シン・クア・ノンでは「同じワインは二度と造らない」というポリシーを持っており、毎年リリースされるワインのバリエーションは
　驚くほど多岐にわたっているとのこと。

　「グルナッシュ・シャクティ」2014年ヴィンテージは、
　これまたパーカーポイント１００点満点を獲得している超絶クラスのグルナッシュ。

　グルナッシュ88％、ムールヴェードル6％、プティ・シラー4％、トゥーリガ・ナショナル2％で
　構成されており、「私はいつもグルナッシュを最高に美しい女性に例えて見ている」という
　マンフレッド・クランクル氏が、ヒンドゥー教で女性原理として崇められる「シャクティ」を
　その名とした作品です。

　太めのボトルも、どこか土偶を思わせるような存在感…
　ちょっとした神棚を設けて飾っておきたくなるような、神々しい一本です。
　
　パーカーポイントは怒涛の１００点…。

深みのあるガーネットパープル色を呈し、 地中海の乾燥ハーブ、ほこりっぽい土、香辛料の香り。 赤スグリ、桑の実、赤プラム、黒の芯の上にバラの花びらラズベリー、そしてチョコレートで覆われたチェリーの香りが漂います。 フルボディで退廃的 濃縮されているのに、とてもとてもきれいな口当たりで、信じられないほどの味わいをもたらします。きめが細かく熟したタンニンと素晴らしいフレッシュさ、持続性のあるフィニッシュ - 完全に 武装解除―香り高い赤いフルーツの香り。

≪パーカーポイント　１００点！≫
2014 Sine Qua Non Grenache Shakti

The Wine Advocate
RP 100
Reviewed by:Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Drink Date:2018 - 2035

The 2014 Grenache Shakti is blended of 88% Grenache, 6% Mourv・・dre, 4% PetiteSirah and 2% Touriga Nacional, coming 51% from the Cumulus (Estate) Vineyard,18% from The Third Twin (Estate) Vineyard, 9.5% from Bien Nacido Vineyardand 21.5% for the Eleven Confessions (Estate) Vineyard. It was producedusing 42% whole cluster and aged for around 21 months in French oak, 6%new (bottled June 21, 2017). It offers up a deep garnet-purple color andnotes of dried Mediterranean herbs, dusty earth, Chinese five spice androse petals over a core of red currants, mulberries, red plums and blackraspberries, plus a waft of chocolate covered cherries. Full-bodied, decadentlyconcentrated and yet very, very pretty in the mouth, it delivers incrediblyfine-grained, ripe tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing on a persistent―totallydisarming―perfumed red fruit note. 1,199 cases of 750 milliliter bottlesand 600 magnums were made.

Having not seen the Krankls since an event in Hong Kong around three and a half years ago, I visited Sine Qua Non in September this year, just one day prior to the third anniversary of Manfred Krankl’s motorcycle accident. It was like a hundred years had passed and no time at all. Manfred and Elaine both looked extremely well, albeit as though their chakras had been totally reset with a sledgehammer. Without doubt, they’ve come through a close shave, stronger, richer in spirit and taking nothing for granted.

I think it is a testament to all the rock-solid groundwork with attention to the most minute details that have been laid down in the vineyards (mostly estate now) and the winery since their inceptions, and to Manfred’s “rock,” Elaine, not to mention the winery’s dedicated team, that the winery did not miss a single beat during the 2014 harvest. The 2014 releases from Sine Qua Non and Next of Kyn are simply stunning, possessing at once incredible perfumes and provocative gravitas. As for the 2015s, they do not just beautifully encapsulate the incredible energy and multilayered depths that the best wines of this vintage possess―they essentialize these attributes, while the late-released 2013s are pure power juxtaposed by carefree decadence and wanton opulence. As you will see from my notes and scores, my excitement for these wines is about as fervent as it gets. Those who know me, know that I do not hand out 100-point scores lightly or often, but I am compelled to give a perfect score when the wine clearly deserves nothing less.

My visit to Sine Qua Non was after having spent two weeks driving from Napa to Paso Robles and down to Santa Barbara, visiting wineries, staying in Airbnbs and tasting, tasting, tasting my way through more than 1,100 California Central Coast wines. At the risk of preaching to the many of the converted out there, I cannot but say openly what a lot of followers of this winery already know: Sine Qua Non is leagues ahead of most of the wineries of this major area in terms of not just signature style, consistency and plain deliciousness, but in terms of utmost quality. This is the undeniable truth right now. The levels to which the Krankls and their team have taken the vineyards in the heart of California Central Coast is astonishing. Their work ethic, creativity and no-compromise stance should be considered a beacon for other wineries seeking sky’s-the-limit heights.

Apart from tasting the usual suspect grapes and vineyards from Sine Qua Non, I also got the opportunity to be the first person outside of the winery to taste the inaugural and very limited edition offering coming exclusively from their estate vineyard called The Third Twin. The vineyard, located in Los Alamos, about a 40-minute drive north of Santa Barbara, has belonged to Manfred and Elaine Krankl since 2000. At the time of purchase, around 15 acres were already planted to Syrah and Petite Sirah. In February 2011, the Krankls planted a further 11 acres in a block of almost pure sand, including about 1.33 acres to the Spanish variety Graciano. They decided to bottle a small amount (65 cases only) of the 2014 vintage. This is without a doubt the finest example of this grape I have ever tasted.

Published: Sep 30, 2017

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　非常にリスクの高い、そして非常に高価な飲み物です。
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