Bottle Notes, Zinfandel

2015 Turley Zinfandel Sadie Upton Vineyard – Bottle Notes

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.

Sadie Upton Vineyard is near Plymouth in Amador County and was planted in 1922.

Crimson in color. 15.9% ABV. Intoxicating nose of red fruits, licorice, menthol and pepper. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Exceptionally well balanced. Light in style and somewhat refreshing. Black cherry, raspberry, earth and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. I was expecting a big, modern Zinfandel and I got a Zinfandel of elegance and finesse. Best over the next 1-2 years.

My rating: 92 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.

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2 thoughts on “2015 Turley Zinfandel Sadie Upton Vineyard – Bottle Notes

  1. I believe the ’18, ’19, and ’20 bottles are richer and fuller. But sadly ’20 is the last vintage for Turley Sadie Upton.

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