Project Wines made by Manfred Krankl
The term project wines
is one that Manfred uses for wines that he made before formally starting the Sine Qua Non Winery.
These do not carry the Sine Qua Non name or logo and were typically made jointly with another winemaker.
Here are the project wines that I am aware of:
Special Boxed Set of Project Wines
Among the project wines is a special boxed set which included five of the project wines.
Here is the description of an auction lot which gives some information about this particular set.
- Lot 122:
- Auction House: Christie's.
- Auction Location: Rockefeller Plaza, NYC, USA.
- Auction Date: 9 December 2009.
- Description: A RARE OFFERING OF SINE QUA NON.
- Numbered 25 of 40, bought on release and stored in temperature controlled storage by a noted Californian winemaker.
- This collection of wines is number 25 of 40 made in the spring of 1995 as a sort of closure to
Manfred Krankl's Project Wine period (wines made with other winemakers) and
to signify the start of his own label, Sine Qua Non.
- The boxes were sold via word of mouth, and have been disseminated throughout the country.
- Krankl himself kept one.
- The box contains five wines. To whit:
- 1990 Thief is a Chardonnay made with Bryan Babcock.
225 cases of this wine were made.
- 1990 Terzetto (the trio) is a blend of 40 Cabernet Sauvignon,
40 Barbera and 20 Freisa, made with the Coppo Brothers in Canelli, Italy.
50 cases of this wine were made.
- 1992 Black & Blue was made with Michael Havens of
Havens Wine Cellars.
It is a 55% Syrah and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. 275 cases of this wine were made.
- 1993 Roussanne is Coming...with Legs.
This wine was made with John Alban.
It is 100 Roussanne and there are two bottles with two different labels.
All together 335 cases of this wine was produced.
Some 295 cases carry the "Roussanne is Coming" label and
the other 40 cases the "Legs" label.
There are two labels because Krankl was nervous
(unnecessarily so, it turned out) that the Legs label would be rejected by the BATF.
- The lot presents a rare opportunity to acquire some of the most desirable, older vintage SQN around.
- Combined with the handsome metal welded art box with padlock and key as illustrated, and
with a signed description of all the wines on a parchment scroll, this is a rare item indeed.
The closed metal box. Note how the labels of each bottle show through.
The open box. Note how The Thief
is on a little platform above the scroll mentioned above.
The individual bottles and the scroll.
I would particularly like to thank Justin Bonner for sending me the above pictures
which were taken for him by James Fogerty.
Here are a few more photos from the auction catalog:
The scroll.
The closed box.
The open box.
All original content © Ken Vastola