
2020 Sine Qua Non "Distenta II" Central Coast White Blend
98RP
98TWP
95VN
$259.99
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98
Wine Advocate
Reviewed June 2023The 2020 White Wine Distenta II could be a polarizing wine due to its unique style, intense aromatics and powerful structure, but I can't get enough of this blend of 32% Roussanne, 26% Viognier, 25% Chardonnay, 12% Gelber Muskateller and 5% Petit Manseng... Drinking the White Distenta II is an omakase-like experience, an unexpected journey that begins with naturally bitter phenolics, blossoms into soaring perfume and finishes with dessert-like honeyed tones. On day one, the wine is overt and bold, while day two reveals a fresher, livelier white with finer detail, as if the wine is coming into focus. In the mouth, it's expansive and luxuriously satiny. Despite its powerful style and unabashed ripeness, it carries its 15.8% alcohol expertly and maintains a focused streak of tangy acidity. The finish is especially unique, offering touches of butterscotch that complement its perfumed fruit—a rare combination of aromatic grape varieties and classy new wood that works surprisingly well! If you're a fan of aromatic, textural whites, purchase as many bottles as you can so that you can follow what's sure to be unique savory development in bottle over the next 10 to 15+ years. (EB)

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Professional Reviews
98
The Wine Palate
Pale lemon-straw in color, the 2020 Distenta II White springs from the glass with notes of juicy peaches, honeydew melon, ripe pears, and lemongrass, followed by hints of preserved mandarin peel, lime leaves, and honeysuckle. The full-bodied palate is decadently creamy with a myriad of savory accents complementing the intense stone fruit and pear flavors, offset by a racy backbone, finishing very long and honey-kissed. The blend is 32% Roussanne, 26% Viognier, 25% Chardonnay, 12% Gelber Muskateller (a white grape - Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains), and 5% Petit Manseng, mainly coming from the Krankls' Eleven Confessions Vineyard (52%) in Sta. Rita Hills, plus 22% from The Third Tin estate vineyard, 13% from the Cumulus estate vineyard, and 13% of the Chardonnay came from Bien Nacido Vineyard (the last time any non-estate fruit was purchased by the Krankls). It was aged for around 23 months in French oak barrels, 45% new, and bottled in March 2023. 944 cases were made. (LPB)
95
Vinous
The 2020 White Wine Distenta II is a rich, deep white. Long élevage of 23 months in wood, on the lees, works beautifully with this fruit. Dried lemon peel, chamomile, sage, mint and white pepper lend nuance throughout, but it is the wine's textural resonance that stands out most. It's one of the finest whites I have tasted from Sine Qua Non in some time. (AG)
Notes
Owner/winemakers Elaine & Manfred Krankl Rhone-style wines are revered for their quality, and are notoriously hard to obtain as the winery only sells to a carefully managed list of customers. Manfred has been producing blockbuster whites for decades.
Details
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Origin | Santa Maria/Santa Barbara, California, United States |
| Bottle Size | 750 mL |
| SKU | 1669100 |

