Sine Qua Non Sine Qua Non The Hated Hunter 2017 1.5L

Named after Manfred’s grandfather, the 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter is 82.4% Syrah, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 2% Grenache, and the rest a mix of white varieties that spent just over 23 months in 59% new French oak. A classic 2017, it has an incredible nose of spice red and black fruits, ground pepper, dried flowers, and sandalwood. With full-bodied richness, no hard edges, gorgeous purity of fruit, and a finish that won’t quit, it has everything you could want from a bottle of wine. This cuvée comes from a mix of the The Twin, Eleven Confession, Cumulus, and Molly Aida vineyards, and was bottled in August of 2019, with 1821 cases produced. (Jeb Dunnuck)

The 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter (first tasted last year as a barrel sample and before it had been named) is composed of 82.4% Syrah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 2% Grenache, 1.2% Petit Manseng and 1.4% Viognier that was fermented with 26% whole cluster. The vineyard sources are 32% Eleven Confessions, 41% The Third Twin, 25% Cumulus and 2% Molly Aida. It was aged for around 23 months in French oak, 59% new. Deep garnet-black, the nose slowly unfurls to offer a vast array of savory, earthy, meaty notes — peppered salami, black olives, charcoal, wild sage and cast-iron pan — over a core of plum preserves, Morello cherries and boysenberries with wafts of menthol, tobacco leaf, Chinese five spice and aniseed. Full-bodied, the palate reveals surprising elegance, poise and restraint, delivering a mid-palate of exotic spices and a seductively plush texture, finishing with tons of earthy nuances and an invigorating minty lift.