Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2006
Syrah/Shiraz
from Central Coast, California
winemaker's notes:
#29 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2010
The 2006 growing season started a month late after an unusually cold March. Spring and summer were relatively mild with our average highs in the upper 80's. In early October, we had an afternoon down pour which increased our anxiety since the grapes were still hanging. Thankfully, it was quickly followed by warm, dry weather which allowed the grapes to ripen fully. Harvest came and went quickly, albeit a month late, yielding rich reds and bright whites.
After hand harvesting, the grapes were destemmed and placed into small open-top bins to cold-soak for 4 days and then to ferment, some with native yeast. During fermentation, the rising grape skins were punched down twice a day resulting in wine of intense color, rich flavors and fine tannins. This wine was aged for sixteen months in French oak barrels; 30% of them were new.
Our Syrah displays rich blackberry, cassis, espresso, mocha and our signature sage spice aromas and flavors. The silky finish lingers from the ripe tannins and smoky oak. This full-bodied wine should be enjoyed over the next ten years. A traditional pairing for this wine is a rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic. Grilled meats and bold cheese will also pair well.
critical acclaim:
"Offering wonderful floral, grapey plum and wild berry aromas, this is rich, smooth and supple on the palate, with tiers dark berry, mocha, mineral and spice flavors that glide along. Drink now through 2015."
93 Points
Wine Spectator
"A beautiful wine. If more Syrahs were like this, especially at this price, more people would buy them. It’s dry and smoothly tannic, with rich flavors of blackberries, bacon, chocolate and peppery spices. Try as an alternative to Zaca Mesa's much more expensive single vineyard and reserve Syrahs. It’s almost as good."
91 Points
Wine Enthusiast
"Fans of expressively gamy Syrah should find a good deal to like here, but so too will those who like their Syrahs on the rich and well-ripened side. The wine is a big one, yet it is nicely balanced, and it does a fine job of hiding its heat. Neither its acidity nor its ample tannins are excessive, and the two are seamlessly fit. It is sufficiently fruity to enjoy early on but has the extract and depth to improve for a few years. Zaca Mesa seems to get it right with Syrah year in and year out. Well done."
91 Points
Connoisseurs' Guide
