2018 Sine Qua Non Syrah (Ziehharmonika) Squeezebox

It was named squeezebox for the original reviews, then they change the name to the German version ZIEHHARMONIKA

“Vineyard sources for this one are 51% The Third Twin, 43% Eleven Confessions and 6% Cumulus – all estate vineyards. The 2018 Syrah ZIEHHARMONIKA is composed of 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petit Sirah, 2.3% Grenache, 2.7% Viognier and 1.3% Muscat.   Very deep garnet purple colored, the nose kicks off with bright, vivacious scents of freshly cracked black pepper, licorice, baker’s chocolate and menthol before opening out to a core just singing a black forest cake, wild blueberries and ripe blackberries with wafts of smoky bacon and garrigue. Full bodied, firm and beautifully textured with perfectly ripe, velvety tannins, it has invigorating freshness and a very long, multi layered finish. Its rocksolid structure and intensity suggests this wine will be very long lived indeed.”    98-100 WA 

The 2018 Syrah ZIEHHARMONIKA is another absolutely exquisite wine from Elaine and Manfred Krankl. Rich, deep and potent to the core, the 2018 captures a striking mix of lush fruit as well as the energy of the year. All the elements simply fall into place in a magical Syrah that will thrill Sine Qua Non lovers. The 2018 is 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5.0% Petite Sirah, 2.3 % Grenache, 2.7% Viognier and 1.3% Muscat. Interestingly, the whole clusters are just 14%, so quite a bit lower than found in the Grenache. Vineyard sites are The Third Twin, Eleven Confessions and Cumulus, all estate ranches.  Antonio Galloni 96-98 AG

The 2018 Syrah ZIEHHARMONIKA looks to be another magical wine in the making. This release comes mostly from the Third Twin and Eleven Confessions Vineyards yet has 6% from the Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View. The blend is 82% Syrah, 6.7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite Sirah, and the rest Grenache, all still aging in 51% new French oak. A killer nose of blue fruits, white and black pepper, lots of spice, white flowers, and a touch of minerality gives way to a full-bodied, beautifully textured 2018 with good acidity, plenty of underlying tannins, and the purity of fruit and elegance that makes 2018 such a compelling vintage. 96-99 JD