100pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2020 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is another absolutely heavenly wine from this estate, and it's easily one of the top wines from California in 2020. Darker berries, tapenade, roasted herbs, and a bloody, iron-like character define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a great, great finish. It reminds me of a Châteauneuf du Pape from the likes of Jean-Paul Daumen and is a tour de force in Grenache that I wish every reader could taste. Coming from a hot growing season, this beauty is powerful and full throttle, yet like all of Manfred's wines, it holds onto a sense of purity, balance, and elegance that's something to behold. Drink bottles any time over the coming two decades. The blend is 82% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, and the rest Gelber Muskateller, fermented with 27% whole clusters, and aged 38 months in 41% new French oak.

98pts Vinous

Another stellar wine in this range, the 2020 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel. A wine of exquisite aromatic presence and nuance, the 2020 is all class. It shows all the natural richness that is such a signature here while retaining gorgeous, open-knit aromatics that resonate off a rich core of fruit. Raspberry and pomegranate open first, followed by exotic, tropical fruit accents that build in the glass. This is such a distinctive wine shaped by a touch of Gelber Muskateller in the blend that adds flair. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12.1% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 1.6% Gelber Muskateller, all from Eleven Confessions.

93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Supported by 13.1% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah, and 1.6% Gelber Muskateller, the 2020 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is a barrel selection featuring the site's most concentrated blocks. It was fermented with 27% whole clusters and spent 38 months in 41% new French demi-muids. The nose is an opaque mixture of black fruits with aromas of tar, asphalt, espresso beans, touches of dried herbs and a slight menthol-tinged ethanol astringency. The texture is polished and perfectly composed around a decadent, concentrated core of juicy fruit-dominated flavors. The finish takes time to hit its stride, starting on a blocky, stunted note and gaining more dimension and length with time in the glass. With extended aeration, however, the ethanol notes of the nose become more prominent, revealing themselves on an increasingly spiritous finish, the presence of which diminishes my score.

Vineyard Notes

We own and lovingly farm four rather different Estate vineyards. All have different soils and micro-climates, but all share farming practices that are gentle, hands-on, natural (although we are not certified, we are essentially organic) and consistent. We believe these to be the four cornerstones of great fruit and subsequently great wine.

Eleven Confessions is 33 acres located in the cool Santa Rita Hills appellation. We planted 22 acres in 2001, primarily Syrah and Grenache, but also some Roussanne and a tiny bit of Viognier and Petite Sirah. The other 11 acres were Pinot Noir, planted by the previous ranch owners. About half of this has been grafted to three different clones of Chardonnay and a touch of Muscat. Because the climate is rather cool, we regularly experience very late harvests; seldom before the end of October and frequently well into November. This means very long “hang time” and thus full flavored, but never over-ripe or raisined fruit. Although the vineyard is densely planted with 2,420 vines per acre, we typically have very low yields of less than 1.5 tons per acre or more importantly around 1 ¼lb. of fruit per vine. This is one of the many criteria toward great wine quality.

Blend: 82% Grenache, 12.1% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 1.6% Gelber Muskateller