The 2019 Eleven Confessions Vineyard Grenache is deep garnet-black in color. Notes of Christmas pudding, blackberry pie, and boysenberry preserves slowly awaken and emerge before opening out to fragrant suggestions of licorice, Indian spices, potpourri, and chargrill with a touch of cinnamon stick. The full-bodied palate explodes with powerful flavors of black fruit preserves, exotic spices, and floral nuances, paved by velvety tannins with beautiful freshness, finishing long and opulent. Coming 100% from the Krankls' Eleven Confessions Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, the blend this year is 89.4% Grenache, 5.5% Syrah, and 4.1% Petite Sirah with a 1% splash of Gelber Muskateller (a white grape - Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains). 35% whole clusters were used in the winemaking. It was aged for around 39 months in French oak barrels, mainly large demi-muids, 50% new. It was bottled in January 2023. 922 cases and 240 magnums were made. (LPB)

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. (AG)

The 2019 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is made up of 89.4% Grenache, 5.5% Syrah, 4.1% Petite Sirah and 1% Gelber Muskateller (a.k.a. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains). It was crafted using 35% whole clusters, matured for around 39 months in 50% new French oak barrels and demi-muids and was bottled in January 2022. Deep ruby-purple in color, it takes significant time to open and is mostly coiled and shy on day one. On day two, its aromas unfurl: cherry pie and wild berry jam scents are layered with tones of cured meat, peppercorn, bergamot and wildflowers. The full-bodied palate is seamless and ultra powdery in texture, with balancing bursts of juicy acidity that highlight pretty spice and floral tones that fan across the long finish. It deserves generous cellar time and will be long lived. (EB)