Sine Qua Non Chimere Chateauneuf-du-Pape (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2012
Rhone Red Blends
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
Varietal
Producer
Vintage
2012
Size
1500ML
Features
Collectible
Boutique
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
We finished the tasting with the inky-purple 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape. A cellar selection by Manfred Krankl (of Sine Qua Non) of mostly Mourvedre, yet with a splash of Grenache and even some white varieties, it was aged in two new 300-liter French oak barrels before being bottled (in magnum only) unfined and unfiltered. It’s a massive, masculine and structured Chateauneuf du Pape that needs to be tasted to be believed. Cassis, creamy licorice, jammy blackberry and crushed flowers are only a few of the nuances here, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, incredible mid-palate depth and a blockbuster finish that just won’t quit. The level of concentration here surpasses just about every other wine in the vintage, and yet it never seems heavy, cumbersome or over-the-top. Give it 4-5 years and drink this spectacular effort over the following two decades. Hats off to Manfred Krankl and the team at Clos Saint Jean (Pascal and Vincent Maurel, and Philippe Cambie) for this incredible effort.
Other Vintages
2018-
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck
Sine Qua Non was created after the 1994 harvest of a Bien Nacido Syrah named “The Queen of Spades”. Winemaker Manfred Krankl feels strongly that each vintage is a completely unique wine and thus he gives each wine a unique name. He also creates the artwork for each new label himself. Previously, Manfred had made wines with Bryan Babcock and John Alban and still sources much of his fruit from Alban’s vineyard. The basic white wines have always been a white blend of Chardonnay, Roussanne and Viognier and a red wine based on Syrah plus Grenache. Sometimes there are small quantities of Rose and a Grenache-based red.
Sine Qua Non has its own winemaking facility in Ventura, California not far from the Santa Barbara vineyards where the fruit is sourced from. In the last few years Manfred and his wife, Elaine, have begun creating their own vineyards dedicated to Rhone varietals. Their winemaking philosophy is to work in very small batches, gravity flow, natural yeasts (unless a fermentation problem is anticipated), long lees aging for the whites and repeated racking for the reds to open them up. This is a modified explanation of a very dedicated and artistic approach to winemaking. The wines are simultaneously very rich and elegant, superbly balanced and thoroughly harmonious with food, never overwhelming.
ARP517548_2012 Item# 517548