule quantities of unique Rhône Valley-inspired blends using fruit from high quality vineyards across the Central Coast.

A Shot In The Dark is an extraordinarily complex and perfumed blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. Silky, sensual and seamless, it delivers wave upon thrilling wave of blueberry, blackberry, exotic spices, mocha and dried flowers. Now approaching its zenith, this is nothing short of spectacular.

100 Robert Parker
The soon-to-be-released 2006 A Shot in the Dark is composed of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills. Performing better from bottle than it did from barrel, this prodigious red exhibits incredibly velvety tannins, a seamless style, and no noticeable oak (which is remarkable given the fact it spent 32 months in barrel). Dense purple to the rim with an extraordinary perfume of blueberry pie, blackberries, soy, Asian spices, and hints of forest floor and charcoal, this is a complex, rich, seamless, well-balanced tour de force in winemaking. A full-bodied, exuberant, unabashedly California Syrah, it will offer stunning drinking over the next 10-15+ years.

After three decades of tasting wines from nearly all the world's greatest winemakers, many on an annual basis, have I fully understood what motivates them? For some it may be insecurity, for some others an overwhelming competitiveness, while for others it may be a ferocious fury focused on a single goal. Manfred Krankl and his charming wife, Elaine, are well-known to me. I have been visiting Sine Qua Non for over 15 years. This is a Horatio Alger tale of an immigrant (in this case, from Austria) who arrived with only a backpack to his name, and who in a few short years opened the finest artisanal bakery in Los Angeles ( La Brea Bakery) as well as one of the area's pioneering Mediterranean-styled restaurants (Campania - still flourishing today). However, Krankl's fame rests on the strength of his wines - compelling, singular, and world-class wines that are like no others being produced on Planet Earth. Is it his insecurity, his zealous competitiveness, a raging fire in his psyche, or merely a deep passion that suffers no fools or compromises? I suspect that even Krankl, in his most private moments, is unable to articulate what drives him to produce such magnificent vinous works of art. Some things at Sine Qua Non are etched in stone. First and foremost, Krankl w
96 Vinous
(includes 3.5% viognier) Inky violet. Captivating, varietally expressive nose melds cassis, boysenberry, olive tapenade, cracked pepper, licorice and Indian spices. Suave, velvety and deeply concentrated, with restrained sweetness for a wine with this much power and thrust. Firm acids give the lush dark fruit and floral flavors excellent focus. Finishes chewy, suave and very long, with velour-like tannins and strong mineral character. Really compelling wine that is shockingly approachable now. — Josh Raynolds, 1st November 2010
17 Jancis Robinson
100 pp. 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier. 36 months in new French oak. Interesting nose – exotic, spiced. Peppery. Plenty of alcohol and juiciness, but expressive and impressive nose. Has a smoky, toasted scent to finish, which is controlled and integrated. Pure fruit. (RH) — Richard Hemming, 1st March 2012

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Art and Fine Wine Collide

The wines of Sine Qua Non need little introduction. Mould breaking, iconoclastic, visionary are just some of the descriptors invoked when critics and wine lovers discuss this unique winery. Based in Ventura, north of LA, the wines of Sine Qua Non regularly notch up perfect scores from critics while the waiting list for a direct allocation is well over ten years.

Founded by Manfred and Elaine Krankl in the early 1990s, the duo swiftly gained attention from wine lovers and critics for their superb Rhône blend wines, quirky labels and uncompromising approach in the vineyard and cellar. The winery has experimented with producing Oregon Pinot Noir, dessert wines and an array of quirky single varietal reds and whites, but generally revert to producing the wines for which they are most famous - Grenache and Syrah. The wines are generally big and bold, but those who like things cranked up to eleven should look no further than Manfred's "extended barrel ageing" program.

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