Best Sellers New Arrivals Local Events Locations Gift Cards My Account Advanced Search
  • Home
  • : 2009 Zaca Mesa "Black Bear Block" Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
2009 Zaca Mesa "Black Bear Block" Santa Ynez Valley Syrah Product Zoom

2009 Zaca Mesa "Black Bear Block" Santa Ynez Valley Syrah

SKU #1125220 96 points Wine Enthusiast

If the first duty of a wine is to be delicious, this tiny production bottling succeeds beyond all measure. The Black Bear Block is almost always Zaca Mesa’s best Syrah among its many releases, and so it is again in 2009. Take one sip and you’re dazzled by the refined tannins, dryness and complexity of flavors: blackberry, cassis, plum sauce, mocha, bacon, smoky oak, white pepper, chamomile tea and licorice. What’s harder to express is the sheer pleasure of the mouthfeel. This is an exciting Syrah, and may just be at the beginning of a long journey. Drink now and for many years as it slowly changes. (2/ 2013)

92 points Wine Spectator

Delivers a pure, rich, spicy mix of peppery wild berry, cedar, dried herb and underbrush flavors, firming nicely on the long, full finish. Drink now through 2022. 367 cases made. (3/ 2013)

Share |
Price: $59.99
WE 96 WS 92

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen is in stock, and has inventory in at least one of our retail stores. Below is the current quantity on hand information for this product within our database. It is never more than five minutes old. Additionally, our shopping cart looks at real time inventory so when you add an item to you cart we will do an immediate check of available inventory and alert you if there are any issues.

Redwood City: 7
Product turnaround time varies by location of inventory and your chosen method of shipping/pickup. For a detailed explanation click here.

Product Reviews:

Add your own review of this item

You also might be interested in...

2006 Somerston "Highflyer" California Syrah

2006 Somerston "Highflyer" California Syrah
$19.99

2011 Andrew Murray "Tous les Jours" Santa Ynez Valley Syrah

2011 Andrew Murray "Tous les Jours" Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
$12.99

2010 Kalinda Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah

2010 Kalinda Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah
$16.99

2010 Holus-Bolus Santa Ynez Valley Syrah

2010 Holus-Bolus Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
$22.99

2010 Ravenswood "Vintners Blend" Petite Sirah

2010 Ravenswood "Vintners Blend" Petite Sirah
$7.99

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.
Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from the United States.
Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year. For our entire selection of California wines, please visit this link.
Specific Appellation:

Santa Maria/Santa Barbara

- Santa Maria and Sants Inez make up the two AVAs of Santa Barbara County, an area known for its natural beauty and temperate climate. The best grape-growing areas, however, are located on the very coastal reaches of these two appellations, and are cooled by ever-present fog and ocean breezes (it is even cooler and foggier here than Carneros!). As expected, chardonnay and pinot noir thrive while the more inland zones lay claim to Bordeaux varietals and some Rhône blends.
Alcohol Content (%): 14.5