Sine Qua Non (commonly abbreviated as SQN) is a California winery that is known for its limited-production and expensive wines made from blends of Rhône grape varieties.
[6] The wines themselves are given frequently changing names such as Queen of Spades, Twisted & Bent, Imposter McCoy, The Bride, Poker Face, and Red Handed.
[8][9] Beginning with several self described "project wines" made in partnership with John Alban and other vintners, initial production was approximately 100 cases.
Sale of a portion of his ownership position in LaBrea enabled him to focus on wine-making full-time, at which point total production, diversity of releases, and competency with the full spectrum of Rhone (and other) varieties steadily increased.
[9] In 2015, three half bottles of the 2002 Sine Qua Non E° (a rosé, which is not typically a wine type that attracts high prices at auction), sold for a total of $4,200.
[8] Over the years the Krankls have steadily purchased or leased their own terroir with the goal of obtaining total control over the growth and supply of their grapes.
In the late 2000s, Sine Qua Non began releasing Syrah and Grenache blends with extended barrel aging (EBA).
Beginning with the 2014 vintage, they also began releasing wines coming from their estate vineyard called The Third Twin, located in Los Alamos.
Beginning in 2010, Manfred Krankl also began collaborating with Clos Saint-Jean’s Maurel brothers, Vincent and Pascal, and oenologist Philippe Cambie to produce a wine named Chimère in France's Chateauneuf du Pape region.