Sine Qua Non The Line 2008 Grenache 0,75L Bottle 97/100 Robert Parker Very Rarity Bottle. Top Condition. Perfectly Bottle LABEL : Excellent condition Capsule WAX : Excellent condition Delivery only via DHL, DHL International in Professional Package All my wines are professionally stored in climate controlled wine refrigerators. I am a wine collector since 20 years. Please follow me on Catawiki. I will offer more Sine Qua Non wines 97/100 by Robert Parker The Line 2008 Grenache The Line explodes onto the palate with a rush of dark fruit, licorice and leather. It is a plush, muscular wine endowed with endless layers of flavor that build towards the multi-dimensional, eternal finish. I especially like the way the wine gains freshness and vibrancy as it sits in the glass. This is a striking, breathtaking wine from Sine Qua Non. The 2008 is a bigger, more powerful wine than its 2009 equivalent. In 2008 the blend is 87.5% Grenache, 11% Syrah and 1.5% Viognier. Roughly 21% of the wine (Grenache only) was fermented with whole clusters. The vineyard sources are 68% Eleven Confessions, 20% Cumulus, 9% Bien Nacido and 3% White Hawk About Sine Qua Non : Sine Qua Non is arguably the most “culty” producer of California. Extremely rare, their wines are micro-produced with sometimes only a few barrels made, not to mention they have a waiting list to even buy their wines. But perhaps more importantly, this domaine is owned by iconoclastic Austrian artist and restauranteur, Manfred Krakl. Krakl launched this domaine with his wife, Elaine in 1994 in Ventura, California, a town that lies an hour north of Los Angeles. Each wine has a story, a different name and its own and, needless to say, quirky label, each created by Manfred himself. Such unique cuvée names have included “Esto No Es una Salida” with an accompanying English version, “This Is Not an Exit” as well as “The Hoodoo Man”, “Poker Face" and “The Hussy”. He is known as a “Rhône Ranger”, meaning that he forms part of a group of Californian wine producers that have embraced Rhône varieties such as Syrah (his most famous varietal), Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier. His singular wines, most notably his reds, have ratings that are almost off the charts, and regularly receive scores of 98 points or over. These are incredible wines that are worthy trophies in any cellar…though they are much more pleasurable to drink! Sine Qua Non make less than 4,000 cases a year, split between numerous wines, some spending 24 months in barrel, others given extra barrel age, spending 40 months in oak. Each sells out 10 times over on their mailing list and rises in price quickly, each awarded near perfect scores. To date Parker has awarded fourteen 100 pointers to the EBAs, in this regard it is in a league of its own and is the most coveted Californian wine. Sine Qua Non was created in 1994 by Manfred Krankl, an Austrian émigré, as a hobby. The reception for this wine named ‘Queen of Spades’ was extraordinary and in 1995 he released the ‘Queen of Hearts’, of which only 24 cases were made: a bottle sold in auction in 2014 for $45,000. The winemaking facility is based in Ventura, close to Santa Barbara, where the grapes are grown. The wines are often compared to Screaming Eagle and Harlan, however Sine Qua Non focuses on Grenache and Syrah, although Mourvedre, Rousanne and Viognier play a supporting role. Manfred is a Rhone Ranger at heart, focused on creating what he describes as sexy wines which are peerlessly rich, elegant, harmonious and complex. Manfred works with tiny batches, passed through a gravity flow and only starts fermentation with natural yeasts. It is challenging to describe a bottle of Sine Qua Non, it has to be experienced. However, Sine Qua Non is a wine many collectors claim is an essential element in their cellar and the name, which means ‘absolutely necessary’ haughtily suggests just that. Most wineries focus on a single wine with a single label, to achieve shelf recognition, so people know what to look for. However, Sine Qua Non seldom makes it onto a shelf, few collectors will part with a bottle. Manfred strongly believes that each vintage is completely different and as such each wine should have a unique name.