Winemaker Notes
The 1997 growing season was a winemakers dream come true. Winter rains came early. Mild temperatures in December and January caused the vines to have a short dormancy period and an early bud break. The bud break started a perfect growing season of warm temperatures and dry weather; flowering and fruit set proceeded without a hitch.
The Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsaut, Counoise, and Syrah were individually harvested at optimal maturity and vented as separate wines. The fermentation caps were wetted twice a day for 12-14 days. The tanks were then pressed to seasoned French oak barrels where each variety underwent malolactic fermentation. We then blended and aged the wines for 10 months.
The married varietals express red and black fruit flavors, a wide array of spices, and big, silky textures. The Grenaches forward rich aromas of raspberry jam and the Counoises distinct strawberry and ripe cherry nuances blend perfectly with the Cinsauts plush mid-palate contribution of plums, spice and a silky mouth-feel. Typically as the wine ages, these aromas evolve into eucalyptus and sagebrush fragrances which mimic the vineyards surrounding landscape. The black fruit flavors, anise, and earth tones come from the Mourvedre and the Syrah. Both give this wine a firm backbone of rounded tannin around a textured and densely layered middle.
Enjoy this wine with your Thanksgiving meal, unique in its ability to match almost any foods flavor or spice. Spicy Penne Puttanesca, Santa Maria Tri-Tip and seared tuna are all Favorite matches with the Z Cuvee. Our 1997 Z Cuvee is delicious to drink now, but will continue to improve over the next 10 years. Buy a case and watch it age!
Professional Ratings
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.