Zaca Mesa house spotlight
Official Zaca Mesa Winery introduction. The Santa Ynez estate that helped define Central Coast Syrah is on camera, the same house behind this Mesa Reserve.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2018 Zaca Mesa 'Mesa Reserve' Syrah Santa Ynez Valley across the open market. Their published U.S. low is $30.37 and the average is $54.15. Our slash is $30.00.
2018 Zaca Mesa 'Mesa Reserve' Syrah Santa Ynez Valley, USA
Zaca Mesa's Mesa Reserve Syrah, mesa-top blocks and twenty-two months French oak, ninety-three points at thirty-two dollars.
Mesa Reserve is 100 percent Syrah from younger high-density mesa-top blocks C6, C3, and A. Baked blackberry, cassis, hickory smoke, milk chocolate, pie crust, now $30.
Reserve Syrah with the flavor dial turned up
Zaca Mesa helped define Syrah in Santa Barbara County. Mesa Reserve focuses on younger high-density mesa-top blocks with newer clonal material, then 22 months in French oak, 27 percent new. Wine Enthusiast 93. 786 cases. Smoke, blackberry, chocolate, and enough bottle age to pour tonight.
The house
Zaca Mesa is a family-owned Central Coast winery dedicated to estate-grown Rhone-style wines. Syrah sits at the heart of that story.
The wine
100% Syrah from mesa-top blocks C6, C3, and A. 22 months French oak, 27% new. 14.8% ABV. 786 cases.
The vintage
California's 2018 harvest followed a long, moderate season. Santa Barbara County saw improved rainfall and even ripening.
The drinker
Serve 60 to 65 F. Decant 45 to 60 minutes. Coffee-cocoa brisket or beef Wellington.
Blackberry, smoke, chocolate, and sweet oak spice
Mesa Reserve is the Zaca Mesa Syrah to open when you want bold fruit, hickory smoke, and a plush reserve texture.
California's 2018 harvest followed a long, moderate growing season with cooler conditions that allowed grapes to mature slowly and evenly. In Santa Barbara County, the same longer, cooler pattern and improved rainfall helped build wines with ripe concentration, fresh balance, and aging potential.
Baked blackberry, cassis, violet, hickory smoke, milk chocolate, pie crust, sage.
Plush reserve body, 14.8% ABV, 22 months French oak, 27% new.
Sweet tobacco, dark oak spice, long. Serve 60 to 65 F. Decant 45 to 60 minutes.
Mesa-top blocks, French oak, a focused reserve
The technical sheet is the reason this bottle has such a clear identity. Mesa Reserve focuses on Zaca Mesa's mesa-top Syrah blocks, specifically Mesa C6, C3, and A. The winery describes these younger blocks as high-density plantings with newer clonal material. The wine is 100 percent Syrah aged 22 months in French oak, 27 percent new. That aging choice explains the polished spice, chocolate, tobacco, and pie-crust notes that frame the fruit.
Production was 786 cases, a focused reserve lane rather than a bulk California Syrah. Built for richness, texture, and a more opulent table moment.
Decant 45 to 60 minutes and serve at 60 to 65 F. The wine has enough tannin and oak spice for brisket bark, and enough black fruit and chocolate for Wellington.
A Central Coast Rhone estate with a Syrah backbone
Zaca Mesa is not chasing Syrah as a trend. It helped define the grape's place in Santa Barbara County.
Zaca Mesa is a family-owned Central Coast winery dedicated to estate-grown Rhone-style wines, and Syrah sits at the heart of that story.
The Santa Ynez Valley setting gives the wine a wide flavor register: ripe enough for blackberry jam and chocolate, still capable of smoke, sage, tobacco, and violet.
Mesa Reserve is that house in reserve form: mesa-top fruit, French oak, and a bottle with enough age to show now.
Put the smoke, cocoa, and oak spice to work
Brisket and Wellington both match the wine's density: one with smoke and bark, the other with pastry and mushroom richness.
Two plates. One coffee-cocoa smoked brisket. One beef Wellington.
Decant 45 to 60 minutes and serve at 60 to 65 F. The wine has enough tannin and oak spice for brisket bark, and enough black fruit and chocolate for a more polished beef Wellington.
Coffee-Cocoa Rubbed Smoked Brisket
Coffee, cocoa, smoke, and bark meet the wine's hickory, chocolate, and blackberry jam.
Why it works: The bark and smoke echo oak spice and hickory. Beef richness carries plush tannin and milk chocolate.
View Recipe for Coffee-Cocoa Rubbed Smoked Brisket (opens in a new tab)
Beef Wellington
Golden pastry, mushroom duxelles, and beef tenderloin give Mesa Reserve a more polished dinner-table match.
Why it works: Mushrooms and pastry echo pie crust, sage, and sweet tobacco. Beef meets blackberry, cassis, and French oak spice.
View Recipe for Beef Wellington (opens in a new tab)Open Mesa Reserve tonight
Zaca Mesa reserve Syrah, Wine Enthusiast 93, smoke and chocolate from the mesa-top blocks. Thirty-two dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is the richest Zaca Mesa Syrah in the set, priced for dinner.
