About Sine Qua Non
Sine Qua Non is one of California's most sought-after cult wineries, founded in 1994 by Manfred and Elaine Krankl. Austrian-born Manfred, a former restaurateur, built the label around opulent, richly textured Rhone varieties, chiefly Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne, made in tiny quantities on the Central Coast.
The winery is known for a singular ritual: every release carries an entirely new name and original label artwork created by Manfred himself, so no wine is ever called the same thing twice. Collectors do not know what a vintage will be named or how it will look until it is released, which has helped make the wines objects of near-obsessive demand.
The wines regularly earn top critical scores and rank among the hardest allocations to obtain in California, mentioned in the same breath as names like Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle. Sine Qua Non is sold almost entirely through a private mailing list, with no public tasting room, and bottles trade on the secondary market at high prices.
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Cult Rhone ProducerSine Qua Non is one of California's most sought-after cult labels, built on opulent, small-production Rhone wines from the Central Coast.
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Manfred & Elaine KranklFounded in 1994 by Manfred and Elaine Krankl, the winery pairs hedonistic, richly textured Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne with a devoted collector following. The name is Latin for "without which not."
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Ever-Changing Names & LabelsEvery vintage gets a brand-new name and original label artwork by Manfred himself, so no Sine Qua Non wine is ever called the same thing twice.
"Manfred and Elaine Krankl's 1994 Central Coast label: opulent Rhone wines, new names and artwork every vintage, sold by allocation."
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Featured Wines
Syrah
Syrah (current vintage name varies)
California · Sine Qua Non Estate
The heart of the estate: a dense, opulent, deeply textured Syrah released under a different name and label every vintage. Among the most allocation-scarce Syrahs in California.
Grenache
Grenache (current vintage name varies)
California · Sine Qua Non Estate
A rich, exotic Grenache in the winery's hedonistic style, bottled under a new name each year and released in tiny quantities to the mailing list.
Roussanne
Roussanne (current vintage name varies)
California · Sine Qua Non Estate
The estate's Rhone white, a dense, layered Roussanne, often part of a blend, also renamed and relabeled with every vintage.
Tasting Experiences
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By Private Invitation Only
Sine Qua Non has no public tasting room and is sold almost entirely through its private mailing list, which is effectively closed. Beyond that, bottles are found mainly at auction and through rare-wine merchants.
By invitation
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