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.
Tegan Passalacqua, owns and farms Kirschenmann vineyard. The ungrafted vines were planted in 1915 in the silica-rich sandy soils of the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA. Thanks to the river’s cool waters and delta breezes, these head-trained, dry-farmed vines are constantly protected from the heat.
Crimson in color. 15.2% ABV. Beautiful nose of red fruits, citrus, earth and flowers. Medium body with perfect acidity. Great purity of fruit and impeccably balanced. Cherry, strawberry, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Elegant, understated and absolutely delicious. Such a wonderful contrast from some of the bigger Turley Zins. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 94 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 a 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.