Next of Kyn is the label of Elaine and Manfred Krankl (owners/creators of Sine Qua Non), based on fruit from their home vineyard in Oakville, called Cumulus vineyard. This 2016 vintage is composed of 46% Syrah, 19% Grenache, 18.3% Petite Sirah, 15.3% Mourvèdre and 1.4% Petit Manseng, using 23% whole clusters. It spent around 34 months in French oak barrels, 75% new. 'The composition of this wine is coming now much closer to the original vision for this vintage and subsequently this wine,' commented Manfred Krankl. The opaque purple-black colored 2016 Cumulus Vineyard No. 10 is a breathtaking WOW wine, from start to finish. It strides confidently out of the glass with bold, profound scents of preserved plums, blackberry coulis, blueberry pie and dried lavender, giving way to notes of espresso, spice cake, crushed stones, black truffles and beef drippings, plus a lifted waft of kirsch intertwined with red roses. The full-bodied palate is built like a skyscraper, featuring a solid line of firm, perfectly ripe, densely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, taking all those complex dark fruit, earth and floral layers to a very long finish. Quite frankly, this is a monumental achievement for the Krankls—a formidable culmination creation that is simply without peers. (LPB)