2018 Turley “Duarte” Zinfandel, Contra Costa County
This wine is an homage to Joe Duarte, a prominent grape grower in Contra Costa who first introduced Turley to the incredible vineyards of the area. The wine is comprised of fruit from the turn-of-the-century Evangehlo, Mori and Salvador vineyards, planted between 1890 and 1930. Thanks to the sandy soils and impressive age of the vines, the wine has some of the softest, silkiest tannins we’ve ever seen in a Zinfandel.
An engaging nose of sun-ripened peach skin with tones of dark blue fruits and flowers as well. The palate is teeming with ripe berries and stone fruits, with the Duarte’s signature suave, mouth-watering texture. Excessively easy to drink immediately, the wine showed stellar from the very first pour! Shows especially well when served at cellar temperature, about 55-65°F.
2019 Turley Zinfandel Rosé, California
We select a few of our Zinfandel vines to pick early (at 19 brix) to make this vivid, dry, delightful rosé. This old-world re-imagining of California’s infamous rosé wine was conceived of by Larry’s eldest daughter, Christina, while she was still working as a sommelière in New York City. The idea of a dry Zinfandel rosé (which Christina lovingly and cheekily refers to as “white zin”) was, at first blush (heh) heartily rejected by Larry; imagine an expletive-ridden “when pigs fly.” Once Christina returned home to work for the winery, she could hound Larry from a shorter distance, and he finally gave in.
The first vintage was 2011. The tiny production was offered to a group of select restaurants, and it sold out in a matter of hours. Since then, we’ve made just a few cases every other year, and its popularity remains high. Indeed, Christina credits the success and impact of the Turley “White Zinfandel” as the impetus behind her landing on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2014. The wine is fermented completely dry using only natural yeasts, and finishes fermentation in 100% used French oak barrels. We— Christina especially—are thrilled to have finally made enough to be able to offer our beloved “White Zin” to our mailing list for the first time ever!
Delicate, pale pink rose petals, cherry blossom, peach fuzz and melon abound on the dynamic nose. Juicy mouth-watering acidity with an elegant, nimble texture on the palate, and a well-structured and thoroughly refreshing finish. Though akin to Provençal rosés in the way it’s made, this wine is distinctly Californian, and pure joy. Ready to drink now well-chilled (40-50°F; for reference, 40°F is about the temp of your food fridge) and will open up nicely as it warms in the glass! Bottled in the unique Turley bottle you know & love, but with a white label and capsule, so you’re sure not to confuse it with the lesser-known “red” Zinfandels you may possess.
2018 Turley Napa Petite Syrah, Napa Valley
While there’s no doubt that our first love is Zinfandel, our Petite Syrah is a very close second. A perfect counterpoint to the lush fruit and broad, expansive textures of Zinfandel, the Petite Syrah grape is pure taut power and potential. Very dark in color thanks to the extremely high anthocyanin content (the antioxidant found in red wine). Indeed, Petite Syrah has one of the highest concentrations of this compound around! We absolutely adore this wine, and hope you will, too.
This particular Petite Syrah hails from two certified organic vineyards nearly adjacent to one another in northern Napa Valley. Recently, we took cuttings from the Hayne and Library Petite Syrah plantings, and replicated them on our Estate, planting them head-trained and dry-farmed. (The Estate Petite Syrah single-vineyard bottling comes primarily from the older Petite Syrah plantings on the property.) These younger mixed vines are blended with fruit from the neighboring Casa Nuestra vineyard, one of the other longest-certified organic properties in Napa…besides us! Another mixed planting of head-trained and dry-farmed vines, these are older—planted in the 1970s— and add gorgeous fruit, depth, and complexity. Think of it as a “baby” version of the Estate, Library, or Casa Nuestra bottlings: plenty of body and savory characteristics, but slightly more approachable and youthful!
Profound, powerful, and pungent nose. India ink, pink peppercorns, pain grillé and savory roasted meats all proliferate. Give it a few vigorous swirls and even more aromas lift from the glass: lavender, garrigue, plums, blue fruits, and a sun-warmed brambly blackberry bush. The palate echoes the myriad flavors found on the nose, with a juicy density, robust tannins, and a long, satiating finish. Though medium weight for a PS, this wine is certainly much fuller bodied than our Zinfandels; while it doesn’t necessarily require decanting, it will likely benefit from doing so, and be even more expressive in your glass. Serve alongside a hearty grilled, smoked, BBQ’d, or otherwise boldly-flavored meal at the same temperature as the Zinfandel, about 55- 65°F.
2018 Turley “Estate Vineyard” Zinfandel, Napa Valley
This vineyard is special to all of us here at the winery; right in our backyard, it’s what we see every day at work (and from the family home!). In 2006, we planted 6 acres of head-trained dry-farmed Zinfandel that compliments the original planting from ten years prior, all of which are certified organic.
2018 is the 20th vintage of Turley’s Estate Zinfandel! Vibrantly colored and deeply aromatic, the ’18 Estate Zin is true Napa Valley elegant opulence. Loads of fruit and earth on the nose, along with dried flowers, cedar and tobacco, reminiscent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other wines of the southern Rhône. The multidimensional palate has more structure and grip than years past, as well as a bit of gravel dust on the finish. Fans of our Aida wines of yore will find them resurrected here. Ready to drink now at cellar temperature, about 55-65°F.
We are thrilled to re-release this special celebratory 20th vintage of our beloved Estate Zinfandel, aka the Turley “house” wine! So-called because our family home, as well as the winery’s headquarters, are all located on the same property, here in the heart of the Napa Valley. It’s been one of the longest-certified organic vineyards in Napa Valley, thus we all feel comfortable and grateful to be able to walk amongst the vines.
This is the site the family and winery team members stroll through daily: to stretch our legs and minds on a quiet walk alone, or take our morning constitutional with a cup of coffee and the winery dogs, Billie & Beau, in tow. It’s where all four of Larry’s daughters grew up, traipsing the vineyard rows on the hunt for hunks of shiny obsidian, shouting with glee when the occasional arrowhead was found. It’s for all these reasons and many more that no vineyard is (literally) closer to our daily thoughts and hearts. So, happy birthday Estate Zinfandel; long may ye reign!
