2010 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile

Hints of flowers, minerals and sweet spices run through the 2010 Zinfandel Juvenile, a wine that stands out for its focus and delineation. This mid-weight, aromatically expressive Zinfandel will drink well right out of the gate. The Juvenile, a young-vines bottling, is a great introduction to the Turley house style. It also happens to be a screaming value. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. This is a thrilling set of wines from Larry Turley, Ehren Jordan and Tegan Passalacqua. Tasting this wide a range of 2010 and 2011 Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs is like taking a master class in California terroir. The house style favors an expression of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah built on aromatic intensity and elegance, which Jordan credits to gentle extractions. At times, the wines come across as quite Burgundian in the way they express richness but not excess heaviness. Over the last few years, the wines have become a little more laid-back and less overtly ripe, which is a net positive given that the starting point for all of these wines is fruit of exceptional quality. The Petite Syrahs in particular are noteworthy because they are among the few wines that find the elegance Petite Syrah is capable of, while avoiding the massive tannins that are so typical elsewhere. The 2010s are strong across the board, although Turley did not bottle a few of their wines from sites that got scorched by the heat spikes, which includes the Highway 101 and Zampatti. The 2011s are more variable, as befits a vintage that had much less favorable conditions overall. Tel. (707) 963-0940

(15.5%; a blend made of young-vines juice from seven different counties): Good medium ruby. Exotic aromas of blackberry syrup and licorice. Sweet, spicy and creamy, kept fresh by brisk, ripe acidity. Finishes with supple tannins and nice length. A very harmonious blend and an excellent value in zinfandel.