2021 Syrah Distenta III: 98-100 Punkte
The 2021 Syrah Distenta III is sourced from The Third Twin (51%), Cumulus (26%), and Eleven Confessions (23%) vineyards. The blend is 81.7% Syrah with 11.3% Grenache, 3.3% Mourvedre, 2.1% Petite Sirah, 0.9% Petit Manseng, and 0.7% Muscat. It was made using 21% whole clusters and then aged around 23 months in 53% new French oak, 43.1% one- to three-year-old barrels, and 3.9% concrete. Deep garnet-black in color, it needs a lot of swirling to wake up scents of Turkish Delight, black and red cherries, black raspberries, violets, licorice, and tar with a peppery undercurrent. The full-bodied palate is bright and pure, with firm, velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the floral-laced black and red fruit flavors, finishing with epic length. Tightly wound and bright as a penny, this should be very long lived. 1,877 cases and 600 magnums were made. I tasted a tank sample that was pulled just prior to bottling at the end of July 2023, to avoid bottle shock. (08/2023)
2021 Grenache Distenta III: 97-99 Punkte
The 2021 Grenache Distenta III is composed of 79% Grenache, 8.4% Syrah, 7.4% Mourvèdre, 3.2% Petite Sirah, 1.6% Petit Manseng, and 0.4% Muscat. It was made using around 34.7% whole clusters, mainly of the Grenache, and was aged for around 23 months in French oak of various sizes, 42.3% new. The nose leaps with vivacious notes of black cherries, black raspberries, and wild blueberries, leading to suggestions of tar, rose oil, garrigue, bacon fat, and clove oil with a waft of dark chocolate. Big, concentrated, and full-bodied, the palate is jam packed with bright red berry and floral flavors, morphing into serious black and blue fruits, supported by super-plush tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long and perfumed. The wine I tasted was a tank sample that was pulled just prior to bottling at the end of June 2023 to avoid bottle shock. 1,459 cases and 600 magnums were made. (08/2023)
