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.
Dogtown Vineyard is in Lodi, and the vines date back to the 1940’s. Turley has sourced fruit from Dogtown since the 1997 vintage.
Crimson in color. 15.9% ABV. Heady nose of red and black fruits, anise, citrus and pepper. Medium body with medium acidity. Well balanced but lacking the rich, opulent fruits I expect from Turley. Cherry, blackberry, plums and pepper on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Very drinkable but somewhat disappointing. Best over the near term.
My rating: 88 points.
The 2022 vintage of this Zinfandel will be released this Fall.
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.