Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list.
The December Zinfandel of the Month is the 2007 Turley Zinfandel Cedarman.
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in 1993 by Larry Turley and specializes in small lots of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from some of California’s most historic and treasured vineyards. Turley now makes 28 separate wines from 35 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the late 1800’s. Tegan Passalacqua is the Director of Winemaking at Turley and has been instrumental in revitalizing the brand.
Cedarman is a proprietary blend of fruit from both Rattlesnake Ridge and Dragon Vineyards, located at the top of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley.
Crimson in color. 16.3% ABV. Big nose of red and blue fruits, briar and white pepper. Unctuous and mouth coating on the palate. Full bodied with enough acidity to keep everything in balance. Flavors of raspberry liqueur, blueberry syrup and pepper. Everything about this wine is big and just on the verge of being over the top. Drink in the near term.
My rating: 91 points.
With all due respect to Carlisle and Bedrock, Turley is arguably the best Zinfandel producer in California. Exceptional vineyards sources throughout the state of California and no detail spared in the winemaking process. The wines are simply better than ever.
Turley wines are available via the mailing list and periodically at retail. Turley has tasting rooms in both Amador and Paso Robles. If you are not on the mailing list, this is an easy way to secure bottles. Both are not to be missed if you are in the area.
Turley was a big winner in The 2015 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to Zinfandel Chronicles updates by email.