This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl's initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label.... Read More
This is a single-vineyard Syrah-dominant blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Manfred Krankl's initial and a provocative self-portrait on the label. The blend is 90.6% Syrah,... Read More
The 2008 Syrah B-20 is a cool, inward wine graced with layers of beautifully delineated, chiseled fruit. This is a distinctly mineral, precise style relative to the more outgoing 2009, but both are striking. Floral notes add lift... Read More
The 2014 Syrah Capo dei Putti saw an amazing 38 months in fully 94% new oak, and it was showing superbly when I tasted it, unfurling in the glass with brooding aromas of blackberry preserve, cherries, bay leaf and a remarkably... Read More
The outrageously rich 1999 The Marauder (100% Syrah from the Alban, Stolpman, and Bien Nacido vineyards) is tightly-structured, but crammed with blackberry and cassis fruit infused with subtle notes of camphor and licorice. Full... Read More
2007 Grenache Dangerous Birds: This wine, which is scheduled to be released in several months, is 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier (36% whole clusters utilized), all from the 11 Confessions Vineyard. A whopper at 15.6%... Read More
The 2007 Syrah Dangerous Birds, from Eleven Confessions, includes 4.5% Grenache and 2.5% Viognier, all fully destemmed. It is a seamless, show stopper of the highest level. The fruit is decidedly opulent in the 2007, while the... Read More
The 2011 Grenache Dark Blossom is probably the best Grenache-based blend in the vintage. A blend of 75% Grenache, 12.5% Syrah, 11.5% Mourvedre and a splash of Roussanne (fermented with 11% whole clusters), it has a perfumed, complex... Read More
The 2011 Syrah Dark Blossom showed even better from bottle than barrel. A blend of 84% Syrah, 8% Grenache, 4% Petite Sirah and the rest Roussanne and Petite Manseng, this beauty was fermented with 17% whole clusters and aged in... Read More
The 2019 Grenache Distenta I is composed of 76% Grenache, 9.3% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, 4.3% Petite Sirah and 2.4% Viognier. It was fermented with 43.5% whole clusters (predominantly Grenache) and matured for 23 months in 26.5%... Read More
The 2019 White Wine Distenta 1 is a stunning—and unique—blend of 41% Roussanne, 26% Chardonnay, 14% Petit Manseng, 12% Viognier and 7% Gelber Muskateller. Fruit comes mostly from estate vineyards, with 46% from Eleven... Read More
The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred... Read More
Still in barrel, the 2020 Grenache Distenta 11 is a blend of 77.9% Grenache, 9.4% Mourvèdre, 7.9% Syrah, 4.3% Petite Sirah and 0.5% Viognier. Fruit comes entirely from the Krankls' estate vineyards: Eleven Confessions... Read More
Still in barrel, the 2020 Syrah Distenta 11 is a blend of 82.9% Syrah, 7.5% Grenache, 3.9% Mourvèdre, 3.4% Petite Sirah and 2.3% white (1.5% Muskat and 0.8% Petit Manseng, to be precise). It comes entirely from estate vineyards:... Read More
I tasted the 2021 Syrah Distenta III as a precise blend from barrel on July 6—it's due to be bottled in August. It comes from three estate vineyards: The Third Twin (51%), Cumulus (26%) and 23% Eleven Confessions (23%).... Read More
The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a barrel selection and is composed of 83.7% Grenache, 9.1% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah and 1.2% Viognier. It was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for about 38 months in... Read More
The 2018 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is slow to unfold but stunning once it opens, featuring layered aromas of cassis, coffee beans, garrigue and cracked pepper before segueing to soaring floral perfume. A blend of 82% Syrah,... Read More