2015 The Third Twin, Graciano, California, Bottle (750ml)

AG98 "The 2015 Graciano The Third Twin is a total stunner. Wow. Unctuous, ripe and explosive, with tremendous fruit density and aromatic depth, the 2015 simply has it all. Layers of fruit unfold in this glass as this extravagantly rich, opulent wine shows off its personality. Although not especially subtle, the 2015 simply has it all. Dollops of Mourvedre and Petite Sirah round out the blend. Readers who can find the 2015 should not hesitate, as it is truly magnificent. Sadly, there are just under 67 cases to go around." AG for VM Sep 2018

RP97+ "Graciano is a low-yielding Spanish variety grown primarily in Rioja, but Krankl contends that its spiritual home is the Rhône Valley: it reminds him of Mourvèdre in so far as it needs to be very ripe to show all its character, he says. And it's certainly a striking addition to his winemaking palate, with a character quite distinct to any of the other red varieties he works with. Offering up aromas of cherry pit and balsamic cherries, subtly framed by creamy new oak, the 2015 The Third Twin Graciano is amazingly saturated in color. On the palate, it's velvety, full-bodied and richly tannic, almost preternaturally concentrated in character, but remarkably supple and expansive despite its formidable levels of extract and structure. It's a singular wine, even by Krankl's standards." WK for TWA Aug 2018

William Kelley for RobertParker.com writes, "It's always a pleasure to spend time with Manfred and Elaine Krankl at their winery in Ventura. Readers will be pleased to know that Manfred was in fine form, as disarmingly candid as ever and continuing to make great progress after his 2014 motorcycle accident. In a conversation that ranged widely, from reminiscences of the late Henri Bonneau to reflections on élevage, we were sure to cover Manfred's take on recent vintages. 2018, by the way, is going well so far, though sadly the Krankls lost much of the fruit from their Cumulus Vineyard to a freak weather event that saw the site hit by temperatures of 115 degrees Fahrenheit and 20 mile per hour winds; it was early in the season, so the vines have bounced back, but many of the clusters were lost. 2017, still a work in progress, reminds Manfred of the more structured 2015 vintage, but he notes that the wines are resolving in barrel more rapidly. The 2016s he finds forward, fruity and precocious, wines that will give pleasure right out of the gate. And he's pleased with the 2015s, which are softening after some time in bottle.
The exciting news is that there's a new project in the works at Sine Qua Non: The Third Twin. The Krankls acquired this site south of Los Alamos in 2000 with 15 acres already planted, and they planted a further 11 acres in pure sand in 2011. These plantings included 1.33 acres of Graciano, which Manfred made immense efforts to source—adding that his Graciano displays quite different properties to those of the Graciano cuttings that many California winegrowers recently discovered had been erroneously purveyed as Mourvèdre. In 2014 and 2015, small quantities were bottled that will be released in cases of four bottles, with two of each vintage. In the future, the goal is to make The Third Twin its own entity, with other wines in the portfolio. But for now, given the tiny production, it remains an offshoot of Sine Qua Non, and I've included my notes under that heading for readers' convenience." Published: Aug 22, 2018