Winemaker Notes
Blend: 65% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, 16% Grenache
Professional Ratings
-
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.
-
Tasting Panel
A flavorful and bright GSM blend with a smooth texture and good balance; dense, rich, and long.
-
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)
-
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.
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.