2014 Shakti Grenache
Buying options
Tasting Notes
The 2014 Grenache Shakti is blended of 88% Grenache, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Petite Sirah and 2% Touriga Nacional, coming 51% from the Cumulus (Estate) Vineyard, 18% from The Third Twin (Estate) Vineyard, 9.5% from Bien Nacido Vineyard and 21.5% for the Eleven Confessions (Estate) Vineyard. It was produced using 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 and notes of dried Mediterranean herbs, dusty earth, Chinese five spice and rose petals over a core of red currants, mulberries, red plums and black raspberries, plus a waft of chocolate covered cherries. Full-bodied, decadently concentrated and yet very, very pretty in the mouth, it delivers incredibly fine-grained, ripe tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing on a persistent—totally disarming—perfumed red fruit note. 1,199 cases of 750 milliliter bottles and 600 magnums were made.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A wine of precision and nuance, the 2014 Grenache Shakti has turned out beautifully since I last tasted it. Dark red and plum fruit, herbs, spices and rose petal jump from the glass. The flavors are beautifully delineated in this super-expressive, harmonious Grenache from Sine Qua Non. Stylistically, the 2014 is medium in body, understated and beautifully detailed. The blend is 88% Grenache, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Petite Sirah and 2% Touriga Nacional.
Leading off the 2014s from barrel, the 2014 Grenache Shakti (88% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre, 4% Petite Sirah and the rest Touriga Nacionale) comes largely from the Cumulus Vineyard, with smaller portions from Eleven Confessions, the Third Twin and Bien Nacido. Aged almost entirely in neutral barrels (6% new), it has a supple, sexy profile as well as killer base notes of black raspberries, cassis, ground herbs and violets. Deep, concentrated, full-bodied and laced with sweet tannin, I continue to be baffled why so few people in California get close to this level of quality with Grenache. Aug 2016, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
The brainchild of Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non (commonly known as SQN) is a cult California producer whose wines are avidly collected. The winery focuses on Rhône-inspired blends, however is famously non-conformist with each release totally unique.