The 2009 Châteauneuf du Pape Le Petit Livre d'Anna M. Bach is scheduled to be bottled this September, after five years aging on lees in demi-muid. It too is 100% Grenache from the Pignan lieu-dit and vines planted in 1942.... 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 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
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
2006 In the Cross Hairs 11 Confessions Vineyard: This is Sine Qua Non's extended barrel-aged Grenache (meaning that in most vintages since 2003, Krankl has produced two cuvees of Grenache, one aged 18-22 months before bottling,... Read More
No one ... let me say that again ... no one in the New World makes better Grenache than Manfred Krankl. Tasting four different cuvees was the equivalent of having a great chef, such as Daniel Boulud, cook all your meals for seven... Read More
Other than Alban Vineyards, no California winery makes better Grenache than SQN. Manfred Krankl has produced some magnificent examples, including the 2003 Li'l E (named after his adorable wife, Elaine) is a blend of 78% Grenache,... Read More
Coming all from Manfred's Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and a blend of 77% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 1% Viognier (fermented with 25% whole clusters), the 2011 Grenache Patine spent a full 33 months in almost... Read More
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... Read More
Leading off the 2014s from barrel, the 2014 Grenache Shakti (88% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre, 4% Petite Sirah and the rest Touriga Nacionale) comes largely from the Cumulus Vineyard, with smaller portions from Eleven Confessions, the... Read More
Moving to the Grenache-driven efforts, the 2012 Grenache Stein incorporates 16% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre. Aged 22 months in mostly used oak (various sizes), it offers awesome purity and freshness in its black raspberry, cassis,... Read More
The current release of the estate vineyard (a.k.a. the extended barrel-aged cuvee), the 2010 Grenache Stockholm Syndrome is an incredible effort that I couldn't find a fault with. A blend of 75% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 2% Roussanne... Read More
The 2014 Grenache Testa dei Cherubini saw fully 37.5 months in wood, some 25% new, but its influence is imperceptible; the wine is strikingly pure and vibrant. Krankl commented that the longer the wines spend in barrel, the more... Read More
Sine Qua Non's 2008 Grenache Estate The Duel boasts extraordinary richness, power and sheer depth. Tobacco, leather, mint and spices are woven together in this large-scaled Grenache. There is plenty of intensity here, but... Read More
2008 The Line: This wine was just released in April of this year, and is a blend of 87.5% Grenache, 11% Syrah, and 1.5% Viognier, with 21% whole clusters used in the Grenache component. Seventy-eight percent of it came from the... Read More
2005 The Naked Truth: Manfred Krankl's obvious love for his wife Elaine seems very apparent with the 2003, followed by the 2004 Ode to E, and here again, a sketch of his wife unclothed (sorry, back view only) appears on the... Read More