Sine Qua Non Syrah Distenta V - 2023 (750ml)

(98-100) points Vinous

Tasted just before bottling, the 2023 Syrah Distenta V has all the makings of a masterpiece. Beguiling aromatics of exotic spice, violets, blueberries and crushed rocks soar from the glass, leading into a wine of staggering elegance and expressiveness. Juicy yet refined, it already shows remarkable completeness, with a suave balance that promises even greater things in bottle. The blend is 85.8% Syrah, 5.5% Grenache, 3.7% Petite Sirah, 3.3% Mourvèdre, 1.3% Petit Manseng and 0.4% Muscat, vinified with 11% whole clusters. Nearly half of the fruit comes from the Third Twin Vineyard in 2023, which imbues the Distenta V with brightness and verve. - By Billy Norris on August 2025

My initial thought in tasting this supremely impressive array of wines from Sine Qua Non, Next of Kyn and The Third Twin was that these wines defy categorization, and moreover that they defy what many who haven’t actually tasted the wines think they’re like. Do not get me wrong, these are big, bold wines that run fruit richness and textural opulence through a 100-watt Marshall stack and dial it up to 11, BUT these wines are not monoliths. They are beautifully elegant, deeply complex, completely polished and absolutely intentional—all characteristics that cement them as among the most singular wines in the world.