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Syrah Dangerous Birds 2007 75cl

Central Coast | California | United States of America
CHF 918.85

All vintages

2007
Critics scores
98 Robert Parker
The 2007 Syrah Dangerous Birds, from Eleven Confessions, includes 4.5% Grenache and 2.5% Viognier, all fully destemmed. It is a seamless, show stopper of the highest level. The fruit is decidedly opulent in the 2007, while the high percentage of new oak barrels (84%) contributes to the wine’s shape and volume. An impeccable, eternal finish rounds things out in style. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. This is a breathtaking set of wines from Sine Qua Non and Manfred Krankl. It’s hard to say precisely to what degree a greater reliance on estate owned vineyards, generally cooler growing seasons over the last few years and a reduction in new oak are shaping these wines, but the bottom line is that Krankl is coaxing fruit of incomparable elegance from the sites he works with. The silkiness and polish of the tannins is breathtaking. I also had a chance to see numerous estate vineyards during my visit with Krankl and Cellar Master Jim Binns including the Cumulus vineyard that informs Krankl’s newest project, Next of Kyn, which is reviewed separately. That said, there are fewer more perfect matches than Grenache and Syrah as farmed by Krankl in the Eleven Confessions vineyard, which is located in the Santa Rita Hills, one of the cooler spots in California’s Central Coast. The wines that emerge from this site are often profound. The sheer drive for perfection and attention to detail at Sine Qua Non is something I have rarely witnessed anywhere else in the world.
Producer
Sine Qua Non
Sine Qua Non is arguably the most “culty” producer of California. Extremely rare, their wines are micro-produced with sometimes only a few barrels made, not to mention they have a waiting list to even buy their wines. But perhaps more importantly, this domaine is owned by iconoclastic Austrian artist and restauranteur, Manfred Krakl. Krakl launched this domaine with his wife, Elaine in 1994 in Ventura, California, a town that lies an hour north of Los Angeles. Each wine has a story, a different name and its own and, needless to say, quirky label, each created by Manfred himself. Such unique cuvée names have included “Esto No Es una Salida” with an accompanying English version, “This Is Not an Exit” as well as “The Hoodoo Man”, “Poker Face" and “The Hussy”. He is known as a “Rhône Ranger”, meaning that he forms part of a group of Californian wine producers that have embraced Rhône varieties such as Syrah (his most famous varietal), Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier. His singular wines, most notably his reds, have ratings that are almost off the charts, and regularly receive scores of 98 points or over. These are incredible wines that are worthy trophies in any cellar…though they are much more pleasurable to drink!