Our 2012 Z-Cuvée is a complex Rhône-style blend that we have been producing since 1992. It is inspired by the wines of the Southern Rhône, where they have been blending these varieties together for centuries to create wines that are greater than the sum of their parts. Grenache adds rich raspberry aromas and flavors; Mourvèdre brings notes of blueberry, meat and spice; Cinsault brings a touch of dusty berry.
Our 2014 Viognier jumps out of the glass with honeysuckle and ripe peaches. The palate has notes of peach pit, ripe apricot, melon, citrus and a lingering touch of minerality, a signature characteristic of our sandy loam soils.
We hand craft our wines with integrity using traditional methods from grapes sustainably grown in our Santa Barbara County vineyard. Since 1973, we have farmed and nurtured our vineyard to produce wines that are true to the unique spirit of our land.
Purchased in 1972 by John Cushman and five friends, the first vines were planted a year later in 1973. Only the third winery in Santa Barbara County at that time, Zaca Mesa became a Santa Barbara County “vineyard wildcatter”- experimenting with many varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay to see what would work. After several years of trial and error, Syrah was planted in 1978. Unbeknownst to the early winemaking team at the time, this block would become what is today the renown Black Bear Block, the oldest Syrah block in the Central Coast.
As a vineyard and winery pioneer in the Santa Barbara County, Zaca Mesa also became the training ground for many great winemakers. Ken Brown was Zaca Mesa’s first winemaker who later started Byron in Santa Maria Valley. Adam Tolmach, Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist worked at Zaca Mesa before venturing out on their own to start Ojai, Au Bon Climat and Qupé, respectively. The number of winemakers that got their start at Zaca Mesa helped create what is now known as Zaca University. The first Central Coast wine (one of only two to this day) to achieve a Wine Spectator Top Ten was the 1993 Zaca Mesa Syrah, which came in at #6 and was the creation of winemaker Daniel Gehrs. This wine was also the wine of choice served at the White House on February 1, 1996 for the French President Jacques Chirac official State Dinner.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Zaca Mesa Mixed Case Viognier and Cuvée
4 bottles for $49.99 $12.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $114.99 $9.58/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Zaca Mesa 2014 Viognier & 2012 Z-Cuvée - $35 = 23.32%
So, after a brief chase on Friday, I managed to catch a bottle of the 2014 Zaca Mesa Viognier. By brief chase, I mean I drove the roughly one mile to the FedEx hub in my town. Still, I had to go out and public and speak to people so it was fairly traumatizing. Luckily, there was wine so it worked out. Friday night was alright for drinking, until it wasn’t because I walked all over the zoo with a bunch of fifth graders and I surely have had my karma rebalanced by not killing anyone. Anyway, I’m fat and 8 miles is too much to walk so I fell asleep in my recliner before it even occured to me to open the bottle. Saturday was beset by more fuckery, so there was no drinking to be had. Also, I should like it noted this is the first wine review in history to include the word fuckery, I think. Finally, Sunday, after a long day of doing absolutely nothing because I was through with the world and everyone residing in it, I grabbed the bottle out of the fridge and drank half of it. This is how that went:
Pregame:
8:00 p.m. Oh shite, I have to drink that expletive wine and write a review.
8:05: remove wine from fridge and curse self as a dotard for not having done so earlier, ponder running for office as it’s a dotard’s game.
8:06: Explain in detail to my 7 year old how a waiter’s corkscrew works, wonder why it just doesn’t have a damn screw top, every white should just have a friggin screw top as I’m not gonna age it.
8:08: Explain to 11 year old that no, it’s perfectly fine to drink alcohol as long as you’re over the age of 21 and only drink a glass a night.
8:08:30 Send kids to bed because kids can be annoying.
8:10: Pour a glass, sit down, get down to it.
The Review:
8:11: Color seems a little light. I know it’s a white, but it isn’t as dark as I thought. I always think of Viognier as the color of watered down honey and this is a little lighter than that. Nose is muted because idiot boy didn’t get it out of the fridge in time, but I’m picking up on the honeysuckle that should be there and there’s some honeycrisp apple that I’m digging on.
8:12: First sip, way too cold, basically tastes like cold, gotta let that warm up a bit.
8:25: Okay, now it’s opening up, the honeysuckle is redolent with the honeycrisp taking a back seat and some peach or other stone fruit popping in for an appearance. I tell it hello and take a sip. It has a nice sweet entry, but not RS sweet, it’s drier than expected, which is good. Nice bit of acid bite on the mid that brings to mind those honeycrisp apples again. Finish is quick and to the point. First real impression, this isn’t too bad. It isn’t great, but so far it’s a solid showing of the varietal.
8:30: This, this does not pair worth a crap with Chili Cheese Fritos, what the hell was I thinking?
8:35 and one palate cleanse later: That minerality is more pronounced, which is something I generally enjoy in a Viognier and this one doesn’t disappoint on that front. The wine drinks smooth, there’s no alcohol to be found anywhere, just honey, stone fruit mixed with apple, and limestone mixed with shale. Yes, I have tasted both limestone and shale, you don’t get my degree unless you taste rocks. Sandstone tastes like nothing in case you were wondering, if someone tries to convince you different don’t trust them, and then reevaluate who you hang out with, cause that’s a weird thing to come up in conversation.
8:40 on: As the wine warms up closer to actual room temp (68 in my house this craptacular Sunday) it begins to lose a little and muddies up, though that may be more having drank half the bottle than the temperature. As I have a teetotaler in the form of an 11 year old I don’t drink as much as I’d like and am banished back to lightweight. I have half a bottle left and plan on procuring some Thai food to go with it tonight. I will post back on a new post how the wine is doing on Day 2 and paired with food.
Initial Impressions: this is a decent example of Viognier, it isn’t life affirming and I wouldn’t pay more than $15 bucks for it, but it’s a solid representation of what the grape should be and at $10-12 bucks worth a shot. In full candor, unless food makes it sing I’m likely going to sit this one out, but you won’t be disappointed in the least by this wine; neither will you be blown away.
Basically, if you’re a fan or haven’t had Viognier, this is worth your money. If you’re ambivalent towards the varietal, sit this one out.
I’ll be back later, unless I’m not, I’m highly unreliable.
We lab ratted the Zaca Mesa Viognier at our seattle casemates gathering yesterday. I dont really drink whites, so i didnt have much to say about this wine. I said it was slightly sweet and slightly tangy. I considered both a good thing. The wine is well balanced with nothing overpowering. I don’t like anythkng too sweet, and this did not bother me. Overall I enjoyed drinking the wine, for a white. Hopefully others have more to say about this wine.
@Twich22 What a great gathering it was! I also don’t have detailed notes, but I do drink white wines regularly, and Viognier quite often.
My personal benchmark for Viognier is Hawley. This Viognier is definitely on the leaner side and doesn’t really have a full mouthfeel and viscosity that I prefer in Vio. It does however have some good minerality, tasted bone dry to me, and had interesting stone fruit notes on the nose. Clean finish. At under $10 a bottle I don’t see how you could go wrong here.
@trifecta@Twich22 any word on the cuvée? I’m taking advantage of the low price point on this vio. While Hawley is my go-to this comes in close on my palette. I started the lineup with this and it didn’t disappoint. I was fortunate to be able to bring home the remnants and the day two wasn’t as strong mouthfeel, but brought great acid and fruit. @trifecta thanks for letting me tag along to the gathering, it was a great time had by all.
Seattle Remote Launch Party Ratter here. We made sure to taste and note the Labrat bottles before moving on to an endless lineup of reds
So this Viognier was stored at ~55*F, and tasted slightly warmer at room temp. A light golden color, it has some (medium) legs. Honey and honeydew melon on the nose were amplified by slightly sour apple and lime on the first sip. For a viognier, it’s fairly medium body, but a quick crisp finish. High acidity makes this a great springtime wine. I’d say serving it a bit on the cooler side would keep all the flavors from getting away from each other and smooth it out a bit.
Nobody has asked me to score it, but I’d give it an 88. We didn’t know the pricepoint before it was posted, and I echo @twitch22 's comment: for ~$10/bottle, that’s a solid buy if you like the varietal.
Great producer, great wines. Eric Mohseni is not only one of the most talented winemakers in our area, he’s simply one cool dude. And the rest of the Zaca Mesa winemaking staff are top notch - as are their marketing folks (heck, what can I say? I dig these folks).
Based on the numbers, my guess is that this viognier is not ‘sugar’ sweet at all, but may ‘appear’ sweet because of the honey and floral notes - one of the things that makes viognier so approachable and lovable. That pH is low- I’m jealous
No lab report on the red yet - me thinks you are all going to dig this one! They will be pouring at an event I am helping to put on tomorrow - the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Rhone Rangers’ Spring Tasting in SB - and am looking forward to trying their latest offerings!
From Wine Enthusiast 3/1/16:
Zaca Mesa 2012 Z Cuvee 88 Points
One of the historic winery’s more widely available bottlings, this blend of 50% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault plays the lighter red fruit side of the spectrum. Raspberry, cranberry, crushed rose petals and a touch of cinnamon show on the zesty nose. The palate conveys spiced raspberry, plum and cranberry, proving tight and light. (MK)
Same source 2/1/16:
Zaca Mesa 2014 Viognier (Santa Ynez Valley) 88 Points
Honeysuckle and white peach show on the nose of this bottling from the region’s longtime Rhône producer. It’s a simple and straightforward take on the grape, with dried white peach, lemon-lime candy and apple-peel flavors, wrapped up with buzzing acidity and grippy texture. (MK)
Came close to pulling the trigger on a case, but not familiar with the Cuvee blend. The Viognier sounds pretty decent, so I’m in for 4. The last Zaca Mesa was fantastic.
Sorry I missed labrat reviewing this one in time. It’s a solid, classic viognier. Agree that it’s a bit lighter than some, but has the classic aroma. Good with seafood or on your deck on a sunny day. It didn’t wow me but it’s eminently serviceable, and the price point is right.
Tasting Notes
Our 2012 Z-Cuvée is a complex Rhône-style blend that we have been producing since 1992. It is inspired by the wines of the Southern Rhône, where they have been blending these varieties together for centuries to create wines that are greater than the sum of their parts. Grenache adds rich raspberry aromas and flavors; Mourvèdre brings notes of blueberry, meat and spice; Cinsault brings a touch of dusty berry.
Our 2014 Viognier jumps out of the glass with honeysuckle and ripe peaches. The palate has notes of peach pit, ripe apricot, melon, citrus and a lingering touch of minerality, a signature characteristic of our sandy loam soils.
Specifications
Price Comparison
$321.50/case (for different vintages) at Zaca Mesa
About The Winery
Winery: Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards
Owners: The Cushman Family
Founded: 1973
Location: Los Olivos, CA
We hand craft our wines with integrity using traditional methods from grapes sustainably grown in our Santa Barbara County vineyard. Since 1973, we have farmed and nurtured our vineyard to produce wines that are true to the unique spirit of our land.
Purchased in 1972 by John Cushman and five friends, the first vines were planted a year later in 1973. Only the third winery in Santa Barbara County at that time, Zaca Mesa became a Santa Barbara County “vineyard wildcatter”- experimenting with many varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay to see what would work. After several years of trial and error, Syrah was planted in 1978. Unbeknownst to the early winemaking team at the time, this block would become what is today the renown Black Bear Block, the oldest Syrah block in the Central Coast.
As a vineyard and winery pioneer in the Santa Barbara County, Zaca Mesa also became the training ground for many great winemakers. Ken Brown was Zaca Mesa’s first winemaker who later started Byron in Santa Maria Valley. Adam Tolmach, Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist worked at Zaca Mesa before venturing out on their own to start Ojai, Au Bon Climat and Qupé, respectively. The number of winemakers that got their start at Zaca Mesa helped create what is now known as Zaca University. The first Central Coast wine (one of only two to this day) to achieve a Wine Spectator Top Ten was the 1993 Zaca Mesa Syrah, which came in at #6 and was the creation of winemaker Daniel Gehrs. This wine was also the wine of choice served at the White House on February 1, 1996 for the French President Jacques Chirac official State Dinner.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Apr 5 - Monday, Apr 9
@bhodilee told us a story with their Lab Rat Report.
@Twich22 shared tasting notes.
@tburritt brings us another Lab Rat report from the Seattle Remote Launch Party.
@tercerowines has high praise for Zaca Mesa.
Zaca Mesa Mixed Case Viognier and Cuvée
4 bottles for $49.99 $12.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $114.99 $9.58/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2012 Zaca Mesa Z Cuvée
2014 Zaca Mesa Viognier
I’m thinking about a case, but don’t need it all if anyone in PDX wants a few!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Zaca Mesa 2014 Viognier & 2012 Z-Cuvée - $35 = 23.32%
So, after a brief chase on Friday, I managed to catch a bottle of the 2014 Zaca Mesa Viognier. By brief chase, I mean I drove the roughly one mile to the FedEx hub in my town. Still, I had to go out and public and speak to people so it was fairly traumatizing. Luckily, there was wine so it worked out. Friday night was alright for drinking, until it wasn’t because I walked all over the zoo with a bunch of fifth graders and I surely have had my karma rebalanced by not killing anyone. Anyway, I’m fat and 8 miles is too much to walk so I fell asleep in my recliner before it even occured to me to open the bottle. Saturday was beset by more fuckery, so there was no drinking to be had. Also, I should like it noted this is the first wine review in history to include the word fuckery, I think. Finally, Sunday, after a long day of doing absolutely nothing because I was through with the world and everyone residing in it, I grabbed the bottle out of the fridge and drank half of it. This is how that went:
Pregame:
8:00 p.m. Oh shite, I have to drink that expletive wine and write a review.
8:05: remove wine from fridge and curse self as a dotard for not having done so earlier, ponder running for office as it’s a dotard’s game.
8:06: Explain in detail to my 7 year old how a waiter’s corkscrew works, wonder why it just doesn’t have a damn screw top, every white should just have a friggin screw top as I’m not gonna age it.
8:08: Explain to 11 year old that no, it’s perfectly fine to drink alcohol as long as you’re over the age of 21 and only drink a glass a night.
8:08:30 Send kids to bed because kids can be annoying.
8:10: Pour a glass, sit down, get down to it.
The Review:
8:11: Color seems a little light. I know it’s a white, but it isn’t as dark as I thought. I always think of Viognier as the color of watered down honey and this is a little lighter than that. Nose is muted because idiot boy didn’t get it out of the fridge in time, but I’m picking up on the honeysuckle that should be there and there’s some honeycrisp apple that I’m digging on.
8:12: First sip, way too cold, basically tastes like cold, gotta let that warm up a bit.
8:25: Okay, now it’s opening up, the honeysuckle is redolent with the honeycrisp taking a back seat and some peach or other stone fruit popping in for an appearance. I tell it hello and take a sip. It has a nice sweet entry, but not RS sweet, it’s drier than expected, which is good. Nice bit of acid bite on the mid that brings to mind those honeycrisp apples again. Finish is quick and to the point. First real impression, this isn’t too bad. It isn’t great, but so far it’s a solid showing of the varietal.
8:30: This, this does not pair worth a crap with Chili Cheese Fritos, what the hell was I thinking?
8:35 and one palate cleanse later: That minerality is more pronounced, which is something I generally enjoy in a Viognier and this one doesn’t disappoint on that front. The wine drinks smooth, there’s no alcohol to be found anywhere, just honey, stone fruit mixed with apple, and limestone mixed with shale. Yes, I have tasted both limestone and shale, you don’t get my degree unless you taste rocks. Sandstone tastes like nothing in case you were wondering, if someone tries to convince you different don’t trust them, and then reevaluate who you hang out with, cause that’s a weird thing to come up in conversation.
8:40 on: As the wine warms up closer to actual room temp (68 in my house this craptacular Sunday) it begins to lose a little and muddies up, though that may be more having drank half the bottle than the temperature. As I have a teetotaler in the form of an 11 year old I don’t drink as much as I’d like and am banished back to lightweight. I have half a bottle left and plan on procuring some Thai food to go with it tonight. I will post back on a new post how the wine is doing on Day 2 and paired with food.
Initial Impressions: this is a decent example of Viognier, it isn’t life affirming and I wouldn’t pay more than $15 bucks for it, but it’s a solid representation of what the grape should be and at $10-12 bucks worth a shot. In full candor, unless food makes it sing I’m likely going to sit this one out, but you won’t be disappointed in the least by this wine; neither will you be blown away.
Basically, if you’re a fan or haven’t had Viognier, this is worth your money. If you’re ambivalent towards the varietal, sit this one out.
I’ll be back later, unless I’m not, I’m highly unreliable.
@bhodilee Maybe you should run for office…at least you’re funny!!!
@bhodilee @mrn1 Hilarious. Bravo!
@bhodilee nice review
@bhodilee good work sir!
@bhodilee Agreed - great review and funny too.
I hesitate to get in on this as my March 12th case hasn’t even shipped yet. Might consider an RDU splitter case.
We lab ratted the Zaca Mesa Viognier at our seattle casemates gathering yesterday. I dont really drink whites, so i didnt have much to say about this wine. I said it was slightly sweet and slightly tangy. I considered both a good thing. The wine is well balanced with nothing overpowering. I don’t like anythkng too sweet, and this did not bother me. Overall I enjoyed drinking the wine, for a white. Hopefully others have more to say about this wine.
@Twich22 What a great gathering it was! I also don’t have detailed notes, but I do drink white wines regularly, and Viognier quite often.
My personal benchmark for Viognier is Hawley. This Viognier is definitely on the leaner side and doesn’t really have a full mouthfeel and viscosity that I prefer in Vio. It does however have some good minerality, tasted bone dry to me, and had interesting stone fruit notes on the nose. Clean finish. At under $10 a bottle I don’t see how you could go wrong here.
@trifecta @Twich22 any word on the cuvée? I’m taking advantage of the low price point on this vio. While Hawley is my go-to this comes in close on my palette. I started the lineup with this and it didn’t disappoint. I was fortunate to be able to bring home the remnants and the day two wasn’t as strong mouthfeel, but brought great acid and fruit.
@trifecta thanks for letting me tag along to the gathering, it was a great time had by all.
Why no shipping to MA? I purchased the Z BLANC here back in January???
@por944sche thanks for the call out, MA is a go.
@por944sche Should be able to now.
Went in for a case, but my VMP coupon didn’t appear to work. I don’t think I’ve used it up already.
/giphy meticulous glistening death
@mtb002 Looks like you’ve used 2. You have to be logged in before hitting the buy button. Let me know if you try it again and it doesn’t work.
@Thumperchick
I just checked my CC, and it did work, I just didn’t get any indication that it did in my order. Sorry for the false alarm.
@mtb002 @Thumperchick I tried to use my vmp code at meh and it didn’t work — please help!
@AttyVette try it in all caps.
@AttyVette @Thumperchick lc worked for me, here.
Willing to go halfvies or thirdsies (sp?) on a case with anyone around Baltimore, MD. Lemme know.
Seattle Remote Launch Party Ratter here. We made sure to taste and note the Labrat bottles before moving on to an endless lineup of reds
So this Viognier was stored at ~55*F, and tasted slightly warmer at room temp. A light golden color, it has some (medium) legs. Honey and honeydew melon on the nose were amplified by slightly sour apple and lime on the first sip. For a viognier, it’s fairly medium body, but a quick crisp finish. High acidity makes this a great springtime wine. I’d say serving it a bit on the cooler side would keep all the flavors from getting away from each other and smooth it out a bit.
Nobody has asked me to score it, but I’d give it an 88. We didn’t know the pricepoint before it was posted, and I echo @twitch22 's comment: for ~$10/bottle, that’s a solid buy if you like the varietal.
Great producer, great wines. Eric Mohseni is not only one of the most talented winemakers in our area, he’s simply one cool dude. And the rest of the Zaca Mesa winemaking staff are top notch - as are their marketing folks (heck, what can I say? I dig these folks).
Based on the numbers, my guess is that this viognier is not ‘sugar’ sweet at all, but may ‘appear’ sweet because of the honey and floral notes - one of the things that makes viognier so approachable and lovable. That pH is low- I’m jealous
No lab report on the red yet - me thinks you are all going to dig this one! They will be pouring at an event I am helping to put on tomorrow - the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Rhone Rangers’ Spring Tasting in SB - and am looking forward to trying their latest offerings!
Cheers
in for a case. The last Zaca Mesa was great!
/giphy bitty-satisfied-property
I bought the last Zaca Mesa offering and it’s a great wine. This must be as great. I’d order some but I still have plenty left from before lol
From Wine Enthusiast 3/1/16:
Zaca Mesa 2012 Z Cuvee 88 Points
One of the historic winery’s more widely available bottlings, this blend of 50% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault plays the lighter red fruit side of the spectrum. Raspberry, cranberry, crushed rose petals and a touch of cinnamon show on the zesty nose. The palate conveys spiced raspberry, plum and cranberry, proving tight and light. (MK)
Same source 2/1/16:
Zaca Mesa 2014 Viognier (Santa Ynez Valley) 88 Points
Honeysuckle and white peach show on the nose of this bottling from the region’s longtime Rhône producer. It’s a simple and straightforward take on the grape, with dried white peach, lemon-lime candy and apple-peel flavors, wrapped up with buzzing acidity and grippy texture. (MK)
fwiw
Came close to pulling the trigger on a case, but not familiar with the Cuvee blend. The Viognier sounds pretty decent, so I’m in for 4. The last Zaca Mesa was fantastic.
Interest in the Hawkeye State?
/giphy lone-bendy-dwarf
Just pulled a cork on the Z blanc yesterday; pretty tasty.
Cases gone here, but that’s fine, four will do nicely.
Sorry I missed labrat reviewing this one in time. It’s a solid, classic viognier. Agree that it’s a bit lighter than some, but has the classic aroma. Good with seafood or on your deck on a sunny day. It didn’t wow me but it’s eminently serviceable, and the price point is right.