Call it indispensible, call it essential, fundamental; without which, nothing, it really is just Sine Qua Non (phonetically sign-kway-non).

The Austrian Manfred Krankl, and his wife Elaine, admit wholly and in the most genuine manner that they had simply sought to make a wine that is "so distinctive and so delicious as to make it indispensible to wine lovers the world over. Clearly a rather lofty, even unrealistic notion, but one we decided to pursue anyway." When one first encounters the bottles from this cult Californian winery, it would often almost feel impossible to access - there are no flagship expressions, no system to the way it is named, the cuvees have no set formula, the winemaking itself has no ethos - heck, even the bottle shapes differ from expression to expression, year to year! 

And thus that is what makes the wines so characteristically Sine Qua Non! It's not any of these Latin translations that attest to the highest, most desirable attribute that Manfred and Elaine wishes it to be, but it's ultimately this almost casual confidence, totally playful and yet obsessive meticulousness and attention to detail that characterises the Sine Qua Non brand. No matter how big, how cult, it is clearly a project of passion. It doesn't take how anyone thinks of it seriously, but takes its own standards almost obscenely seriously.

So how did Sine Qua Non become Sine Qua Non?

Manfred and Elaine Krankl.

Who Are The Krankl's? A Little Backstory.

Is any wine, not itself an expression of the winemaker? And so we must talk about Manfred and Elaine Krankl.

"Growing up in Austria, where the overwhelming majority of the population is Roman Catholic, I had to become an Altar-Boy in Church. I hated everything about it. One of my Church-boy jobs was to go into the back and pour a wine into a small jug for the priest to use during Mass. Well, I was so ticked off for having to do it that as punishment – in my mind – I always drank some of that wine. And low and behold these priests drank way better stuff than I had ever had before. I started liking it and so every Sunday, I gave myself a little wine tasting class." says Manfred.

A pivotal inspiration.

And so began a deep interest in wines. Manfred would travel around Italy and France in an attempt to figure out what he liked most. He held deep reverence for the Barolo boys, Giacosa, Gaja, Altare, Scavino,.. the bunch who brought a new order to the now Italian cult region with their renegade winemaking philosophy that focused on producing intense and concentrated Italian wines. He would also find himself loving the Rhone wine flavour profile of France, which he says "always felt non-arrogant", juicy and fresh, incredibly ripe yet "not grotesque".

You Might Be On To Something There - The Krankl's Get To Making Some Table Wines.

Beginning 1980, Manfred would move to Los Angeles - which is where he met his wife Elaine - and would eventually become managing partner and director of wines at popular LA hotspot Campanile. It was there that the early innings of Sine Qua Non took shape. "As managing partner, I always loved wine, and always thought that being the ‘wine guy’ wasn’t really a job. I allotted the job to myself because I always liked talking about wine…I always thought we should have a house wine. But restaurants always have house wine and it’s always the worst wine.” says Krankl.

Manfred Krankl collaborates with Bryan Babcock to produce the arguably first Sine Qua Non, The Thief.

And thus he went about in search for producing a "house wine" that he thought would fit his own demands. His first test run would be with Babcock Winery, and they'd agreed that this would just be a one-off collab and nothing more. It was a massive hit. A notable contemporary artist, Jim Dine, even offered one of his paintings to be used as a label in exchange for a few cases of the wine.

And so when the one-off wines were ran through and folks had wanted more, Krankl eventually came to conclude that perhaps he ought to make his own wines. And thus came the Sine Qua Non winery in Ventura, California, described by the famed wine critic Robert Parker as "a set scene from the movie Mad Max", and pretty much a "garage winery". This was 1994, and the Krankl's would move towards purchasing fruit from various growers and then produce the wines themselves (initially borrowing the cellars of others, but later moving fully into their own winery), with a particular emphasis on the blending process. Having made test batches from various growers, Manfred eventually honed in on the Rhone Rangers, a bunch of California growers who had focused on growing Rhone region varietals in the US. Grenache and Syrah became the predominant varieties used by Manfred in his wines. His relationship with various top brass growers Alban, Havens, Stolpman, Ojai, Bien Nacido, and more allowed him to secure high quality fruit for his wines.

Robert Parker signing a Sine Qua Non magnum for charity.

Joining The Ranks Of California's Cult Wines

Yet Krankl, like numerous others, really struck gold hard only when Robert Parker had shone a strong positive light on them. Manfred had taken his wines to Parker, and Parker would later call Elaine asking for another case, endorsing the wines with a then stellar 95 points. The Queen of Spades Syrah from Bien Nacido Vineyard had vaulted Sine Qua Non (often abbreviated as 'SQN') into national fame. Parker had even cautioned the Krankl's from giving out their home phone number for wine orders, knowing full well that his endorsement was about to blow them up. Release after release, the Krankl's would never have enough of their wines to go around. 

The 1994 Queen of Spades, Sine Qua Non's first of many big hits.

“If there is ever a task that I, good old Manfred, don’t like to perform, it is writing and sending this note,... Communicating about wines we sadly don’t have enough to offer to everyone interested is clearly a miserable task… Thank you so much for your patience and kindness. It is greatly appreciated. We are so happy you are there and can’t wait to get some juice to you.” wrote Manfred to his staggering waitlist, currently the only way to get one's hands on SQN's wines, which as rumour has it requires a 5 to 7 year wait.

It's Not Just What's Inside That Counts...

The next several years would see the release of key SQN references such as Queen of Hearts Grenache, Against The Wall Syrah, Imposter McCoy Syrah, and many more. Each vintage an incredibly small outturn of only 200-600 cases for the main cuvees, sometimes as low as 25 cases, with a maximum of 4,000 total cases across all labels for any particular vintage. All of which are given a new name, label and bottle, most of which feature rather abstract and cryptic art on woodcut printed labels, typically inspired by what's happened around the world, the wines and the Krankl's own personal lives. The art is evocative, eye-catching, yet sufficiently esoteric so as to be sexy in a very avant-garde manner, ultimately much of which holds meaning that will forever remain unknown to the world. Together with the wines inside, they offer the drinker a gripping sense of specialness about the bottle at hand, completing the feeling that what they're enjoying is more than just wine.

The Mr K series in collaboration with Alois Kracher.

Everyone Loves A Good Collab Wine

Along the way, the Krankl's would also involve the mentorship of highly lauded winemakers from around the world. From the Maurel brothers of Clos St Jean in Southern Rhone, to Alois Kracher of Austrian sweet wine fame, Manfred would tout nothing more than a handshake agreement on their collaborations, which would produce yet again some of SQN's most notable wines, such as the Mr. K sweet wines. "One day they called and asked if we’d be interested in a little joint project of sorts. We love Châteaneuf-du-Pape and we love their wines. Answer? YES. No legal stuff, just a friendship and a love of wine and creativity." said Manfred.

Each print is typically a linocut done by Manfred's own hand.

Obviously A Winemaker Needs A Vineyard,... Maybe Four

By the early 2000's, the Krankl's would take on the next most logical step - they would start planting their own vineyards. This wasn't just any vanity expansion, for a winery that depended on other growers all whilst now becoming incredibly sought after, it became increasingly important that the Krankl's had full control over the quality of their fruit in order to (attempt to) meet demand and the exacting standards that their customers have come to expect from some of California's most lauded wines. It also allowed greater experimentation with a wider set of grape varietals. With grower friends from around the world, the Krankl's have over time incorporated the supporting use of other Rhone varietals such as Mourvedre, Viognier, Roussanne, as well as have made small batches with Portugal's Touriga Nacional, Italy's Muscat, Spain's Graciano, and southern France's Petit Manseng - quite the international repertoire!

The Santa Rita Hills are amongst the coolest spots in California.

What started with the Eleven Confessions vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills appellation planted in 2001, grew to the Cumulus vineyard of Oak View in 2004, followed by the Third Twin vineyard of Los Alamos in 2010, and finally Molly Aida in Tepusquet Canyon, which today completes the set of four SQN vineyards. Over the next two decades, the Krankl's would increasingly shift their fruit sourcing to their own vineyards - this had the effect of not only increasingly the quality of SQN's wines, but also their desirability with the raised purity of the Krankl's involvement in the wines. 

By 2020, 100% of the grapes used in SQN's wines would now come from their own vineyards. Whilst the vineyards tend to feature clay, loam and limestone soils, their composition changes from year to year depending on the varietal of fancy for the Krankl's, with still primarily the Rhone varietals (Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Mourvedre) and Chardonnay being the only constant. “Fruit from each of these vineyards is used in varying combinations from year to year to make the Sine Qua Non wines. I just use any sort of fruit combination, vineyard source to make the best wine I think we can make. I got myself a certain fool’s freedom I guess.” says Manfred.

A Rhone Ranger at heart, working with the classic GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre).

The Anti-Winemaking Thesis Thesis

In the cellars, as much of the work is done by Manfred, who by now should strike us as an artist going with his intuition and following his curiosity, it's next to impossible to lay out any philosophy or fixed formula.

"We are not working on a grape growing or winemaking THESIS. Instead we want all of our efforts to be reflected in every glass of SQN. And so, our goal has been and always will be to understand Mother Nature’s often oblique ways and (re)act accordingly so that we may create wines that express all that Nature has so generously given us. 

And all that this beautifully warm and sunny place called California has to offer. Wines that speak to the heart and the mind both. Wines that are ripe and flavorful, but also graceful and balanced. Wines that are perfectly enjoyable and delicious young, but that will age and show a new and interesting personality with each passing year. Wines that surprise with each sip and where the last drop – not the first sip – was the best one. Wines that make you smile and happy and appreciate all that is lovely.

Wines that make you sense they were crafted by people who loved making them."

Chateauneuf du Pape on the Krankl's mind.

Perhaps the only notable and observable practice from Manfred's winemaking that has been particularly standout is his use of long barrel ageing. Manfred talks of the legendary Chateauneuf du Pape and Cote Rotie winemakers who often keep their wines in barrel for much longer than most would date. "That fascinated me because many people bottle Grenache fairly quickly. They fear Grenache cannot take much, or any oxygen. So, I ran my own experiments - with Grenache and Syrah too. Their maturity progression slows and stays in that slower pace even in the bottle. It is almost like a miracle and seems counter intuitive, but in the right cellar, in the right barrels, with the right temperature and the proper beginning it can and probably will happen." explains Manfred.

This is Sine Qua Non as told by the Krankl's.

The Sine Qua Non World Is As Complex As It Is Worth It

And with all that said, we should now at the least have some entry into the world of the Krankl's Sine Qua Non. It's a complex and deep gameworld of sorts, much of whose mysteries will never be fully elucidated, and yet continues to grow its line of devotees with each passing release. If it were ever of any doubt as to how important Sine Qua Non is - and if it was worth the effort of understanding and pursuing - it's worth noting that notable wine publication The Wine Advocate has as of 2016 given 16 of Sine Qua Non's wines a perfect rating, with only two other producers notching more of such acclaim, Guigal and Chapoutier with 31 and 34 perfect scores respectively, yet unlike the two, Sine Qua Non has only existed since 1994, whilst the latter two have been around since before 1950.

Today we're lucking out because we get to try not one but three Sine Qua Non's! This is Sine Qua Non's Distenta II 2020 set which includes a Grenache, a Syrah and a California white!

Let's go!

Wine Review: Sine Qua Non Distenta II 2020 California Grenache

First up! We have the 2020 California Grenache featuring Manfred on the label! It's a blend of 78% Grenache, with the rest being Mourvedre, Syrah, Petite Sirah and some Viognier. The fruit comes from 100% SQN vineyards - 40% from Eleven Confessions, 33% from Cumulus, 21% The Third Twin and 6% from Molly Aida. It's vinified using 29% whole clusters (primarily the Grenache) and then matured for about 23 months in 52% new French oak.   

Tasting Notes

Colour: Ruby 

Aroma: Deeply aromatic and fragrant, with a rich and rounded scent of barnyard hay, fresh soil and animal hide, it's not overwhelming or striking, instead it's mellow, very rich and concentrated. It's incredibly firm, bold and muscular yet at the same time rather sensual, leading into fruity and gently tart tones of cherries, cherry jams, cherry frosting, cherry pie, and red licorice. It's incredibly rich, and takes a more confectionary, and just as rounded quality to it. Brightly vibrant, yet densely dark and rich.

Taste: Superbly rich and concentrated, it's giving so much cherry pie, red licorice, some lightly tart cherry skins even, with a light pucker of acidity and tartness. Firm tannins giving it some structure there. More on cherry hard candy too. It's really filling in the body here perfectly, wearing the structure snuggly. Really great richness, it's silky, with a good fullness to it, a nice weight too, really fitting the frame perfectly. Medium-bodied but really feels alot fuller, and overall very well expressed with these rich and vibrantly intense forward flavours.

Finish: Some tobacco coming through here, accompanied by a savoury oiliness of charcuterie oils. The tannins remain firm here, slightly grippy. Some lingering cooked cherries, cherry skins, still very much rich and decadent of vanilla sauce on cherry pie.

My Thoughts

A very impressive showing from SQN! Here we have something that's incredibly ripe, rich and forward, it feels confectionary and decadent - and that might run counter to this idea of elegance - but I personally really loved it. It's fresh and bold, almost tempted to call it muscular, yet somehow it feels rustic, homely and at times even sensual. On the nose it was incredibly rich and with such depth and concentration - it's so fragrant and aromatic with such intensity - and I also liked that powerful yet mellow barnyard quality on the nose that feels so rustic.

On the palate, it's giving so much on confectionary vanilla sauce and cherry pie, again full, bold and concentrated. Yet what's most impressive here is how it fits its body so well, it's one of the rare instances where its body fits its structure perfectly and does so so comfortably! It's silky and rich, and yet not without a firmness of its outline - it doesn't just all over, impressively allowing it to demonstrate its richness without compromise. The finish too was enjoyable with a return of some more complexity, with some savouriness coming through, and taking a slightly more jammy turn. The tannins had a slight grippy quality but nothing to overthink about, although I think in a couple of years this would be perfect.

A very impressive start! 

Wine Review: Sine Qua Non Distenta II 2020 California Syrah

With SQN, we can't have Grenache without Syrah can we? And so here we have the Distenta II 2020 California Syrah. This is a blend of 83% Syrah, 7.5% Grenache and the rest a mix of Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Muscat and Petit Manseng. Again all of it comes from the SQN vineyards - 43% The The Third Twin, 33% Eleven Confessions, 21% Cumulus and 3% Molly Aida. It's vinified with 16% whole clusters, matured for 23 months in 66% new French oak barrels.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Ruby

Aroma: Alittle more earthy here, tobacco leaves, leather, browned leaves, alittle bit of soil and animal hide, and then seamlessly it leads into rich and juicy cherry pie topped with vanilla sauce. It's less on that barnyard funkiness here, with a bigger emphasis on earthiness and more fruit driven. It's rich and evocative, with again that sensuousness. 

Taste: Velvety, plus, it's silky and smooth, definitely more rounded here, with more of that cherry pie, cooked down cherry jams, some grape skins, along with more on tobacco leaves. That earthiness and fruit persists on the palate, still very much rich and seamless, here it's definitely more jammy, trading off some of that chiseled quality for more roundedness. It's deep and dark, and also stylistically more straightforward.

Finish: More blackberry and blackcurrants here, lighter grippy quality of the tannins. Still on to those black cherries, more skins here, the tannins are prominent yet firm, without tensing up. Clean finish, with just a slight lingering oiliness and savouriness.

My Thoughts 

This definitely came through much more rounded and silky compared to the Grenache - it's less funky on the nose and takes on a more earth and fruit driven profile instead. Here it comes off more jammy and much more ripe, incredibly rich and sensual, it's evocative and you almost feel like you're getting lost in it. That said, the structure isn't as clear here, there's alittle bit less of that precision and detail. It also fans out less on the palate, and so it's alittle more uncomplicated here, alittle more narrow in terms of complexity. It also feels much more approachable and accessible to a wider set of palates with that fruit driven quality in particular, and also feels less confectionary. I feel like most folks would like this one more.

The ageing potential on this is unquestionable, which I do think might help to shave it down, with more being reveal in time, but boy is this a big one! It's a heavy hitter with such concentration and depth. The tannins here are also incredibly fine and almost feel like they're just doing their best to hold on to the body here, almost bursting with ripeness!

Wine Review: Sine Qua Non Distenta II 2020 California White Wine

Now time to switch things up, we've got SQN's Distenta II 2020 California White Wine (or Central White Wine). This is a blend of 32% Roussanne, 26% Viognier, 25% Chardonnay, and the rest Gelber Muskateller and Petit Manseng, which has been sourced from SQN's Eleven Confessions (52%), Third Twin (22%), Cumulus (13%), and also externally from a reliable favourite, Bien Nacido (13%) which has provided the Chardonnay. It's been aged for 23 months in 45% new French oak.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Gold

Aroma: It leads with elderflowers, pears, light white florals, it's alittle musky, with a slight bit of langsat fruit, yet at the same time really rich with some fleshy white fruit of custard apples. It contrasts the bright and delicate florals and fruits with a richness of syrup, shaded in by gentle tones of fruit musk. Very good freshness.

Taste: The richness translates here. It's medium-bodied, giving elderflowers, pears, gooseberries, still alittle musky, but with a very deep and rich doughy sweetness of brioche dough or fried doughnuts pulled apart. That dought richness sits at the core, concentrated yet supple and firm. It almost sort of feels like it's encased in layers. Still a great freshness here, a firm body, with a layered structure.

Finish: More on vanilla frosting, some more musky fruits of langsat and some acidity and tartness of gooseberries, accompanied by more pears. It recedes into more of that sweet brioche dough. A clean and soft finish.

My Thoughts 

This was a white that went long and deep, and all throughout with great richness. It was like a syrup layered with meadowy florals and orchard and tropical fruits that just went on and on. That length is clearly very impressive, with an understated power that drove the richness across and throughout with no loss whatsoever right into the finish. I also enjoyed that this had a very good balance to it, of brighter fruits and florals, and then a richer base that gave a very unique sweet dough quality that was just fantastic. It didn't overkill on the muskiness, salinity or acidity here, keeping itself always very approachable and friendly to the palate, it wasn't zingy in any way either nor sour.

It had a really good freshness and a wonderful fuller body that held its own in layers that encased that sweet and almost chewy dough - what a textural and flavour sensation that was!