The wines of Sine Qua Non are made by the eccentric Manfred Krankle in the outer suburbs of Ventura California, in a winery described by Robert Parker as "a set scene from the movie Mad Max". Each is produced in minute quantities from impossibly low yields, bought in from trusted vignerons in the central coast area. With little estate fruit to speak of and constantly changing tastes, Manfred Krankle rarely makes the same wine twice, prefering to be able to chop and change vineyards as he sees fit. While this is an unorthodox approach for a quality producer it doesn't seem to affect the quality of his wines, which regularly receive Parker scores in the high 90's, very often reaching the mythical 100 mark. As Krankl himself says, "People buy Sine Qua Non, they don't give a toot where it's from".

Sine Qua Non Distenta V Grenache 2023
15% abv
Vol- 75cl
“Bottled only three weeks before this tasting, the 2023 Grenache Distenta V is deeply aromatic and exquisitely pure, a wine of both sensuality and structure. Crushed stones, gravel and graphite infuse the palate with mineral intensity, while lavender, blood orange and macerated cherry notes quietly build layers of nuance. A spine of fine tannin carries the 2023 through a taut, finely chiseled finish, accentuated by the inclusion of 25% whole clusters that bring attractive spice. Elegant, persistent and beautifully integrated, this is a Grenache of clarity and poise. The blend is 81.8% Grenache, 8.6% Mourvèdre, 7.7% Syrah, 1.3% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng.” 98 points, Billy Norris, Vinous, Aug 2025
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2023 | California | Duty Paid | Grenache (Garnacha/Cannonau) | North America | Red | Shiraz / Syrah | Sine Qua Non | Still | USA | Wine- Reference #:
- 26269
- Strength
- 15 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 1 bottles
- Grapes
- Grenache (Garnacha/Cannonau), Shiraz / Syrah
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- No
- Vegetarian
- No
- Sparkling
- No
