Sine Qua Non

Sine Qua Non Distenta II Syrah California

California

The 2021 Syrah Distenta III is sourced from The Third Twin (51%), Cumulus (26%), and Eleven Confessions (23%) vineyards. The blend is 81.7% Syrah with 11.3% Grenache, 3.3% Mourvedre, 2.1% Petite Sirah, 0.9% Petit Manseng, and 0.7% Muscat. It was made using 21% whole clusters and then aged around 23 months in 53% new French oak, 43.1% one- to three-year-old barrels, and 3.9% concrete. Deep purple-black colored, it needs some coaxing and swirling before the nose erupts with a mushroom cloud of blackberry preserves, kirsch, and red roses scents, giving way to hints of bacon fat, tar, and espresso, plus a touch of wild sage. Full-bodied, the palate is incredibly bright and vibrant with beautifully defined black and red fruit flavor layers, supported by very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and shimmery. Stunning. 1877 cases and 600 magnums were made.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

The 2020 Syrah Distenta II is a blend of 82.9% Syrah, 7.5% Grenache, 3.9% Mourvedre, 3.4% Petite Sirah, 1.5% Muscat, and 0.8% Petit Manseng. The vineyard sources are The Third Twin (43%), Eleven Confessions (32%), Cumulus (21%), and Molly Aïda (3%)—all estate-owned vineyards. The fermentation included 16% whole clusters, and it was aged for 23 months in 66% new French oak. Gregarious scents of  charcoal, lilacs, licorice, and boysenberry preserves swan out of the glass, giving way to hints of wild sage, fragrant earth, and tapenade. The full-bodied palate is bright, pure, and shimmery, delivering a firm frame of fine-grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and minerally. It was bottled in July 2022. 2,000 cases and 600 magnums were made.

2021	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2020	No priceAvailable	Extraordinary
2019	No priceAvailable	Not rated

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Sine Qua Non
Vintages	2019
Country	US, California
Bottle	75 cl

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