SINE QUA NON M SYRAH 750ML 2015

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, 4.4% Petite Syrah, 2.6% Grenache and 2.4% Viognier. Forty-three percent was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 66% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Syrah M starts off a little closed, slowly unfurling to show layer upon layer of savory notes: peppered salami, woodsmoke, marmite and black olives, beneath a profound core of preserved plums, blueberry coulis and Chinese five spice with fragrant touches of fenugreek, Sichuan pepper, crushed rocks and mossy bark. Exquisitely textured with firm, rounded tannins, the taut, full-bodied, muscular fruit is laced with seamless freshness, finishing with fantastic persistence. This is a Syrah for the long haul! 913 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were made.

The extended aged 2015 Syrah M is more backward and structured, with the 2015 vintage character front and center. Based on 90.6% Syrah and the rest Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Viognier, aged 38 months in 66% new oak, its deep purple color is followed by powerful notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, cedarwood, spiced meat, candle wax, and white flowers. It’s deep and full-bodied, with a huge mid-palate, building tannins, and one serious finish. This rocking beast of a Syrah stays remarkably elegant and perfectly balanced yet needs 4-5 years or more of bottle age. It’s going to evolve for two decades or more.