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| Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2018 (based on 48 user opinions) |
Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 13 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | Tasted by DLCampbell on 6/28/2020 & rated 91 points: Big, dark, and savory with smokey intensity. Lacked finesse and was a touch monolithic but after some air, it got better and better. It stored the heat of the 2009 vintage like a fuel cell. Probably at or just beyond the peak drinking window. Not even close to the complexity of the 2009 Black Bear, but still a good one. (269 views) | | Tasted by onthenose on 12/2/2019 & rated 92 points: This vintage will be missed. Last of our bunch and it ended well. This is a big Syrah and it delivered smoke on the nose with some leather and sweet wet straw. Very tight when opened but really relaxed with the second day. Firm structure, dry smooth tannin. Big red berry fruit flavors wrapped in a long rasberry finish. (400 views) | | Tasted by onthenose on 4/4/2019 & rated 90 points: A hint of smoke on the nose and sweet honey too. Fruit has mellowed but the spice has remained. Some herbal/tea notes are showing with some wet stone in the background. Medium dry with a long finish. (408 views) | | Tasted by wendyinwlv on 1/19/2015 & rated 91 points: Really good! Well balanced and even flavors and tannins. Tastes young and vibrant (1224 views) | | Tasted by Ann&Wayne on 3/14/2014 & rated 87 points: We enjoyed it although the tannins were a bit strong for our preferences. Perhaps it needs a little more time to soften. We're looking forward to the other two bottles we still have in the wine cabinet. (1438 views) | | Tasted by Harvey Mushman on 7/7/2012 flawed bottle: The wine tasted great in the tasting room. No outward signs of spoilage with the cork, but something went bad with this bottle. (2032 views) |
| 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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