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.
Located on the top of the Vaca Mountains in northeastern Napa Valley, Heminway vineyard sits at 1700 feet in between the southern end of Howell Mountain and just north of Pritchard Hill. The vines benefit from the moderating climate above Lake Hennessey.
Purple in color. 15.8% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, plums and pepper. Medium to full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Notably well balanced. Bursting with rich, ripe fruits. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur, mulberry and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Without question this is a really big Zinfandel but is also absolutely delicious. Certainly a triumph in an uneven vintage. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 93 points.
The 2022 vintage of this Zinfandel will be released next Spring.
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.