2010 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines

Another fabulous value, the 2010 Zinfandel Old Vines is endowed with serious richness and depth throughout. Blackberry jam, black cherries, menthol, cloves, tar and licorice all come to life in this distinctly dark, brooding wine. Constantly changing in the glass, the Old Vines has a certain elusive mysteriousness to it that is sure to delight. Once again, Turley has produced a wine that punches well above its weight big time. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. 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% alcohol; includes a good bit of fruit from single-vineyard sites that are not yet used to make named wines): Bright, deep ruby. Classic zin aromas of blackberry, crushed black pepper and licorice. Creamy-sweet and fat, but with a sweet-tart character contributing to the wine's superb cut and purity of fruit. Complicated by an element of wild herbs. Finishes with suave tannins, solid structure and excellent length. A very successful fusion of zinfandel's many aspects, and a terrific value.