The 2009 Grenache Upside Down opens with a gorgeous bouquet redolent of freshly cut roses, berries, spices and licorice, all of which resonate on the palate. Gorgeous focus and length are in full evidence as the wine takes shape in the glass, showing dazzling purity and class. Silky tannins frame the exceptionally elegant, racy finish. This is a striking, mid-weight red with a bright future. This Grenache based blend includes 11% Syrah and 5 % Mourvedre. The vineyard sources are 72% Eleven Confessions, 22% Cumulus and 6% Bien Nacido. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.
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. - RP
