Wine Critic
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Sine Qua Non Distenta IV Syrah 2022
Varietal: 83% Syrah and 6% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah, 3.3% Mourvèdre and a small amount of Petit Manseng and Muscat.
This wine showcases a bold blend of 82.7% Syrah, 6.0% Grenache, 5.0% Petite Sirah, 3.3% Mourvedre, and 3.0% Whites (0.8% Gelber Muskateller and 2.2% Petit Manseng). The fruit is sourced from the estate vineyards: 45% from Eleven Confessions Vineyard, 36% from The Third Twin Vineyard, and 19% from Cumulus Vineyard. Each vineyard contributes equally to the wine's character. 31% of the grapes were fermented whole cluster, which is relatively high for Syrah, but the dry year made the stems less green and more pliable. The wine was aged in 56% new barrels, with the remainder in barrels between 1 and 3 years old, adding elegance without overpowering the fruit. The winemakers, E & M, have tasted this wine numerous times, and their notes are clear: it is unbelievably great. The wine is super dark, broad, lush, and complex, with creamy, enveloping tannins and superb length. It is a powerful, thought-provoking wine that stands out. If you don't love this wine, you might not love wine at all. The winemakers couldn't be more pleased with the result.
Tasting Notes:
"The 2022 Syrah Distenta IV contains 6% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah, 3.3% Mourvèdre and a small amount of Petit Manseng and Muscat. It was aged 23 months in 56% new French oak and fermented with 31% whole clusters. The nose opens with weighty, smoldering, blue-fruited aromas with pleasantly lifted notes of fennel, anise and white pepper quickly building in intensity. The palate is plush, opulent and immensely extracted, wrapped in a suave, precise texture that gives way to a taut, inward finish that unfolds similarly to the nose. While I suspect this will gain additional depth and complexity after a year or two, the style of these wines makes their youthful hedonism quite tempting—and there will be more than enough of that to make this enjoyable from its release in January 2025 on." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
