1998 Zaca Mesa Cuvee Z

[winoweenie]

A very interesting wine with lots of aromatics. 40% Grenache, 27% Mourvedre, 13% Cinsault,10% Counoise (?????????) and 10% Syrah. Deep purple with deep-ruby rim. Floral, spicy, brambly berry nose with a hint of chocolate. Nice entry , a solid center, and an adequate finish. 14.79 in case lots and a good wine for the money. Some background flavors I'm not familiar with. Had to stretch my imagination to come up with a combo of white pepper and dill. Still needs some time. WW

[Innkeeper]

Love it!

[winoweenie]

OK Foodie, Whaz the blue-blazes be Counoise? WW

[Innkeeper]

Am definitely not Foodie, but: "Semi-classic grape grown in the southern Rhone and Pyrenees regions of France and used in the red wine blends of Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Banyuls, and other local wines of those regions to create aroma and acidic freshness. Thought by some to be of unknown Spanish grape origin." (Hawkins at Strat's Place)

[Drew]

Here's 2 cents more. Drew

Counoise is one of the more rarefied ingredients in red Chateauneuf-du-Pape, easily confused in the vineyard with the much lesser southern Rhone variety Aubun with which it may sometimes be mingled in older vineyards. It is authorized as a supplementary ingredient for most red wine appellations around the southern Rhone, including Coteaux du Languedoc (which allows Aubin as a synonym), but is not widely grown outside Chateauneuf-du-Pape, although total French plantings increased in the 1980s to around 900 ha/2,200 acres.
As a vine, it leafs and ripens late and yields conservatively. As a wine, it is not particularly deeply coloured or alcoholic but adds lift, a peppery note, and lively acidity to a blend. Enthusiasts such as Ch de Beaucastel typically use about five per cent of Counoise in their red Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

[winoweenie]

Tanks Guys. WW

[IrishMum]

Thanks WW

Well, here I am to check out the Rhones thread that you suggested!

This one sounds fabs! "A hint of chocolate"?...Mmmmm, I am all over it! <hehe>

Thanks again, I am off to the store!

~IrishMum