2017 Sine Qua Non | Syrah “the Hated Hunter” | 1.5L

Detailed Description

Just a handful of bottles from the California superstar producer, Sine Qua Non are left. This one just received another 100-point score, we can’t even keep count of all the three digit accolades this winery has received over the years, This is bound to be one of the greats, and at our price this is one that you won’t regret having in you cellar. Our allocation won’t last long! 100 points!

Reviews: 

• Wine Advocate: Deep garnet-black, the nose slowly unfurls to offer a vast array of savory, earthy, meaty notes‚Äîpeppered salami, black olives, charcoal, wild sage and cast-iron pan‚Äîover a core of plum preserves, Morello cherries and boysenberries with wafts of menthol, tobacco leaf, Chinese five spice and aniseed. Full-bodied, the palate reveals surprising elegance, poise and restraint, delivering a mid-palate of exotic spices and a seductively plush texture, finishing with tons of earthy nuances and an invigorating minty lift.
• Vinous: The Hated Hunter is a dense, powerful wine. Super-ripe black cherry, leather, spice and licorice are all amplified by the warmth of the year, which is very much felt. Unctuous, exotic and flamboyant to the core, the 2017 offers tons of immediacy if a bit less of the delineation found in more balanced years. Then again, that is 2017. The blend here is 82.4% Syrah, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 5.2% Mourv√®dre, 2.0% Grenache, 1.4% Viognier and 1.2% Petit Manseng.

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.