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The Spring 2012 Live Auction
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1 / 2Lot 99
Estimate: $2,000
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Reviews
100 · 97
100 RP "The perfect 2005 Syrah Atlantis Fe 203-1a,b,c is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, with 25% whole clusters. Whereas the Ode to E is all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard, this cuvee is a combination of 43% from the estate vineyard, 28% from the White Hawk Vineyard, 21% from the Alban Vineyard, and 8% from the Bien Nacido Vineyard. The good news is there are nearly 1,500 cases of this recently released offering. An extraordinarily flowery nose interwoven with scents of blueberries, blackberries, incense, and graphite soars from the glass. Although not the biggest or most concentrated Syrah Krankl has made, it is one of the most nuanced, elegant, and complex. It remains full-bodied, but builds incrementally on the palate, and comes across as elegant and delicate, especially when compared to many California Syrahs. Nevertheless, the intensity is mind-boggling, and the finish lasts for nearly a minute. Sine Qua Non has emerged as one of the worldâs greatest wineries over the last decade, and low yields are part of the reason. Yields for their white wine varietals have gone from .91 tons per acre in 2003, to their most generous yield of 1.86 tons per acre in 2005. Their red varietal yields have increased from a scary, financially disastrous .32 tons per acre for the 2003 Grenache, to a whopping 2.11 tons per acre in 2005. In 2007, yields averaged 1.28 tons per acre for the white varietals, 1.31 tons per acre for Grenache, and 1.52 tons per acre for Syrah. (I did not taste the 2007 SQN wines, but other Central Coast 2007s I did taste suggest this will be a great vintage for this region.) When tasting wines such as Sine Qua Non, these statistics mean something because the Grenache is the finest in the New World, the Syrah begs to be compared with the greatest of France, California, and Australia, and the white wine blends assembled by Manfred Krankl are as sumptuous and complex as the worldâs finest Chardonnays, even though there is little Chardonnay included in recent vintages, and there will be none in future releases. The ultimate âgarageâ winery, this operationâs back alley warehouse looks like a set scene from the movie Mad Max, but inside are the elixirs of dreams. Despite Kranklâs already lofty reputation, he continues to fine tune and build more nuances and complexity into his wines without sacrificing their intrinsic exuberance, purity, intensity, and individuality. I am increasingly convinced that no one in Australia, America, South America, or anywhere else in the New World makes a finer, more complex and compelling Grenache than Manfred Krankl. He is now producing two Grenache cuvees, an experimental, highly successful, long barrel-aged (40-43 months) effort, and a Grenache that is aged in oak for nearly two years prior to bottling.There are also two renditions of Syrah, a long-aged offering that is essentially an hommage to Marcel Guigalâs single vineyard Cote Roties (the SQN Syrahs are aged 42 months in 100% new French oak), and a Syrah that is bottled after 21-22 months in oak. These cuvees are rarely 100% Syrah as Krankl frequently adds in some co-fermented Viognier as well as Grenache. There are four sweet wines being made, but, unfortunately, the Mr. K. series will end because of the premature and tragic death of the renowned Alois (Luis) Kracher, the genius behind so many extraordinary sweet wines from Austria, and a partner with Krankl. In a year filled with some extraordinary tastings (2005 Bordeaux, 2007 Southern Rhones to come), this tasting at the so-called âgarage dâorâ on the back streets of Ventura stands along side the wine-tasting/dinner at the Great Wall of China as one of the two wine-tasting events of the year." 97 RP Another brilliant 2005 (93% Grenache and 7% Syrah), it has put on weight and seems to be developing more complexity. Californiaâs cooler year seems to have given all the top 2005s loads of perfume and distinctive aromatics. Oodles of kirsch, licorice, charcoal and floral notes along with some blacker fruit characteristics jump from the glass of this dense bluish/purple wine. Medium to full-bodied, yet extraordinarily elegant for a Grenache, with beautiful purity in its hints of white chocolate and forest floor and its admirably textured, long finish, this wine is still young but approachable thanks to its aromatics fireworks, yet should last for an additional 10-15 years.
Region
Red
Country
Score
100 RP "The perfect 2005 Syrah Atlantis Fe 203-1a,b,c is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, with 25% whole clusters. Whereas the Ode to E is all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard, this cuvee is a combination of 43% from the estate vineyard, 28% from the White Hawk Vineyard, 21% from the Alban Vineyard, and 8% from the Bien Nacido Vineyard. The good news is there are nearly 1,500 cases of this recently released offering. An extraordinarily flowery nose interwoven with scents of blueberries, blackberries, incense, and graphite soars from the glass. Although not the biggest or most concentrated Syrah Krankl has made, it is one of the most nuanced, elegant, and complex. It remains full-bodied, but builds incrementally on the palate, and comes across as elegant and delicate, especially when compared to many California Syrahs. Nevertheless, the intensity is mind-boggling, and the finish lasts for nearly a minute. Sine Qua Non has emerged as one of the worldâs greatest wineries over the last decade, and low yields are part of the reason. Yields for their white wine varietals have gone from .91 tons per acre in 2003, to their most generous yield of 1.86 tons per acre in 2005. Their red varietal yields have increased from a scary, financially disastrous .32 tons per acre for the 2003 Grenache, to a whopping 2.11 tons per acre in 2005. In 2007, yields averaged 1.28 tons per acre for the white varietals, 1.31 tons per acre for Grenache, and 1.52 tons per acre for Syrah. (I did not taste the 2007 SQN wines, but other Central Coast 2007s I did taste suggest this will be a great vintage for this region.) When tasting wines such as Sine Qua Non, these statistics mean something because the Grenache is the finest in the New World, the Syrah begs to be compared with the greatest of France, California, and Australia, and the white wine blends assembled by Manfred Krankl are as sumptuous and complex as the worldâs finest Chardonnays, even though there is little Chardonnay included in recent vintages, and there will be none in future releases. The ultimate âgarageâ winery, this operationâs back alley warehouse looks like a set scene from the movie Mad Max, but inside are the elixirs of dreams. Despite Kranklâs already lofty reputation, he continues to fine tune and build more nuances and complexity into his wines without sacrificing their intrinsic exuberance, purity, intensity, and individuality. I am increasingly convinced that no one in Australia, America, South America, or anywhere else in the New World makes a finer, more complex and compelling Grenache than Manfred Krankl. He is now producing two Grenache cuvees, an experimental, highly successful, long barrel-aged (40-43 months) effort, and a Grenache that is aged in oak for nearly two years prior to bottling.There are also two renditions of Syrah, a long-aged offering that is essentially an hommage to Marcel Guigalâs single vineyard Cote Roties (the SQN Syrahs are aged 42 months in 100% new French oak), and a Syrah that is bottled after 21-22 months in oak. These cuvees are rarely 100% Syrah as Krankl frequently adds in some co-fermented Viognier as well as Grenache. There are four sweet wines being made, but, unfortunately, the Mr. K. series will end because of the premature and tragic death of the renowned Alois (Luis) Kracher, the genius behind so many extraordinary sweet wines from Austria, and a partner with Krankl. In a year filled with some extraordinary tastings (2005 Bordeaux, 2007 Southern Rhones to come), this tasting at the so-called âgarage dâorâ on the back streets of Ventura stands along side the wine-tasting/dinner at the Great Wall of China as one of the two wine-tasting events of the year." 97 RP Another brilliant 2005 (93% Grenache and 7% Syrah), it has put on weight and seems to be developing more complexity. Californiaâs cooler year seems to have given all the top 2005s loads of perfume and distinctive aromatics. Oodles of kirsch, licorice, charcoal and floral notes along with some blacker fruit characteristics jump from the glass of this dense bluish/purple wine. Medium to full-bodied, yet extraordinarily elegant for a Grenache, with beautiful purity in its hints of white chocolate and forest floor and its admirably textured, long finish, this wine is still young but approachable thanks to its aromatics fireworks, yet should last for an additional 10-15 years.
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