Distenta IV Syrah is Sine Qua Non's 2022 Syrah-led red, blended from three of Manfred and Elaine Krankl's own vineyards. It is a ripe, layered wine from a warm year, and one of the more approachable young SQN reds.
About This Wine
The blend is 82.7% Syrah with 6% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah, 3.3% Mourvèdre and small amounts of Petit Manseng and Muscat. The fruit came 45% from Eleven Confessions, 36% from The Third Twin and 19% from Cumulus. The dry year left the stems riper than usual, so 31% whole clusters went into the ferment. The wine then spent 23 months in French oak, 56% new, and was released in January 2025. Jeb Dunnuck scored it 98 points and the Wine Advocate 94.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Blueberry, kirsch and black cherry, with violet, fennel, white pepper and anise.
- Palate: Full-bodied, plush and velvety, with dense blue fruit and smooth, ripe tannins.
- Finish: Long and spicy, with pepper and a lingering mineral note.
Serving & Food
Serve at 16 to 18°C in a large Syrah or Bordeaux glass. It is open-knit enough to drink now after an hour's decant, and should hold well into the mid-2030s. Try grilled lamb chops with cumin, smoked brisket, or Xinjiang-style lamb skewers.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers who enjoy rich, spicy Syrah, and anyone wanting a first taste of SQN that doesn't need years of cellaring.
Product Details
Producer: Sine Qua Non
Country: USA
Region: Central Coast, California
Wine: Distenta IV Syrah
Vintage: 2022
Blend: 82.7% Syrah, 6% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah, 3.3% Mourvèdre, Petit Manseng, Muscat
Vineyards: Eleven Confessions, The Third Twin, Cumulus
Élevage: 23 months, French oak (56% new)
Volume: 750mL
About the Winery
Manfred Krankl left Austria for the United States in 1980 and made his name in Los Angeles restaurants, co-founding Campanile and La Brea Bakery. Wine began as a side project, partly so there would be something good to pour at Campanile.
The first wine under the Sine Qua Non name was Queen of Spades, a Syrah from the 1994 vintage made in just three barrels. Selling part of his La Brea stake later let Krankl make wine full time. Production has stayed small, at around 3,500 cases a year, and releases go direct to a waiting list of customers.