2019 | Sine Qua Non | Distenta Syrah (Magnum)

The full-bodied palate is concentrated and still youthfully coiled. It has a fine, grainy texture, fresh acidity and a long, floral finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2019 Syrah Distenta I comes entirely from the Krankls' estate vineyards: 35% from The Third Twin, 33% from Eleven Confessions, 31% from Cumulus and 1% from Molly Aïda. It is a blend of 83.6% Syrah, 6.2% Grenache, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 3% Mourvèdre and 2% white grapes (1.4% Muskat and 0.6% Petit Manseng). Fermented with 33% whole clusters and matured for 23 months in 43% new French oak, it has an opaque purple-black color and takes plenty of time in the glass to reveal a core of cassis and accents of sage, lavender, tar and coffee beans. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and still youthfully coiled. It has a fine, grainy texture, fresh acidity and a long, floral finish.

• Vinous: The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is gorgeous. Dark, seamless and layered, the 2019 boasts phenomenal balance and intensity. Plush black fruit, plum, licorice, chocolate and incense build as the 2019 gently unfurls in the glass. There's real depth and texture here. Touches of Grenache, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Muscat and Petite Manseng round out the blend. I am not sure what else is left to say about Elaine and Manfred Krankl. I see the same enthusiasm and child-like wonder today that I saw a dozen years ago when I first started tasting here, something that is made all the more remarkable by the passage of time and the natural highs and lows of life that ran through those years. The biggest development at Sine Qua Non is the increasing use, almost exclusively now, of estate fruit. ...The wines are pretty much as they have always been: bold, luscious and imbued with the personality of two of California’s most inspired winemakers.

Producer Information

Sine Qua Non is one of California's most famous wine producers. Based just north of Los Angeles in Ventura County, and with most of its vineyards in Santa Barbara, it eschews the usual image of top California wine as being only from Napa Valley. That is not the only thing eschewed at Sine Qua Non – the same wine is rarely made more than once, turning the idea of the American icon wine on its head. The cult winery specialises in Rhône grape varieties, with most of the red wines based on Syrah and Grenache. White wines are typically based on Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier and are also modelled after Rhône wines. While most of Sine Qua Non's vineyards are located in Santa Barbara, the home vineyard (and the winery) is located in Oak View. Many of the wines are labeled under the more generic California and Central Coast AVAs, rather than the specific AVAs the vineyards are located in, giving more freedom when it comes to blending. Sine Qua Non's first vintage was 1994, as Austrian-born winemaker Manfred Krankl released three barrels of Syrah as "Queen of Spades" with a label he had designed himself. Previously, Krankl had made wines with other winemakers – including the "Black and Blue" wine with Havens Cellars and several wines with John Alban of Alban Vineyards. After releasing Queen of Spades, Krankl sent a bottle to Robert Parker, who promptly gave the wine 95 points – then the highest he'd given any American wine based on a Rhône variety. The brand has become a cult favorite since its beginnings. Small volumes mean that demand has consistently outstripped supply and, like many top Californian producers, Sine Qua Non has employed a mailing list to sell wines directly to customers. The wines fetch top prices on the secondary market, often reaching more than $1000, and occasionally much higher: in 2014, a single bottle of Sine Qua Non rosé from the 1995 vintage fetched $42,780 at auction.

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