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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2014 and 2017 (based on 14 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 82 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by SparkyMI on 3/18/2020 & rated 83 points: It is wine.
Not good.
Weedy.
Green.
Thin.
Unpleasant. (1369 views) | | | Tasted by SparkyMI on 2/16/2020 & rated 88 points: Ok. Thin finish. (1309 views) | | | Tasted by Drewski1975 on 4/27/2019 & rated 91 points: Wine is showing beautifully right now - paired it with chicken tiki masala. It may sound strange, but I felt an older Syrah may compliment the meal well and boy did it deliver. Tannins have softened out by now and the fruit is coming through. (1557 views) | | | Tasted by The awesome Supersomethins on 12/11/2018 & rated 91 points: For the age of the bottle - of which has been stored at 55 since purchase - it’s amazing! Still has a lot of fruit, great finish and I think I’ll let the rest sit another year and try - I have 8 left.
Drink now or if properly stored drink in the next 2-3 years. Amazing wine! (1679 views) | | | Tasted by WineKnut on 3/11/2018 & rated 90 points: I hate to be redundant, but I'm sad that this is my last bottle of this vintage, too. Good year for a good wine. Deep cherry red, nice fruit, floral notes, spice and oak and soft tannin. Still drinking nicely. Please decant as there is some sediment present, but the wine was nice and open immediately after decanting. (2178 views) | | | Tasted by guitarguy on 3/10/2018 & rated 88 points: At Del Frisco’s Grille in TW. First had a 2012 that was corked so they replaced it with a 2010. Clean, expectantly straightforward notes of plum, leather, chocolate with a bit of a shortness is a slightly bitter finish. I have a problem with 2.5 times retail markup but given the 7+ years of age I’ll forgive. Good (1115 views) | | | Tasted by DbertCellar on 2/2/2018 & rated 90 points: Aromas of plum, blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, and cinnamon spice. Mid tart and tannin notes. Semi dry, flavorful and nice finish. (1199 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 12/19/2017: Another great bottle, and unfortunately my last. (2101 views) | | | Tasted by deschamp52 on 9/14/2017 & rated 92 points: Beautifully balanced fruit. Nice level of acidity, fine tannins.
Tastes more expensive than it is. A very pleasant surprise. (1180 views) | | | Tasted by Baw419 on 9/12/2017 & rated 89 points: Nice wine for the price (866 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 7/29/2017: Big, dark fruit, floral, meaty. Just keeps getting better! (1973 views) | | | Tasted by redz on 4/29/2017 & rated 89 points: I should have read my own note from a year ago, recommending long decant. PNP this time, tight, but still enjoyable (1147 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 1/4/2017: Another great bottle - similar impressions to the last one I drank. Seems like this has hit a plateau maybe. A great value at Costco price. (2414 views) | | | Tasted by kidcracker on 9/21/2016 & rated 91 points: Every time I pull a bottle of this out of the cellar and open it, I have the same reaction... 'This is an amazing bottle of wine; for $12 it's an absolute steal.' Luscious, Savory, dark red/purple fruit, light graphite- a great example of what California syrah is at its best. I'm pleasantly surprised every single time. (1886 views) | | | Tasted by SirYogi on 6/19/2016 & rated 92 points: Beat Syrah I've had in years (1844 views) | | | Tasted by TannicBeast on 6/6/2016 & rated 89 points: Tasted blind. Clear, medium (+) ruby with some purple hues. The nose is clean, with ripe red cherry, black plum, blueberry, vegetal, dried herbs, cocoa, earthy and new oak aromas. The palate is dry and consistent with the nose, with medium (+) tannins, medium acid and medium (+) (13.6%) alcohol. Overall, this pointed to a New World wine from a warmer climate, but that's as far i got. It is actually 94% Syrah, 6% Viognier. A remarkably complex wine at a very good price, this wine appears to be only half as old as it really is. Therefore, I would extend the drinking window by a couple of years. (1609 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 6/3/2016: Tasty, plummy, not as rough as previous bottles. Everybody enjoyed, and bottle vanished quickly. (2596 views) | | | Tasted by Sonoma Bill on 3/22/2016 & rated 95 points: Group of Seven rated this syrah #1 out of 7 quality California syrahs tasted. Two firsts, three seconds. It was overwhelming 1st even though it was the cheapest bottle by $6 and cheaper by $15 than most. (1755 views) | | | Tasted by redz on 3/5/2016 & rated 90 points: You can tell from the reviews who decanted, and who did not. Needed 3 hrs to open up, then lush fruit, with typical Syrah nose. Still young (1337 views) | | | Tasted by paulygator on 2/15/2016 & rated 90 points: Nice big earthy and fern nose and a full and well balanced body with overtures of dark currants and worn leather. Let it breathe to enjoy the long and complex finish. Want this one again (1125 views) | | | Tasted by Chirality on 1/28/2016 & rated 88 points: This is a "rustic" Syrah, with initial aromas and flavors reminiscent of a walk in the forest: cedar, pine, and wild berries. Finishes with cinnamon and vanilla. Give this wine time to aerate to appreciate its complexities. (1297 views) | | | Tasted by zpneal on 1/19/2016 & rated 60 points: Undrinkable....smells like a wet dog and the taste isn't much better. (1141 views) | | | Tasted by TheJohnnyV on 12/30/2015 & rated 91 points: Awesome QPR. Blueberries and dark fruit. Need to find more. (1061 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 11/27/2015: Herby, woodsy, fruity bottle. (2312 views) | | | Tasted by worbx on 11/15/2015: I love the big fruit in this. Tannins initially on the weak side. As it opens up, a touch of oak seems to come out, tannin starts to turn out, and it picks up a little heat. (956 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Zaca Mesa Producer website
Purchased in 1972, Zaca Mesa is a family-owned winery that experimented with many varietals before finding the best match for their land. Since 1997 Zaca Mesa has focused on Syrah and other Rhône varietals.
A visit to Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards -https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/05/zaca-mesa-winery-and-vineyards-visit.html Syrah Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)
Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent. USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA WikipediaSanta Ynez ValleyThe Santa Ynez Valley AVA is the largest wine sub-region of Santa Barbara County and has the highest concentration of vineyards. The valley runs from east to west, between the Purisima Hills and the San Rafael Mountains in the north, and the Santa Ynez Mountains in the south. Although the valley is open to the Pacific Ocean in the west, the fact that it is relatively narrow means that limited cool air and fog is funnelled in. Low average rainfall and a very long growing season make the region ideal for quality wine production.
The diverse climates of Santa Ynez Valley mean that a wide array of wines is produced. The cool, western part of the AVA is predominantly planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, accompanied by other aromatic white varieties. Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) is able to flourish here, allowing some outstanding dessert wines to be produced in suitable vintages. Further east, the cooling effect of the ocean is lessened as both vineyard elevation and average temperatures increase. This warmer part of Santa Ynez Valley is more suited to fuller-bodied grape varieties, such as Syrah and Merlot.
more ...s expected, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive, while the more inland zones lay claim to Bordeaux varietals and some Rhone blends. |
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