Tasting Notes
2017 vintage — fall release
A note on our winemaking:
All of our vineyards are either certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers or somewhere in the process, and we use all natural yeasts in the fermentations. The below single vineyard designate wines are aged in 80% used oak barriques, of which 80% are French (the rest American) and bottled after 15-18 months in barrel.
2017 “The White Coat” White Wine, California
Though the blend has changed over the years, The White Coat (named for Larry’s past career as an Emergency Room physician) is composed of white Rhône grapes from three of our Estate vineyards across California. The rich, textured Roussanne from Rattlesnake Ridge on Howell Mountain in Napa is moderated by acidity and structure provided by the Grenache Blanc grown in the calcareous soils of the Pesenti Vineyard in Paso Robles. Finally, the blend is rounded out with a touch of refreshing, mineral Vermentino (also known as Rolle) from the granitic and quartz-laden Cobb Vineyard in Amador. The result is an exceptional, dynamic white wine that is truly California.
The 2017 has a touch more Grenache Blanc and Vermentino than years previous, providing excellent acidity and a saline edge to the otherwise round, warm tropical and stone fruits found each year in this wine. Since it sees all French oak barrels (of which only 10% are new) and we don’t stir the lees, all the of texture comes from the grapes themselves. Sun, warm rocks, white pepper, straw, and tons of white peach and nectarine on the long finish.
2017 “Cedarman” Zinfandel, Howell Mountain
Cedarman is a proprietary blend of fruit from both Rattlesnake Ridge and Dragon Vineyards. Although primarily Zinfandel, we use a small amount of Petite Syrah from the Rattlesnake vineyard as well. The result is a truly powerful, dense and wild wine, long on flavor.
As the only Howell Mountain Zin in the fall lineup, the Cedarman always stands out. Dark purple and inky on the nose, with high-toned white pepper and lots of ripe brambly fruits. Palate is dense, packed with more spice and dark plums, graphite, roasted meats, and dusty earth. With its signature Howell Mountain texture, tannin, and long finish, the Cedarman is an ideal cold weather wine. Decant it to enjoy the wine’s evolution over the course of an evening.
2017 “Dogtown Vineyard” Zinfandel, Lodi
Planted in 1944, the Dogtown Vineyard is farmed by Turley Wine Cellars. This head-trained, own-rooted vineyard is within the Clements Hills AVA, which has more varied topography than the rest of Lodi; thus, while most vineyards in the region were furrow irrigated, the rolling hills of iron-rich clay and volcanic soil in Dogtown have been dry-farmed from the start. The vineyard has some of the most consistently low yields and best natural acidity of any other we’ve farmed.
Red and ruby-like in color with a deeply alluring nose of black tea, scarlet rose petals, and black cherry. Taut and focused on the palate, refreshing acidity and well-structured; reminiscent of the wines of Piedmont, and one of the group favorites from the fall tasting!
2017 “DuPratt Vineyard” Zinfandel, Mendocino County
We are beyond thrilled to be working with this vineyard. Planted in 1919 at 1500 feet up on Mendocino Ridge, this vineyard is surrounded by giant Redwood trees and is often called the “vineyard in the sky.” Indeed, the site is so remote that the vines still survive on their own original rootstocks, as Phylloxera has never made its way up there. Located above the town of Philo and only 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, it is the northernmost, coolest site from which we’ve ever made wine. Though we’ve worked with Mendocino fruit for many years, DuPratt is the only Mendocino County bottling from Turley.
The combination of old vines, high elevation, and extreme isolation and acidity make this wine truly unique; imagine a cross of the Ueberroth and Howell Mountain, and you’d start to have an idea of what DuPratt tastes like. Deeply colored, with a dense nose packed with dark fruits, ripe blackberries, and crushed white stones. Broad, brooding, sappy and richly textured on the palate. Tons of structure owing both to the age of the vines and the elevation, though the tannins are profoundly well-integrated with the very high acidity. Will last a long, long time, and we strongly recommend decanting.
2017 “Fredericks Vineyard” Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley
Hailing from 1937, these certified organic vines are some of the most unique we’ve ever seen. Just a mile and a half from the Napa border on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas, the vines are planted along steep, contoured terraces. Finding old vineyards is rare enough, but ancient hillside head-trained vines located 900 feet up? Downright extraordinary.
Officially in the newest cool-kid AVA of Moon Mountain, the Fredericks Vineyard is a genuine rarity: old vine concentration and complexity coupled with mountainside structure and tannin. The 2017 is refined, with excellent purity of fruit on the nose. The site’s characteristic deep blue fruits are especially vibrant in ’17, with hints of vitamin C and orange peel as well. Powerfully textured, with plenty of typical mountain tannic structure on the extended finish.
2017 “Hayne Vineyard” Zinfandel, Napa Valley
The Hayne Vineyard is one of our most exceptional sites. Located in an idyllic warm yet breezy spot on the west side of St. Helena, we are honored to have worked with this vineyard and the Hayne family for over twenty-six years. The property has been in the same family since 1876, and the head-trained, dry-farmed Zinfandel vines, planted in 1902 and 1903, produce wines of power and elegance. Year after year, this wine serves as the archetype for Zinfandel and Napa Valley.
Perfume, gravel, rose petals and waxed plum on the nose. White spices and fully ripe white figs as well as quince paste on the palate. Elegantly textured with perfect synergy between the tannin and acidity, indicative of Hayne’s blue-blooded and deeply-set roots. These 117-year-old-vines in the stony, well-drained soils consistently produce one of the most regal Turley wines year in and year out.
2017 “Hayne Vineyard” Petite Syrah, Napa Valley
Otty Hayne planted the Hayne Petite Syrah in 1953 while he was home from college visiting his grandfather. All head-trained, dry-farmed and organic, this Petite Syrah vineyard is one of the most exceptional sites in California. The wine is powerful and inky in its youth, and becomes more feminine and refined with age. Likely to outlive us all.
Transformative and transporting: one whiff conjures images of the south of France, particularly the Rhone Valley. Black flowers, baked earth, sun-bleached driftwood, and briary fruits abound. The palate is profound and brooding, with a seemingly never-ending finish. With its unrivaled balance and depth, it’s easy to see why the Hayne reigns supreme. Give it a vigorous decant, or it will be all the more stellar after some time in your cellar.
2017 “Heminway Vineyard” Zinfandel, Napa Valley
Located on the top of the Vaca Mountains in northeastern Napa Valley, this vineyard sits at 1700 feet in between the southern end of Howell Mountain and just north of Pritchard Hill. The vines benefit from the moderating climate above Lake Hennessey. The wines are classic Napa Valley mountain fruit with great tannin. Jay Heminway planted the vineyard with the help of his daughter’s Montessori teacher, Alice Waters.
The 2017 Heminway is stunning: enticingly dense blue and black fruits, graphite, and sapid spices all swarm the nose. The concentrated, richly textured palate has many Syrah-like elements including black olive, anise, and cracked black pepper. This wine, like the vineyard itself, has such a unique and distinguishing profile. The texture speaks to the particularity of the site: on its own little mountain top, surrounded by Chiles Valley, planted in iron-rich volcanic soils. Definitely an age-worthy wine that will benefit from decanting when you deign to enjoy!
2017 “Judge Bell” Zinfandel, Amador County
As our Amador winery is located on Bell Road, we named this wine for the eponymous (and notorious) “hanging” Judge Bell, who presided over the nearby town of Plymouth during its Gold Rush heyday. Harking from own-rooted vines planted in 1907, the wine shows quintessential Amador granitic tannins & briary fruits.
Savory Provencal herbs, rosemary, mint and dark flowers on the Nebbiolo-like nose. Judge Bell has a striking texture, with stony, unique tannins owing to the 112-year-old vines that are deeply rooted in these organically farmed granite soils of the Sierra Foothills. The elegant and fine-grained layers linger through the clean acidity, like a deep breath of fresh mountain air.
2017 “Library Vineyard” Petite Syrah, Napa Valley
The Library Vineyard is one of the most unique vineyards in California. Planted between 1880 and 1920 directly behind the St. Helena Public Library, the vineyard is very varietally diverse. Primarily Petite Syrah vines mix with a myriad of others, including; Peloursin, Cinsault, Syrah, Mission, Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir, Carignan, Grenache and Zinfandel. There are also several white grapes such as Muscat Alexandria, Muscadelle, Burger, and Green Hungarian. We pick them all together to make a wine truly expressive of the vineyard.
The chameleon, mood ring, whack-a-mole wine: you’ll encounter a new aroma leaping from the glass every time you raise it. Certainly the prettiest and most open of all of Turley’s Petite Syrahs, the wine is a veritable panoply of fruits & flavors: citrus, quince, red fruits, white flowers, sun-drenched earth, warm spices. The palate has intense energy, zipping around through firm tannins and lively textures. Gratifying now, though will likely be even more rewarding with time.
2017 “Old Vines” Zinfandel, California
Old Vines is composed of a variety of old sites from California that are either too small to be made into a vineyard designate wine or are “new” to the Turley family (and way of farming). Vines are anywhere from 50 to 130 years old, and a true representation of California old vine Zinfandel, hailing from vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Contra Costa, Amador and Paso Robles. There is no better way to gauge the classic character of old vine Zinfandel in California than through this wine.
The 2017 Old Vines smells like one of my all-time favorite, most vivid summer memories: picking the blackberry bushes that line our Estate vineyard in St. Helena in the late afternoon. Warm and perfectly ripe, these berries were destined for a pie, if I could hold off on eating all of them before I walked back home. Hailing from over 20 ancient vineyards across California and aged in only 10% new oak, the wine has all those bright, pure berry fruit notes and more; the elegant, grown-up version of that Rockwellian memory. Intensely satiating and polished on the palate, with the kind of natural depth, complexity, and grace that can only come from truly old vines.
2017 “Pesenti Vineyard” Zinfandel, Paso Robles
This certified organic estate-owned vineyard was planted in the 1920s on primarily limestone soil. Though the vines are head-trained and dry-farmed, the soil plays the most important role in distinguishing this vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles. The wines have a brightness, and chalk and floral characteristic aromas unique to the site, and to Zinfandel in general.
Back to the classic. Tons of vibrant, ripe red fruits on the nose, with an uplifting hint of the chalky soils; like eating your favorite afterschool raspberry jam snack while there’s still chalk dust on your fingers. The plentiful and powerful warm fruits on the palate are balanced by one of the freshest, highest natural acidities found in any red wine, leading to a satisfyingly nimble texture. Drinking especially well right off the bat!
2017 “Pesenti Vineyard” Petite Syrah, Paso Robles
This estate-owned and certified organic vineyard was planted by the Turley team using cuttings from the legendary Hayne vineyard. Head-trained, dry-farmed and planted in limestone, the wines are dark, smooth, dense and classic Petite Syrah. As the vines age the wines are increasingly expressive of the Pesenti Vineyard with minerality, savory spices and high tone pepper.
If, like us, you are fans of the wines of the Northern Rhone Valley—Cornas in particular—then you’ll love the 2017 Pesenti Petite Syrah as much as we do! Lightly smoked, ripe dark fruits with fresh cracked pepper on the nose. The palate is surprisingly graceful despite its powerful heft, thanks to the excellent acidity in the soils. Dense, inky, and loaded with spice, the Pesenti Petite is a bold, deeply flavorful, and satisfying wine. We recommend giving it some time in the bottle and decanting well ahead of mealtime to best experience this powerful Petite.
2017 “Salvador Vineyard” Zinfandel, Contra Costa County
Salvador Vineyard in Contra Costa County is a paragon of old vine Zinfandel. These organically farmed vines were planted on their own roots in 1896. The roots are free to roam deeply as the soil is solid sand for 40 feet down. The wine is stunning: suave, complex and powerfully elegant.
Probably the most intriguing nose of all the 2017s. Succulent salted fruits like plum and peach skin, white flowers, and a touch of Moroccan mint tea layered with myriad other aromas will make you want to revisit this wine again and again. Satiating on the palate thanks to the supple tannins that can only come from such an ancient vineyard so deeply rooted in these sandy soils. The Salvador feels like truly old-school California, reminiscent of what wine might’ve tasted like when it was first made from these vines well over 120 years ago! Ready to go now, even more fulfilling with age.
2017 “Ueberroth Vineyard” Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Planted in 1885, Ueberroth is the oldest of our Zinfandel vineyards. Located closer to the sea than any other site we work with, you can smell the salt air from the top of the vineyard hill. These ungrafted, head-trained vines are planted on very steep limestone slopes. The high pH of the soil makes for a very high-acid wine, elevating the ripe fruit flavors from this historic certified organic vineyard.
Multi-faceted, bejeweled nose of elegant dark fruits and deeply concentrated minerality. With an extra 40 years on these vines and some of the steepest slopes around, the Ueberroth is like the Pesenti Vineyard in a tux: more polish, sophistication, and power. Typical Ueberroth structured chalky tannins coated in silky, luscious red fruits and framed by racy acidity. Ready to drink now and will age well thanks to the immense power & structure inherent to this wine.
2017 “Whitney Tennessee” Zinfandel, Alexander Valley
Everything old is new again, and this wine is no exception. This small, estate-owned, pre-Prohibition vineyard was purchased by the winery in 2009, and we’ve been slowly but surely repairing the soils through organic methods until the wine was ready to make its debut. Planted on loam and various gravel soils, the Whitney Tennessee vineyard—named for one of Larry’s four daughters—is a mixed planting as well, with small amounts of Petite Syrah and Carignane vines sprinkled throughout. Long-time Turley followers may remember a wine with the same name from the mid-1990’s, though this is a different vineyard source, located just off Alexander Valley Road in Sonoma.
Primary, red & black fruits with a touch of kirsch liqueur and warm river rocks on the nose. Much more dark fruited on the palate: white fig, dates, and a gravelly grip to the tannins balanced by the notable acidity. Of the tiny-vineyard Sonoma sites (Whitney & Zampatti) this is certainly the darker, denser of the two, though lovely, open, and drinking well today!
2017 “Zampatti Vineyard” Zinfandel, Sonoma County
Located in Sonoma County, this vineyard is nearly hidden in downtown Santa Rosa. Planted in 1915 on 2.5 acres, the vineyard is farmed organically by Alida Morzenti, granddaughter of the Zampattis. The Zinfandel vines are interspersed with little-known white grapes Palomino & Golden Chasselas, and planted on a cool sloping site with large rocks scattered throughout the warm Franciscan soils. The wines are balanced, aromatic, bright and beautiful.
Though a darker version than years past, Zampatti is the zippier and brighter of the two tiny Sonoma vineyards in 2017. This is most likely owing to the particularly cool location of the vineyard, sheltered as it is by the surrounding groves and gardens. Raspberry and blackberry preserves on the nose, with a touch of garrigue and piquant spice. Though it’s picked late in the season, Zampatti’s acidity is one of the naturally highest of all the wines we make. As such, supple fruits abound on the palate alongside the crunchy, mouth-watering acidity. Drink now, though can easily hold for a few years…if you must!