2022 Next of Kyn Numero Oito Touriga Nacional | Cumulus Vineyard, Santa Barbara County California 750ml

78% Touriga Nacional 12.9% Mourvedre 8.1% Syrah 1% Petit Manseng

...Red and black fruit, leather, graphite, and chalky minerality dominate the bouquet, with more violet and pepper notes emerging with air. Beautifully textured and full-bodied, it has nicely balanced, integrated acidity, showing a remarkably elegant, nuanced style that's going to evolve gracefully over the coming 15 years or more. | 96 points, Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com

The Next of Kyn releases come from Sine Qua Non's Manfred and Elaine Krankl and focus on their Cumulus Vineyard located just outside of Oak View, not far from Ojai. Planted in 2004 and 2008 around their house and winery, the vineyard includes Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, and even Petite Manseng. It's the warmest terroir they work with and is typically the first vineyard harvested. The two wines here continue the established format, with the No 16 Cumulus Vineyard being the numbered Rhone-style blend, though this vintage is Petite Sirah dominant rather than the typical Rhone blend, while the Touriga Nacional Numero Oito showcases the Portuguese variety. Both wines spent 30 months in roughly 35% new French oak. The No 16 includes 20% whole clusters and is the bigger, more powerful wine that needs several years in the cellar. These are unique, concentrated, blockbuster beauties that offer something genuinely different in the California landscape. | Jeb Dunnuck