The 2003 Mr. K. The Nobleman a 100% Chardonnay made from botrytised fruit possesses 278 grams of residual sugar per liter and 9.9 grams of acid per liter. There are a whopping 537 cases of half bottles. While deep golden-hued and honeyed with brilliant unctuosity thickness and richness it takes third place when ranked against its two sweet siblings. Readers should think of it as a Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese. Vineyard sources are gradually changing at Sine Qua Non as a movement to 100% estate fruit from vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills and sites near the winery in Ventura County come into full production. However at present some grapes emanate from other sources particularly white grapes from the Alban Vineyard and Grenache and Syrah from Alban Alta Mesa Bien Nacido Shadow Canyon and White Hawk vineyards. Yields were unbelievably small in 2003 (white varietals yielded .9 tons of fruit per acre Pinot Noir 1.64 tons per acre Grenache .32 tons per acre and Syrah 1.20 tons per acre). In 2004 white varietal yields were 1.49 tons per acre Pinot Noir 1.19 tons per acre Grenache 1.04 tons per acre and Syrah a whopping 1.48 tons per acre. Yields rose by 20-40% in 2005. Longtime readers know that I consider these offerings to be about as remarkable as New World wines can be. They possess extraordinary richness and nuances as well as superb balance purity and aging potential. The whites are whole cluster pressed and go straight to barrel without any stabilization or settling and everything is fermented with indigenous yeasts. No racking takes place until bottling which is usually more than a year after the harvest.