Sine Qua Non Dirt Vernacular Grenache (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016

Professional Ratings

• 100 Jeb Dunnuck

  I called the 2016 Grenache Dirt Vernacular a perfect wine last year, and it’s still straight-up heavenly stuff that tops out on my scale this year. A blend of 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvèdre, 7% Touriga Nacional, and the rest Petite Sirah, it comes mostly from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills yet also includes fruit from the Third Twin, Cumulus, Bien Nacido, and Molly Aida vineyards. Aged 23 months in 38% new French oak, it offers awesome notes of kirsch liqueur, blackberries, ground pepper, leafy herbs, and graphite as well as a full-bodied, powerful, yet weightless style on the palate. It’s one of those wines that offer incredible intensity and depth, yet stays weightless, seamless, and elegant. It’s a magical wine and one of the greatest Grenache releases to ever come from California.

• 98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The label of the 2016 Dirt Venacular is based on a picture of a stone imbedded in another stone. The wine is composed of 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvèdre, 7% Touriga Nacional and 3.5% Petite Sirah, fermented using 43% whole cluster with the whole cluster mostly used on the Grenache component. The vineyard sources are 42% Eleven Confessions Estate, 25% The Third Twin Estate, 22% Cumulus Estate, 9% Bien Nacido and 2% Molly Aida Estate. It was aged for around 23 months in 38% new French oak, 53% used French oak and 9% concrete.
  Rating: 98+