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. The vineyard is in Plymouth, planted at 1500 feet and dates back to the 1980’s.
Bright crimson in color. 15% ABV. Polished nose of red fruits, citrus, baking spices and flowers. Light to medium body with perfect acidity. Crisp and fresh but lacking the copious, bright fruits I expect from this wine. Cherry, cranberry, blood orange and earth on the palate. The finish is long and smooth. I’ve really grown fond of the Turley wines from Amador but this Zinfandel just missed the mark. Best over the net 1-2 years.
My rating: 88 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 room in 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.