The Story
Sine Qua Non Distenta IV 2022 is an incredibly dark, opaque purple-black cult Syrah blend that leaps from the glass with a rich, expressive bouquet of black cherry compote, raspberry coulis, licorice, lilacs, and hints of blood orange, menthol, and black pepper. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is muscular yet wonderfully plush, delivering layered flavors of blue fruits, kirsch liqueur, espresso roast, and savory bacon smoke. Supported by a firm backbone of ripe, rounded tannins and brilliant acidic tension, it achieves a remarkably velvety texture and a lingering finish accented by mineral sparks and warming spices.
Food Pairing: This powerful, highly concentrated wine pairs wonderfully with rich, intensely flavored dishes such as slow-braised beef short ribs, grilled ribeye steak with a peppercorn crust, roasted venison, wild boar ragu, smoked barbecue brisket, or heavily marbled meats served alongside a rich mushroom reduction.
94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
Description
Sine Qua Non Distenta IV 2022 is an incredibly dark, opaque purple-black cult Syrah blend that leaps from the glass with a rich, expressive bouquet of black cherry compote, raspberry coulis, licorice, lilacs, and hints of blood orange, menthol, and black pepper. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is muscular yet wonderfully plush, delivering layered flavors of blue fruits, kirsch liqueur, espresso roast, and savory bacon smoke. Supported by a firm backbone of ripe, rounded tannins and brilliant acidic tension, it achieves a remarkably velvety texture and a lingering finish accented by mineral sparks and warming spices.
Food Pairing: This powerful, highly concentrated wine pairs wonderfully with rich, intensely flavored dishes such as slow-braised beef short ribs, grilled ribeye steak with a peppercorn crust, roasted venison, wild boar ragu, smoked barbecue brisket, or heavily marbled meats served alongside a rich mushroom reduction.
94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
