Starting with the white, the 2019 Distenta I White is pure perfection, and there's not a finer white coming out of California today. Coming from a final blend of 41% Roussanne, 26% Chardonnay, 14% Petit Manseng, 12% Viognier, and the rest Gelber Muskateller, it spent 23 months in 64% new French oak. It offers a heavenly bouquet of caramelized oranges, toasted bread, honeyed citrus, and almond paste. This carries to a full-bodied, deep, concentrated white with incredible intensity and depth, yet it’s never heavy or overbearing and is flawlessly balanced. These have a great track record of aging brilliantly, but you can’t go wrong drinking them in their youth, either. I know Krankl’s reds get all the attention, but he continues to produce brilliant, brilliant dry whites. There were 824 cases produced.

The 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. Grapes were sourced from Santa Babara County and beyond, including Eleven Confessions Estate Vineyard (52%), The Third Twin Estate Vineyard (22%), Cumulus Estate Vineyard (13%) and Chardonnay from Bien Nacido (13%). It was matured around 23 months in 45% new French oak barrels, puncheons and demi-muids and was bottled in August of 2022. 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. Only 944 cases were made.

The 2020 Syrah Distenta II has turned out beautifully. Rich and ample, with tremendous depth, the 2020 dazzles from start to finish. Black cherry, plum, licorice, incense and mocha all meld together effortlessly. The 16% whole clusters are present, but nearly buried by the sheer richness of the fruit. Dollops of Muscat and Petit Manseng (instead of Roussanne) add an exotic flair. It's a stunning 2020. I tasted it from tank, fully assembled, just prior to bottling.