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.
Owned by the ex-commissioner of baseball Peter Ueberroth, the limestone vineyard is situated on the west side of Paso Robles. Ueberroth is the oldest vineyard in the appelation having been planted in 1885. Turley has made an Ueberroth Vineyard Zinfandel since 2002.
Crimson in color. 16.1% ABV. Funky nose of red fruits, sherry and tawny port. Medium body with juicy acidity. Super tasty wine on the palate with flavors of raspberry, strawberry, plums and black pepper. The finish is long and sweet. Ready to drink. Peculiar nose and great taste but not an off bottle in my opinion. Somewhat of an anomaly given previous wines from this vineyard.
My rating: 91 points.
The century old Ueberroth Vineyard is not only the gem in the Turley lineup but perhaps one of the best vineyards in all of Paso Robles. I blogged about Ueberroth Vineyard previously in Top 10 Old Vine Zinfandel Vineyards.
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.
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