Zaca Mesa Z Blanc White Wine (4)

Deal Chatter Gourmet
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Zaca Mesa Z Blanc White Wine 4-Pack
$49.99 $100.00 50% off List Price
2013 Zaca Mesa Z Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley

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So join or create a WW Gathering!

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By the numbers this looks like a nice blend with good acidity. We buy their viognier from costco occasionally and enjoy it.

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My question would be how sweet this is? There’s nothing in the specs about residual sugar. With the acidity, this could be a great food wine but I’d looking for something that was fermented to be dry.

Winemaker - any comments?

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Agree but the 2013 not a good sign IMO. I generally drink whites/roses within 2 years of vintage.

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I don’t think they make off-dry wines. Trying to remember from when I was tasting up there, but I think they only had a true dessert wine in the non-dry realm.

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The Wine & Spirits review:

90 Ripe and robust, this roussanne-led blend shows its alcohol at first. With air, concentrated yellow plum flavors come to the fore, building into a juicy richness that gains dimension from a smoky imprint of lees. Send it toward a rich fish dish, like nut-crusted tilapia or mahi mahi. 12/15

Wine Enthusiast review:

88 This blend of 59% Roussanne, 36% Grenache Blanc and 5% Viognier is very lemony on the nicely restrained nose that also offers mango, yellow apple and grapefruit pith. Once sipped, the wine is wide and welcoming with red and yellow apples, Meyer lemon and tangerine flavors, proving quite easy-drinking. 09/16

fwiw

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I’m sure it’s doing fine. I’m not buying whites to drink next year.

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Very glad to have Zaca Mesa on woot. This is a respected winery with a track record of quality.

We have summoned the wine maker to join in. stay tuned.

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Any reason why the label in the picture says 15.0% ABV and the specs say 14.5% ABV?

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I work for WineDavid, and have some information from the winery for you!

Due to a photo shop error, the correct alcohol percentage for the 2013 vintage is 14.5%.

The 2013 Z Blanc has no perceptible residual sugar, although the wine does have really nice fruit.

Since the 2013 Z Blanc blend is Roussanne based, it has 8-10 year age-ability. This wine is in its perfect drinking window right now.

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Had a bottle of this probably six months ago from my local wine shop. Unfortunately it didn’t go in CT, so i don’t have detailed notes.

Suffice to say i liked it a lot, it was plenty zippy and i don’t remember thinking it was past prime. Wish i had more to give you.

The price at my LWS isn’t much more than here, so i’ll be passing on this offer.

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This wine is actually very youthful and can be drank now through the next 8 years

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This wine is dry no detectable residual sugar.

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the label in the picture is 2011

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Fedex came to my house while I was working. My wife answered the door, then came into my office and asked me why would I order only one bottle of wine. It took a second, but I came to realize I must be a golden ticket winner! I asked her if the delivery person looked like a monkey. She didn’t get the inside joke.

So, I received a bottle of Zaca Mesa Z Blanc. I’m very familiar with Zaca Mesa, as a few years back they sold an incredible Syrah, rated 93 by WS, for around $16. Needless to say I bought cases of it.

This wine is a combination of 3 white varietals. No need to go over the stats, as you’ve surely looked at them by now.

After a day in my fridge, I popped and poured prior to dinner. My dining choice: Fish and Chips (battered deep fried halibut with french fries). The label suggested paining with crab cakes or fish tacos, so the Fish and Chips sounded like a good in between. Initially no nose, as
the wine was still very cold. Let sit for 30 minutes, a slight nose of melon, pear and lemon. First sip, definitely a food friendly wine. Initial tart, then a secondary watermelon component. Tasty wine, but not overly complex. It paired well with my meal.

I finished a glass with dinner, then poured another for slow consumption with a nice cigar. The wine got better with time and being less cold. Still a tart (Meyer Lemon) initial taste, but the melon, pear component came through more strongly. Still, a little weak on the finish (possible bottle shock?)

Overall I very much liked the wine. It’s not overly complex, but a very refreshing sipper that would pair nicely with a more hearty fare (creamy chicken Alfredo or even spicy Asian chicken/seafood). For the price of $12.50 a bottle, I suggest stocking up for summer. I’m thinking that with a few months in the cellar, the complexity will increase, and the initial tart will subside a little. Not to say it’s not drinking well right now.

Finally, in answer to a few posted questions, this definitely is NOT a sweet wine. A food friendly wine, it would hold up very well as a summer sipper alongside BBQ Chicken or even Ribs.

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This is my favorite Zaca Mesa white wine. A beautiful example of a Rhone white Blend. It has great texture from the Roussanne giving it notes of spiced pear and honey and the Grenache Blanc and Viognier give it a real nice brightness with tropical and citrus notes. Very food friendly.

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All of our wines are dry

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And you are…? :tongue: