2001 Sine Qua Non | On Your Toes Syrah

Detailed Description

Reviews: 

• Wine Advocate: In addition to these new releases, I was also able to taste through a number of older vintages, including the 2001 Albino, 2006 Hoodoo Man, 2003 The Inaugural, 2004 Ode to E, 1998 E Raised, 2001 On Your Toes, 2005 Nail in My Cranium and 2007 Syrah Dangerous Birds. To say I came away impressed would be an understatement. Anyone who claims this big, rich style can-t age needs to taste these wines. I opted to just list my scores for the older releases as I find Bob-s initial write-ups spot on.
• Vinous: Fresh, bright dark ruby color. Brooding, powerful, slightly roasted aromas of blackberry liqueur, mocha and truffle. Then wonderfully sweet but sappy, with complex flavors of black fruits, tar, minerals and exotic chocolate. Not at all heavy; in fact, this is fresher and lighter on its feet than the nose suggests, with the underlying minerality energizing the wine. (Krankl told me this cuvee ‘concentrated itself from the inside out’ over the course of its time in barrel.) Wild, savory, idiosyncratic wine that finishes with outstanding building sweetness and late notes of smoke and maple syrup.

Producer Information

Sine Qua Non has its own winemaking facility in Ventura, California not far from the Santa Barbara vineyards where the fruit is sourced from. In the last few years Manfred and his wife, Elaine, have begun creating their own vineyards dedicated to Rhone varietals. Their winemaking philosophy is to work in very small batches, gravity flow, natural yeasts (unless a fermentation problem is anticipated), long lees aging for the whites and repeated racking for the reds to open them up. This is a modified explanation of a very dedicated and artistic approach to winemaking. The wines are simultaneously very rich and elegant, superbly balanced and thoroughly harmonious with food, never overwhelming.