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 right around 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.
Dogtown Vineyard is in Lodi, and the vines date back to the 1940’s. Turley has sourced fruit from Dogtown since the 1997 vintage.
Bright red in color. 15.2% ABV. Beautiful nose of red fruits, white pepper and licorice. Medium body with medium acidity and remarkable balance. Delicious and surprisingly elegant. Raspberry liqueur, cherries, baking spice and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and spicy. This vineyard is maintained by the team at Turley and the vineyard management shines through here. Just an exceptional Zinfandel. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 94 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 2017 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.