Kalifornischer Kult

Syrah Distenta III 2021

Sine Qua Non

Central Coast, Kalifornien, USA

Wine Advocate August 2023 (Erin Brooks)

98-100/100

I tasted the 2021 Syrah Distenta III as a precise blend from barrel on July 6—it's due to be bottled in August. It comes from three estate vineyards: The Third Twin (51%), Cumulus (26%) and 23% Eleven Confessions (23%). The Syrah is blended with 11.3% Grenache, 3.3% Mourvèdre, 2.1% Petite Sirah, 0.9% Petit Manseng and 0.7% Muscat and was vinified using 21% whole clusters. It matured around 23 months in 53% new French oak, 43% one- to three-year-old barrels and 4% concrete. Opaque ruby-purple in the glass, the Distenta III's aromatic complexity requires plenty of patience, as a singular truffle, earth and coffee bean character gives way to electric streaks of crème de violette, blueberry liqueur and peppermint patty. The palate is medium to full-bodied and exceptionally light on its feet. It glides silkily through the mouth with fireworks of freshness, and its floral fruit is tempered by graphite tones. Around 1,880 cases and 600 magnums are projected to be released in January of 2024.

Wine Advocate August 2024 (Matthew Luczy)

95+/100

Just over half of the 2021 Syrah Distenta III was sourced from The Third Twin Vineyard, with roughly equal parts Cumulus and Eleven Confessions making up the balance. It includes 11.3% Grenache, 3.3% Mourvèdre, 2.1% Petite Sirah and small portions of Muscat and Petit Manseng. The nose is meaty and savory, showing aromas of cured meats, pepperoncini and barbecue smoke aromas melded with rich, creamy, toasty new oak aromas. The palate is extraordinarily extracted and powerful, filled to the brim with sumptuously sweet concentration, which cascades into the decadent, staining finish. Despite the immense power and flashiness here, it leaves something to be discovered, continuously unfurling in the glass while remaining generally balanced. Integrating its alcohol more effortlessly than its Grenache-based counterparts, this is a highlight of the Sine Qua Non lineup.

The recent and upcoming releases from Sine Qua Non, Next of Kyn and The Third Twin will no doubt delight fans of these wines, and I wholeheartedly recommend devotees seek them out or purchase as much of their hard-won allocations as possible. That said, while the wines are exactingly made and generally impressive on a technical level, their larger-than-life scale and, at times, lofty alcohol levels limit the harmony and complexity they currently deliver or will ever attain. A few premises are essential to keep in focus while reviewing wines of this style so as not to allow sheer size and density to run away with the show: more does not necessarily equal better, and bold but simple flavors cannot match the dimension of many more nuanced ones. The originality of these wines is palpable throughout every aspect of the project, however, and readers who enjoy pyrotechnically impressive blockbuster wines will find them in spades.