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.

97 POINTS WINE ADVOCATE

98 POINTS VINOUS

Renowned for its exclusive and top-tier releases, Sine Qua Non continues to impress with the 2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Grenache. This exquisite wine hails from Sine Qua Non`s own estate vineyard, Eleven Confessions, nestled in Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County. The cool, ocean-influenced climate fosters wines of grace and subtlety. Thriving in predominantly sandy loam soils, the vineyard imparts a profound complexity to the final product, showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship of Sine Qua Non.

Eleven Confessions is 33 acres located in the cool Santa Rita Hills appellation. We planted 22 acres in 2001, primarily Syrah and Grenache, but also some Roussanne and a tiny bit of Viognier and Petite Sirah. The other 11 acres were Pinot Noir, planted by the previous ranch owners. About half of this has been grafted to three different clones of Chardonnay and a touch of Muscat. Because the climate is rather cool, we regularly experience very late harvests; seldom before the end of October and frequently well into November. This means very long “hang time” and thus full flavored, but never over-ripe or raisined fruit. Although the vineyard is densely planted with 2,420 vines per acre, we typically have very low yields of less than 1.5 tons per acre or more importantly around 1 ¼lb. of fruit per vine. This is one of the many criteria toward great wine quality.