Z Cuvée
2007 Z Cuvée Estate Grown and Bottled Santa Ynez Valley
Our Estate
Zaca Mesa first started growing Rhône varieties in 1978 when we were the first to plant Syrah in Santa Barbara County. Over the years, we have found portions of our vineyard that are particularly well suited to other Rhône varieties like those in this wine.
Growing Season and Harvest
After a dry, cold winter, the vines were a little slow waking up in the spring, about 4 weeks later than usual. Spring was very mild, but sunny. It finally started to warm up around the 4th of July and stayed nice through the end of September with the usual heat wave around Labor Day. Harvest came about 4 weeks late as well. We started and finished in October. Yields were little due to the cold start but the quality was exceptional.
Winemaking
This unique blend is inspired by the wines of Côtes du Rhône where they have been blending these varieties together for centuries to create wines that are greater than the sum of their parts. After hand harvesting, the grapes were gently de-stemmed, fermented and barrel aged separately for seven months, and then combined and aged for an additional nine months in French oak barrels.
The Wine
Each grape adds its own nuance: Grenache adds rich raspberry flavors; Mourvèdre brings notes of blueberry and pepper; and Syrah, flavors of blackberry and ripe tannins. These layers of flavor enable this wine to pair with a wide variety of foods from mushroom pizza to rosemary crusted leg of lamb. You can enjoy this wine now or cellar for the next five to seven years.
Others’ Opinions
2008 Vintage
"Offers a mix of dried dark berry, road tar, graphite and roasted herb. Full-bodied, well-structured and appealing now. Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Drink now through 2017." - JL 87 points, Wine Spectator, Web only 2012.
Gold Medal - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2012
2007 Vintage
Class Champion, Double Gold at the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition 2012
"Cherry, black raspberry and a hint of camphor on the nose. Sappy, gently sweet dark fruit flavors show a jammy quality and are slightly loose on the back. Clings nicely on the finish, with the jammy berry notes repeating. This wine is extremely easy to drink." 88 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, November/December 2011
"This estate-grown blend emphasizes grenache (57 percent) in its strawberry brightness. Mourvedre adds a savory, earthy bass note, and a small amount of syrah brings out a sweet plum and berry flavor to balance the finish. There's a fragrant, thyme-like scent along with a red spice, like paprika; both add subtle complexity to the clean fruit of the wine. Delicious with spicy, slow-braised cabrito." 92 points, Best Buy, Wine & Spirits, October 2011
"...the wine is nice and soft, with resolved tannins and plenty of berry, cocoa and spice fruit. Drink it now as a classy everyday version of their Syrahs." 87 points, Editors' Choice, Wine Enthusiast August 2011.
2006 Vintage
“Highly recommended” 89 Points, California Grapevine, August-September 2009
“The 2006 Z Cuvée (a blend of 59% Grenache, 23% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and the rest Cinsault) is a deep ruby-colored beauty exhibiting plenty of raspberry and jammy strawberry notes, with some blacker fruits, pepper, and roasted herbs also making an appearance. The wine is round, generous, spicy, and a very good California interpretation of a serious Côtes du Rhône from France. Drink it over the next 1-3 years.” 88 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, August 2009.
“Top Value 2008” Wine Spectator, Jan 31-Feb 28, 2009
“Fresh and lively, this is medium-bodied, with snappy wild berry and raspberry flavors shaded by spicy, peppery notes. Ends with supple, elegant, easy-drinking tannins. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Drink now through 2012.—J.L.” 88 Points, Wine Spectator, December 31, 2008.
“A Châteauneuf-style blend, based on Grenache, that’s clean fresh and savory. It shows cherry, currant, anise and herb flavors that are wrapped into a soft tecture. Oak adds a pleasant, subtle note of smoke.” 88 points, Wine Enthusiast, November 15, 2008
