| Score: |
98 JD.
"Moving to the reds, the 2017 Grenache Fingers Crossed is close to 80% Grenache with the balance Syrah and Mourvèdre, that was 50% destemmed and brought up in just 35% new French oak. Rocking levels of cassis, black raspberries, cured meats, and ground pepper all emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied and ethereal, with incredible purity of fruit. Hat off to this young winemaker for a world-class example of Grenache! There’s nothing liking starting out with a bang, and that’s exactly what Nicolas and Julia Krankl have done with their inaugural release under the Faethm label. The son of Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, Nicolas, along with his wife Julia, created Faethm in 2017, and their first release, which immediately sold out, went live in 2019. I can’t recall a new estate that has impressed me as much right out of the gate and these 2017 and 2018s are truly brilliant wines. And while Nicolas trained with his father at Sine Qua Non and has certainly followed in those footsteps, these are not carbon copy wines, and they have their own distinctive characters. The focus is on Rhône varieties and fruit sources include a who’s who list of great sites and include Cumulus Vineyard, White Hawk, The Third Twin, and Bien Nacido. Unfortunately, production is a tiny 250 cases, and I would assume it will grow slowly, so if you want some these wines, get on the mailing list ASAP." Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, Oct 2019 |