Zaca Mesa Inceptive Estate Vineyard Red 2016
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Wilfred
Wong -
Tasting
Panel -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 65% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, 16% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre aged in concrete and neutral oak, this bottling offers concentrated aromas of black plum, strawberry paste, wild thyme and black pepper. That pepper carries deep in the palate, spicing up the black plum, tangy berry and caramelized pork flavors. It finishes on a lingering violet note.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Over the last two decades, GSMs—wines made with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre—have become one of the world's most popular red wine blends. Fashioned after the wines from France's southern Rhône Valley, these blends are often generous, layered, and flavorful. The 2016 Zaca Mesa Inceptive is as good as there is in the marketplace. TASTING NOTES: This wine is rich and jazzy. Its aromas and flavors of red and black fruit are upfront and pleasing. Pair it with a lightly-spiced lamb stew. (Tasted: April 11, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Tasting Panel
A flavorful and bright GSM blend with a smooth texture and good balance; dense, rich, and long.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Inceptive Estate Vineyard is a blend of 65% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, and 16% Grenache that was brought up in a mix of concrete and neutral oak. It has a Côtes du Rhône-like bouquet of ripe blackberries, cracked pepper, sappy herbs, and violets. Clean, medium to full-bodied, textured, and beautifully balanced, it's a delicious mouthful of fruit to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years.
Other Vintages
2017-
Wine
Enthusiast
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.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.