Winemaker Notes
This is a six bottle set from Sine Qua Non that includes:
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Syrah
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Grenache: The late bottled 2019 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is another undeniably great wine from this incredible estate and it tops out my scale. Based on 89% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, and the balance Gelber Muskateller (Muscat Blanc), all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, it spent 39 months in 50% new French oak, with the balance in 2- to 5-year-old barrels. It's a powerful, full-bodied, opulent Grenache that brings to mind a great vintage of Domaine de Marcoux's Vieilles Vignes with its gorgeous red and black fruits, smoked herbs, leather, and assorted spicy, sandalwood, and peppery nuances. Full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, a deep, layered mid-palate, and velvety tannins. It brings that rare mix of richness and elegance that only Grenache can. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 15+.
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Jeb Dunnuck
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Syrah: A borderline perfect wine is the 2019 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard, and if there was a version of Guigal's Côte Rôtie La Mouline from California, this would be it. Red and black fruits, flowery incense, iron, cured meats, spice box, and background oak all define this sensational wine, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, ultra-fine mouthfeel, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's already just about impossible to resist yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for 20-25 years. The blend is 82% Syrah, 13% Grenache, 3% Petite Sirah, and the rest Viognier and Gelber Muskateller, aged 39 months in two-thirds new French oak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Syrah: The 2019 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is elegant and perfumed and includes 13.1% Grenache, 3.3% Petite Sirah and just a splash—0.8%—each of Viognier and Muskateller (a.k.a Muscat). It was crafted with 13% whole clusters, matured in 66% new French oak for around 39 months and was bottled in January 2022. This gorgeous Syrah opens over several days and never seems to diminish. It offers pure aromas of crème de cassis, tar, salami and ringing tones of violet. The full-bodied palate is incredibly velvety in texture, and despite its concentration and powerful style, it manages noticeable freshness and detail, with that magical violet perfume echoing across the long finish. This will develop gracefully in the cellar over the next two decades or more.
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Vinous
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Syrah: The 2019 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is absolutely gorgeous. I would say it is nearly seamless, but bright acids drive a line of intensity through the fruit, lending notable freshness, tension and energy. All the elements are impeccably balanced in this magnificent, spellbinding Syrah from Elaine and Manfred Krankl. What a wine.
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Vinous
2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Grenache: The 2019 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a wild, exotic wine. High-toned aromatics meld into a core of dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint and new leather. There is a touch of volatile acidity that, for me, is not a signature of Sine Qua Non wines. Dollops of Syrah, Petite Syrah and Gelber Muskateller round out the blend.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.