Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Sine Qua Non is undoubtedly the most “cult ” producer in California . Its wines are extremely rare , produced in small quantities , sometimes only a few barrels. Needless to say , you have to join the waiting list to get them . Another important feature is that the property is owned by the iconoclastic Austrian artist and restorer M a nfred Krakl . Krakl founded the winery with his wife , Elaine, in 1994 in V en tura, California, a town located an hour north of Los Angeles. Each wine tells a story , has a different name and a unique label , created of course by Manfred himself.
Jeb Dunnuck – Rated 100:
“Starting with the white, the Distenta I White 2019 is pure perfection, and there is no finer white coming out of California today… it spent 23 months in 64% new French oak. It offers a heavenly bouquet of caramelized oranges, toasted bread, honeyed citrus fruits and almond paste. This results in a full-bodied, deep and concentrated white with incredible intensity and depth, yet it is never heavy or overpowering and is perfectly balanced. These have a great reputation for aging brilliantly, but you also can't go wrong drinking them in their youth. I know Krankl's reds get all the attention, but he still produces bright, shiny dry whites
Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) – Rated 99:
The Distenta 1 2019 white wine is a breathtaking and unique blend… The fruit comes mainly from the estate's vineyards, with 46% Eleven Confessions, 32% Cumulus and 7% The Third Twin. Only 15% Chardonnay from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley is included – 2019 is the last vintage for which off-estate fruit will be included in the blend. It was barrel fermented and aged on lees for approximately 23 months in 64% new French oak barrels, puncheons and demi-muids and was racked only once before bottling. Manfred Krankl particularly likes the more than 150 year old wood that the Austrian cooper Stockinger uses to make his staves. The 2019 white offers high intensity aromatic flavors, with layers of peach, kiwi, candle smoke, gasoline and green herbs. The full-bodied palate is concentrated, savory and layered, with plenty of enticing spicy accents. What really sets this wine apart is its ample, satiny texture that glides through the mouth to an extremely long finish. Krankl notes that this wine's lees stirring regime helps create texture and that the accumulation of lees inside the barrels better integrates its new oak character. “Petit Manseng berries are very small and the skin is very thick,” he adds, “which also contributes to the texture.”
Where are we traveling?
California
While 50 American states produce wine, Californian production alone represents about 85% of the country's production, making this state the 4th largest producer in the world behind Italy, France and Spain. The climate is strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean, which at this latitude is a cold ocean. The wine regions located near the Pacific have an oceanic climate that becomes Mediterranean the further inland you move from the ocean and it becomes more continental near the Sierra Nevada. Bays and openings to the sea, such as San Pablo Bay, act as thermal regulators on viticulture, particularly in Napa and Sonoma Valley.
The little history of the country
UNITED STATES
In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...). In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.