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When one hears the term “Rhone Ranger” used, one usually thinks of the many wineries of Paso Robles and the famous
“Hospice du Rhone” wine tasting event. Truth be known, Zaca Mesa was one of the first active wineries in Santa Barbara County since
Prohibition that cultivated Rhone varietals and they still maintain the oldest syrah vineyard in the Central Coast of California. Zaca Mesa estate, located in the northern most portion of Santa Ynez Valley AVA, has just over 190 acres of grapes cultivating in the warm central coast sun.
And instead of growing the usual culprits, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, the indigenous grape varieties of the Rhone valley of France, syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, and viognier were planted and prospered in their vineyards. Nurtured by winemaker Eric Mohseni, Zaca Mesa has returned to prominence by offering back to back vintages of syrah that the Wine Spectator has adorned with 92 point scores. Good press aside, these wines offer some of the best quality-to-price
ratios in the wine industry.
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Chardonnay
Reg $19.99
Special $15.99
Okay, so this is not your typical Rhone varietal, but read on. The grapes were whole cluster pressed, then barrel fermented and sur lie aged for
ten months in French oak barrels for complexity and layers of richness. As an added touch, it was given a “Rhone twist” by blending in small
amounts of viognier and roussanne. Beautiful nuances of mango, papaya and tangerine combine with subtle hints of toasty oak and yeast.
Pair this wine with shellfish or pasta dishes with light sauces.
Viognier
Reg $19.99 Special $15.99
Made from La Jota and Tablas clones, this Viognier was fermented in stainless steel tanks, transferred to neutral French oak barrels, and
aged “sur lie”. On the nose, aromas of honeysuckle and Mandarin orange hint at sweetness, yet this wine is dry on the palate with notes of
ripe peach, melon and a lingering finish of minerality. A natural match with grilled chicken, fettuccine Alfredo, or prawns drizzled with our
own Epicurean Honey~Pecan butter.
Z Gris Rose
Reg $17.99 Special $15.99
Normally exclusive to Zaca Mesa winery, they have generously offered us their estate Rose for your imbibing enjoyment. Made from
grenache, cinsault and mourvedre, this lively, refreshing rose bursts with aromas and flavors of strawberry, tangerine and guava. A nice hint of
minerality on the finish wraps together this inviting wine quite nicely. Terrific on a hot summer day or match with roasted chicken, grilled
seafood and/or olive tapenade.
Z Cuvee
Reg $20.99 Special $16.99
A unique blend to us Yanks, but quite common for a Cotes du Rhone of France, this mélange captures the individual characteristic of each grape ~ grenache adds rich raspberry flavors; mourvèdre brings notes of blueberry; syrah, flavors of blackberry and ripe tannins; and cinsault offers a slight earthy/dusty note. The grapes were fermented and a barrel aged separately for seven months, then combined and aged for an additional six months in French oak barrels. These layers of flavor enable this wine to pair with a wide variety of foods from mushroom pizza to rosemary crusted leg of lamb.
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Syrah
Reg $22.99 Special $16.99
The syrah grapes were hand harvested, then gently de-stemmed and placed into open-top fermenters. During fermentation, the rising grape
skins were punched down three times a day resulting in wine of intense color, rich flavors and fine tannins. This wine was aged for sixteen
months in French oak barrels and displays rich blackberry, cassis and sage spice aromas and flavors. The finish lingers from the ripe tannins
and smoky oak.
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