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 February Zinfandel of the Month is the 2017 Turley Zinfandel “Buck” Cobb Vineyard.
I chose this wine as my Zinfandel of the Month because the Turley mailer came out this past Monday and the 2020 version is available for purchase. In all truth I just wanted to pour a glass of Turley while I read through my mailer and placed an order.
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 50 separate wines from 47 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.
Cobb Vineyard in Amador County is an homage to Buck Cobb from whom Turley purchased the Karly property where their Amador tasting room resides.
Dark crimson in color. 15.4% ABV. Sublime nose of red fruits, licorice and pepper. Full bodied with notable acidity. Exceptionally rich and powerful. Bursting with plush, dark fruits. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur, boysenberry and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Outstanding Zinfandel from a treasured vineyard in Amador County. The Turley portfolio from Amador continues to get more exciting. Best over the next 2-3 years.
My rating: 93 points.
With all due respect to Carlisle, Turley is arguably the best Zinfandel producer in California. Certainly the scale of the operation is second to none. 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 fared well in The 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
Tom, I must repeat my comment placed earlier on your site: why don’t you include pricing in your wine ratings? Your tasting notes, history of the vineyard and winemakers, and vineyard geology are wonderful. But price is a consideration for the average wine consumer. What is “fair” in price is subjective. Let’s put it out there. I have rarely purchased some wonderful bottles for $300-500, but these are exceptions. What I would like to know in a wine blog is what is out there, how good the wine is; which bottle/vineyard is under the radar and which I should search after, as well as the price point. I have my own line in the sand for Zinfandel. Sometimes I will go over that line, but you could help the wine consumer by adding this important piece of information on your blog.
I hear you. I’ll make more of an effort here. The 2020 Turley Buck Cobb is $28 on the current mailer BTW. Thanks for the feedback.