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.
Tofanelli Vineyard is located at the top of Napa Valley near the town of Calistoga and dates back to the early 1900’s.
Opaque purple in color. 13.7% ABV which is somewhat surprising given the era and the producer. Brambly nose of red and blue fruits, anise and creosote. Medium body with medium acidity. A different beast if Turley Zin is your benchmark but compelling nonetheless. Blueberries, cherries, black tea and earth on the palate. The finish is long and lush with fine grained tannins. For $25 or so this is hard to beat. Drink over the next 1-3 years.
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 2016 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
As a side note the first bottle of 2010 Turley Charbono that I opened was corked (I was lucky enough to have a second bottle that showed well). Turley has graciously offered to replace the corked bottle.
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