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.
Owned by the ex-commissioner of baseball Peter Ueberroth, the limestone vineyard is situated on the west side of Paso Robles. Ueberroth is the oldest vineyard in the appelation having been planted in 1885. Turley has made an Ueberroth Vineyard Zinfandel since 2002.
Crimson in color. 15.9% ABV. Sublime nose of bright red fruits, licorice, baking spices and flowers. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Impeccable balanced. Incredibly charming with an abundance of vibrant, juicy fruits. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry liqueur and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. For me this is always the best Zinfandel in the Turley lineup and the 2018 version exemplifies this. Best over the next year or so.
My rating: 96 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.