Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2006
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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.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
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.
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Wine Enthusiast
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.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Its reach and spicy intensity may have been lessened with time, and, even though it drops to 90 points and loses one of the two stars it was awarded when first reviewed, this is still a lovely wine. Having gained in textural polish, it remains very well-focused, and, if its waning energy signals that the time for drinking has come, it is not on the verge of coming apart at the seams but, is instead, a fine study of just how long an affordable Syrah can last when made by someone who understands the grape as well as Zaca Mesa Winery.
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Wine &
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Zaca Mesa is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a family-owned and operated winery dedicated to the production of distinctive, single-vineyard Rhône-style wines on the Central Coast.
As a pioneer of California Rhône wines, they aim to create wines that showcase the distinct characteristics of their Santa Barbara County vineyard, taking special care in and out of the vineyard to keep quality first and foremost.
Just 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyards sit in the sweet spot between a cool and warm climate. The location and elevation give them the ability to grow dynamic, balanced Rhône grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier. At Zaca Mesa, they believe great wine begins in the vineyard. They are dedicated to crafting high quality estate-grown wines that showcase the layered nuances of their unique, high elevation vineyard site in Santa Barbara County’s beloved Santa Ynez Valley wine country.