It’s been a while since I have posted about a Turley Wine Cellars wine. While Turley still makes up a good percentage of my wine room, only a handful are from the Central Coast. I posted sometime back about how I became a Turley girl, but let me refresh the story for you today.
I first fell in love with Turley when its Old Vines Zinfandel started showing up on DC restaurant menus for about $100/bottle. It was something delicious and elusive, to be enjoyed for a special occasion like Valentines Day, a birthday, or an anniversary. And you couldn’t just get on their mailing list at the time – you had to wait. So, it was a Huge Big Deal when I made it onto their list. We’ve been buying their wines ever since.
Way back when, when we used to get down to the Paso Robles AVA for wine tasting, we “discovered” Pesenti winery as having some fabulous reds for reasonable prices. When my favorite Zin producer Larry Turley took them over in 2000, it gave us some acknowledgement that we were not the only ones who thought Pesenti Vineyard produced great fruit!
Today I am presenting a single Turley Petite Syrah from the Pesenti Vineyard. Winery notes come from their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
AboutPesenti Vineyard Petite Syrah: “This estate-owned and certified organic vineyard was planted by the Turley team using cuttings from the 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.”
Winemaker Notes (captured previously from their website): “Dark purple fruits, black pepper, bitter chocolate, and a touch of wild game—reminiscent of a modern northern Rhône wine. Silky, well-resolved tannins and thoroughly well-rounded, the Pesenti Petite Syrah has come into its own. Ready to drink now at cellar temperature (about 55-65ºF) and will continue to over-deliver for many years to come thanks to the copious antioxidants.” 93-95 points Vinous, 92 points Wine Advocate.
My Review: Inky purple in the glass. Brambleberry, blueberry, and alcohol on the nose. Rich palate of juicy, dark, berries, including blackberry, black, raspberry, and blueberries. Very grapey. All the fruit flavors are wrapped in alcohol, with grippy tannins and a licorice and chalky finish. After opening up, it smooths out, reinforcing my opinion that this wine needed to be decanted and has a long life ahead. April 2023
*$38 is what we paid via their mailing list. Current retail price is $65.
Amador County: “Nestled in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, our Amador county tasting room in Plymouth is the home of the Gold Rush and the nation’s oldest vineyards.” Open by appointment for tastings: Thursday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm, Monday 11 am – 4 pm.
Paso Robles: “A few miles inland of California’s storied Central Coast, Paso Robles is a pioneer’s paradise, where surfers, cowboys, vintners, farmers, and ranchers commingle amidst ancient vines, towering oak trees, and rolling hills.” Open by appointment for tastings: Thursday – Sunday 10 am – 4 pm.
When I reduced my posts to once a week and started hitting the tasting rooms, I didn’t realize how far behind I might get! I’ve decided to present some of these single wines tasted from August to November over the next few weeks to close out 2021. Today I am presenting 7 of them from outside Monterey County, in the order of tasting date. Next week I’ll have a collection of Monterey County wines/wineries to close out 2021. Starting in January, I’ll be back to winery tastings with the occasional one-off wines.
PLease share this blog with your family and friends – the more the merrier! If you have not yet subscribed to my weekly blog, you can enter your email at the very bottom right of this page – then confirm it from your email. I promise no selling of your address, just my weekly post delivered straight to you. And I encourage your comments – maybe you know a winery I should check out. Also, feel free to share back what local wines you are enjoying!
2015 Donati The Immigrant, Paicines, San Benito County, 14.5% ABV, $35 (#555*)
From the Donati Family Vineyard Website: “Albino Donati immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1907. Just like many others who came to America, he arrived with a commitment to create a better life for his family. His hard work, determination, and perserverance have created footsteps for our family to follow for generations. The creation of “The Immigrant” is in honor of his legacy.”
Wine Enthusiast – 89 points: This bottling is very shy on the nose, offering tight boysenberry and wet gravel aromas with patience. The palate is a bit flat as well, but eventually delivers flavors of baked cherry and baking spice, held together by tense tannins. MATT KETTMANN 12/2018
My Review: Ruby in the glass. Mellow berries on the nose. Very smooth on the palate, nice berries, cedar and mint. This is one of those super smooth reds I could just keep drinking. I would have given it a much higher score – in the 92-point range. August 2021
2019 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant, Central Coast, 13.5% ABV, $16 (#556*)
Wine class chose the varietal Cinsault, intending a foreign wine. I found this Bonny Doon wine at Whole Foods in Washington DC. My notes say I paid $23 for it, but it is generally available for less than that!
Winemaker’s Notes from the bottle: “In 1954 the mayor of Châteauneuf-du-Pape was quite perturbed and apprehensive that UFOs are flying cigars might do damage to their vineyards. So right thinking man all, they passed a legal ordinance prohibiting such landings. The ordinance has worked well, as there have been no such landings since the adoption of this far sighted legislation. The stellar composition of our cigar Volant call flying cigar” contains 56% Grenache 30% since so 13% Sarah and 1% petite Sirah.”
Wine Enthusiast – 93 points & Best Buy: A delicate color in the glass, this blend of 56% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 13% Syrah and 1% Petite Sirah pops with bright raspberry, crushed rock, turned earth and lilac aromas on the nose. The palate is tense with rocky edges and yet zesty with pomegranate and strawberry flavors. MATT KETTMANN
My Review: Ruby, somewhat translucent in the glass. A little sulfur on the nose upon opening. Cherry and leather on the palate. Nice on a hot DC evening. August 2021
2017 DeRose Dry Farmed Zinfandel, Cedolini Vineyard, Cienega Valley, San Benito County, 15.1% ABV, $45 (#557*)
My Review: Beautiful ruby in the glass. Berry jam and crab (shellfish) on the nose. Berry pie on the palate – it’s a berry-o-rama in the mouth, chalky, slightly sweet, slightly ripe or cooked, with a peppery finish. September 2021
A DC friend (Scott Gudes) brought this wine from his very first wine tasting in Paso Robles! We had it with our dinner at Poppy Hall – very nice.
From the label: “David Bailey planted this vineyard on the old family property on Peachey Canyon Road. This is a head pruned, dry farmed vineyard. This wine is 100% Zinfandel – old time Paso baby! Yeahh! It is all you might expect and then just a wee bit more.”
My Review: Purple in the glass. Jammy and spicy on the nose. Juicy and smooth on the palate. Opened up nicely to dark berries with an even darker, intense fruit finish.October 2021
2015 Trinitas Old Vines Petite Sirah, Contra Costa County, 16.2% ABV, $36 (#559*)
I love a good Petite Sirah and found this for $18 at Costco!
From the Trinitas Website: “This is by no means elegant, its rather a massive hulking bruiser of a wine! In fact, this might be the most decadently textured dry red wine we’ve ever made. Which doesn’t surprise us. 2015 was not only the third year of the drought, but also the vines we source from in Contra Costa County are mainly planted in sandy soils, so they are well drained and receive much more heat. Trust us, this all shows in the wine! This deep, dark-purple elixir has skyrocketing aromas of baked blueberries, blackberries, and toasted vanilla. With just one sip, its heavenly texture completely saturates the palate with baked berry cobbler and vanilla bean flavors that are lifted by dusty tannins as it trails off into a very persistent finish. This is so opulent, juicy, and scrumptious, that it’s nearly impossible to resist. Which is probably why Wine Enthusiast awarded it 93 points and Editor’s Choice!”
My Review: Inky in the glass with aromas of smooth dark berries. Very dark blueberry and blackberry fruit on the palate with cassis and black currant on the finish. Very smooth. Great value for the flavor – I would buy this again!October 2021
2017 Turley Zinfandel, Duarte Vineyard, Contra Costa County, 15.3% ABV, $33 (#560*)
From the Turley website: “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 1960.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.”
My Review: Very dark ruby in color. Smoke and plum on the nose. Jammy brambleberry with spice on the palate. A spicy finish with a touch of tobacco. If you stumble on a Turley Duarte, pick it up – I usually recommend decanting Turley wines. October 2021
2015 The Ojai Vineyard Syrah, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley,13.5% ABV, $45 (#561*)
The Ojai Vineyard Tasting Notes: “Aromas come on with many of the usual suspects from Bien Nacido—cured meat, purple flowers, rock dust—but also a concentrated fruity exuberance that tilts toward liqueur. It drinks with that same balance, coming on with an lavish blanket of dark fruits before gaining pitch and lengthening into a smoky savory beauty, closing out late with those cool-climate notes of herby tapenade, wood smoke and peppery meat crust. The forward feel will have many drink this sooner than later, but for peak rapture age this for several years, at least.” 97 points- Jeb Dunnuck!!
My Review: Berry blast on the nose, followed by some menthol and leather. Super delicious on the palate. Spice on the finish. We followed the Vineyard Aging Recommendations, opening this one before the 2012 Syrah, which is still not ready! We served this with Thanksgiving leftovers. I loved this wine – probably one of the best Syrahs I have recently consumed.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
It’s been a long while since I’ve presented a Central Coast Turley – and this is a good one. We got this wine when released for $32 as a Turley Mailing List Member, a bargain for the quality.
About Turley: “Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by former emergency room physician Larry Turley in 1993. Under the direction of winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, Turley now makes 50 different wines from over 50 vineyards across California, primarily Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, with many vines dating back to the late 1800s. By farming organically and focusing on old vine vineyards of these varieties, Turley aims to both create and preserve California’s unique winemaking culture.”
2016 Turley Zinfandel Duarte Vineyard, Contra Costa County, 15.6% ABV, $54 (#425*)
About Duarte Vineyard from Turley.com: “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 1960.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.”
Wine Advocate – 91 points: “From old vines growing in sand in Contra Costa County, the 2016 Zinfandel Duarte Vineyard offers up aromas of sweet cherries, raspberries, red fruit preserve, bay leaf and licorice. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, generous and fleshy, with rich, youthfully chewy structuring tannins and considerable concentration, depth and matter.” William Kelley 09/2018
My Review: Deep ruby, almost purple in the glass. Huge palate bursting with blackberry and cassis with a little cocoa. The cocoa continues into the finish, wrapping up with a touch of tobacco. This is a fabulous Turley. I would rate this wine 93 points. July 2021
While this vintage seems unavailable, the 2018 is available at MacArthur’s for $42. Buy and hold a little. And Robert Parker rates the 2019 (not yet released) 94 points! You can also shop online from Turley’s two tasting rooms or join its mailing list here: https://www.turleywinecellars.com/remotepurchases. Turley tasting rooms are open! Check it out and make a reservation here.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
Turley describes Paso Robles as follows: “A few miles inland of California’s storied Central Coast, Paso Robles is a pioneer’s paradise, where surfers, cowboys, vintners, farmers, and ranchers commingle amidst ancient vines, towering oak trees, and rolling hills.” Yep, sums it up nicely!
About Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel: “This certified organic estate-owned vineyard was planted in the 1920’s 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, with chalk and floral aromas unique to the site, and to Zinfandel in general…With the calcaerous limestone and the occasional carignane vine interplanted with Zinfandel, the Pesenti Zin takes on a unique brightness leading to a “sweet-tart-esque” character.”
Wine Spectator – 92 Points: “Structure meets zesty fruit in this vivid red, which has black cherry, grilled anise and white pepper flavors that take on speed toward minerally tannins. Drink now through 2026.” TF 05/2018
My Review: Very jammy, plum & berry, on the nose, carrying over to intense boysenberry on the palate, with vanilla on the finish. Overall, very berry. I did not pick up the depth of flavors described by Wine Spectator. Hold for a few more years. (February 2021)
*The price above is what we paid via the Turley mailing list. You can find this wine for sale on line from different wine merchants for an average price of $50. You can also shop online from Turley’s two tasting rooms or join its mailing list here: https://www.turleywinecellars.com/remotepurchases. Yay, Turley tasting rooms are open for outdoor tastings! Check it out and make a reservation here.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
I don’t get to write much about Turley in this blog, as most of their wines fall outside the “Central Coast” theme. I presented some Turley Pesenti Vineyard wines from Paso Robles back in December (https://decantingmonterey.com/turley-pesenti-a-whole-other-reason-to-love-paso-robles-wines/ ). During Christmas week, we opened a Turley Zinfandel from Contra Costa County – stretching the limits of the Central Coast AVA!
I don’t know that much about the Contra Costa County AVA but I found this description on Wine Searcher here: “Contra Costa County is an AVA directly east of San Francisco Bay in California’s Central Coast AVA. Once a prolific wine-growing region, the county is home to some century-old plantings of Zinfandel, Mourvedre and Carignan that produce rustic, earthy and leathery styles of red wine.
“The county sits on the edge of the San Francisco and Suisun bays at the entrance to where the Sacramento Delta begins to weave its way inland towards Lodi. Livermore Valley is directly south of Contra Costa County, and the city of San Francisco across the bay gives the county its name – contra costa meaning ‘opposite shore’ in Spanish…
“The quality soils of Contra Costa County are the defining feature of its terroir. Gnarled old vines were planted 100 years ago on deep, sandy soils that have restricted yields, particularly as the vines have aged. Deep and free-draining, the sand offers little resistance to wandering root systems, and the lack of water in the ground means that the vines produce small, concentrated berries with thick skins. This in turn leads to concentrated wines with firm tannins and excellent structure.”
2017 Turley Zinfandel Salvador Vineyard, Contra Costa County, 15.9% ABV, $38** (#224*)
Photo of the Salvador Vineyard, courtesy of Turley Wine Cellars
About Turley Zinfandel Salvador Vineyard fromwww.turleywinecellars.com: “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.”
Winemaker Notes: “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! Aromas of dark berries, peach skin, sandalwood & leather make this one of the most intriguing iterations of Salvador to date. The palate is intensely concentrated, co-mingled with an energizing acidity. These ancient, ungrafted vines in sandy soils make for some of the suavest tannins and most elongated finishes around.”
Wine Spectator Review – 89 points: “Briary and loaded with zesty pepper, smoky plum and eucalyptus flavors that build speed toward mildly rustic tannins. Drink now through 2023. 545 cases made.” TF, 2018
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate highly rates other vintages giving the 2014 and 2017 94 points and the 2016, 95 points.
My Review of the 2015: Vanilla and spice on the nose, berry and cedar on the palate. Spice on the finish. Could be that sandalwood and eucalyptus! December 2020
**I bought this through their mailing list at the prices above. Found this wine at Napa Cabs for $65. Take a look at Turley’s special packs open to everyone – very good opportunity to get some Turley in your wine cellar. They will ship wine and do tasting room pickups (Paso Robles and Amador). https://www.turleywinecellars.com/shop/?view=products&slug=PTRRemotePurchases. No tastings available right now.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
Way back when, when we used to get down to the Paso Robles AVA for wine tasting, we “discovered” Pesenti as having some fabulous reds for reasonable prices. When my favorite Zin producer Larry Turley took them over in 2000, it gave us some acknowledgement that we were not the only ones who thought Pesenti Vineyards produced great fruit! I am presenting two Zinfandels and one Petite Sirah in this post.
I confess I am a Turley girl – 1/5 of my wines cellar is Turley…
About Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel: “This certified organic estate-owned vineyard was planted in the 1920’s 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, with chalk and floral aromas unique to the site, and to Zinfandel in general…With the calcaerous limestone and the occasional carignane vine interplanted with Zinfandel, the Pesenti Zin takes on a unique brightness leading to a “sweet-tart-esque” character.”
Winemaker Notes from wine.com: “Yields were down once again in Paso Robles, though luckily in 2016 we started to see the slightest bit of relief, rain-wise. As a result, the Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel is deeply concentrated yet refreshing. The tart red fruits on the initial nose are present as always, followed by Pesenti’s signature bright acidity and smooth tannin. The wine has a refined yet approachable palate presence, complemented by plenty of lift from the calcareous Pesenti soils, carrying through to a long invigorating finish.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points: “From a site Turley owns in Paso Robles, the 2016 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard exhibits a boisterous, fruit-driven bouquet of ripe raspberries, cherries and kirsch. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and generous, with tangy acids and fine structuring tannins largely concealed in a sweet core of fruit, tangy acids, light structuring tannins asserting themselves on the back end. It’s one of the most charming and immediate of this year’s single-vineyard bottlings.”
My Review: We drank this post-debate and finished the whole bottle without any difficulty. Deep garnet in the glass, blackberry and white pepper on the nose. Spicy blackberry, dark cherry and currant on the palate. A complex mix of jammy goodness with a touch of leather on the finish. There is really good fruit throughout in this wine. As it opened up, that fruit became rounder and deeper. This was a great vintage of this wine. (September 2020)
Winemaker Notes from wine.com: “Vibrant and always distinctive, the Pesenti Zinfandel makes its spring lineup debut! Fragrant red fruits, black raspberry, chalk dust, piquant spices and wild flowers all flourish on the nose. Lush yet linear on the palate, with fresh, lively acidity and profound depth. Intensely pleasurable now, and will age well.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 points: “The Pesenti vineyard was planted in the 1920s on limestone soils. Deep ruby in color, the 2017 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard gives savory notes of charcuterie over dried brambly fruits and crushed black cherries with hints of dried soil. Medium to full-bodied, it offers savory-laced fruits in the mouth with soft, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long with pretty dried flowers notes. 2,400 cases produced.”
My Review: SweeTart on the nose with raspberry and bright fruits. This high-alcohol wine seemd a bit volatile on the palate with a bit of harshness and leather on the finish. This wine might need a bit more time in the bottle or more aeration upon opening. July 2020
AboutPesenti Vineyard Petite Syrah: “This estate-owned and certified organic vineyard was planted by the Turley team using cuttings from the 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.”
Winemaker Notes from wine.com: “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.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 98 points: “The 2017 Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard was bottled three weeks before I tasted it but is nonetheless showing beautifully. It has a very deep purple-black, opaque color and nose of crème de cassis, black cherry liqueur, cracked black pepper, bacon fat, savory green and black olive, violet, lilac, perfumed earth and tons of blue fruit jam notes. Full-bodied, rich and savory, it features wonderful black and blue fruit layers with tons of floral and savory perfume, very firm, chewy tannins, great freshness and a very long, savory finish.”
My Review: Rich, dark ruby in color. Blackberry and blueberry with a little brown sugar and rosemary on the nose. Full palate of dark, jammy fruit and black pepper with a slight bitterness on the finish. Truly a favorite. August 2020
*The price above is what we paid via their mailing list. They are offering some specials to anyone on their Remote Purchases website with the following notes: “At this time, we are allowing for both shipping and appointment-based pick-up orders in our Paso Robles tasting room. Please review our Shipping & Pick-up Information in advance of your order. Note: if you are shipping outside of CA, we strongly recommend a minimum 6 bottle order, to maximize shipping efficiency, cost and safety (we can only include ice packs in 6 bottle and higher shippers).”
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
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