2017 Sine Qua Non 'The Hated Hunter' Syrah California

Sine Qua Non has become an international sensation and one of the most collected California wines. Manfred Krankl started with a vision and a whole lot of passion and turned it into an incredible success. They now own four rather diverse Estate vineyards: Eleven Confessions in Santa Rita Hills, Cumulus in south Santa Barbara, The Third Twin in Los Alamos and Molly Aida in Tepusquet Canyon planted to head trained Mourvedre. Without a doubt SQN produces some of the most interesting wines we taste every year.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Jeb Dunnuck - "Named after Manfred’s grandfather, the 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter is 82.4% Syrah, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 2% Grenache, and the rest a mix of white varieties that spent just over 23 months in 59% new French oak. A classic 2017, it has an incredible nose of spice red and black fruits, ground pepper, dried flowers, and sandalwood. With full-bodied richness, no hard edges, gorgeous purity of fruit, and a finish that won't quit, it has everything you could want from a bottle of wine. This cuvée comes from a mix of the The Twin, Eleven Confession, Cumulus, and Molly Aida vineyards, and was bottled in August of 2019, with 1821 cases produced."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter (first tasted last year as a barrel sample and before it had been named) is composed of 82.4% Syrah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 2% Grenache, 1.2% Petit Manseng and 1.4% Viognier that was fermented with 26% whole cluster. The vineyard sources are 32% Eleven Confessions, 41% The Third Twin, 25% Cumulus and 2% Molly Aida. It was aged for around 23 months in French oak, 59% new. Deep garnet-black, the nose slowly unfurls to offer a vast array of savory, earthy, meaty notes—peppered salami, black olives, charcoal, wild sage and cast-iron pan—over a core of plum preserves, Morello cherries and boysenberries with wafts of menthol, tobacco leaf, Chinese five spice and aniseed. Rating: 98+"