Kalifornischer Kult

Syrah Distenta I 2019

Sine Qua Non

Central Coast, Kalifornien, USA

Wine Advocate August 2021 (Parker/Perrotti-Brown)

100/100

The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred told me last year. “It kinda triples the effect of the wine.” The red winemaking included 33% whole cluster. The vineyard sources for this wine are 35% The Third Twin, 33% Eleven Confessions, 31% Cumulus and 1% Molly Aida—all estate-owned vineyards. This wine was bottled at the end of July 2021, after 23 months in French oak, 43% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with a powerfully fragrant nose of red roses, Morello cherries, boysenberries and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of mocha, star anise, cardamom and cassia. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, crunchy black, blue and red fruits. It has a rock-solid structure of firm, finely-grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the shimmering layers to a long, energetic finish. The complexity and vivacity of this Syrah are simply jaw-dropping! 1,999 cases and 600 magnums were made. This wine is due to be released in spring 2022.

“Naming wines is becoming impossible,” Manfred Krankl told me last year in a fit of frustration. “Everything has already been taken. Even, 'No Name!'” After this conversation, his nearly completed registration of the name “Squeezebox” for one of the new releases fell through. Someone had already registered that name. The wine’s name had to be changed to “Ziehharmonika,” meaning "squeezebox" in German. It was the last straw. The Krankl’s are done (for now) with new fanciful names for every new Sine Qua Non label each year. From 2019 onward, the wines are all to be called “Distenta,” meaning “unlabeled” in Latin, with a number to follow. Accordingly, the 2019 Grenache and Syrah releases this year are called “Distenta I.” “I cannot say that there will never be a fanciful name again, but for now, we are trying to avoid the nightmare of litigation or removing labels,” said Elaine Krankl. More importantly, the original artwork for the labels will continue to be different every year, as will the blending creation inside the bottle.

Wine Advocate Mai 2022 (Erin Brooks)

100/100

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. Bottled on July 29, 2021, and tasted on May 24, 2022, 1,999 cases and 600 magnums are set to be released in the spring of 2022.