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.
Planted in 1937, Fredericks Vineyard is just a mile and a half from the Napa border on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas, located in the Moon Mountain AVA.
Crimson in color. 15.8% ABV. Beautiful nose of red fruits, licorice, baking spices and pepper. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Copious fruits with impressive concentration and notable balance. Cherry, raspberry liqueur, plums and white pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Perhaps the best Zinfandel Turley has made from Fredericks Vineyard. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 94 points.
The 2024 vintage of this Zinfandel was recently released.
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 and if you are not on the mailing list, this is an easy way to secure bottles while sampling a few wines.