2009 Zinfandel Old Vine

The odd lots of old vine fruit that do not fit in with any of the single vineyard wines are combined to produce the 2009 Zinfandel Old Vines. Its dark plum/ruby hue is followed by sweet aromas of briery berry fruit, herbs, incense, underbrush and soil undertones. This delicious, medium to full-bodied effort should drink well for 4-5 years. Larry Turley and his sidekick, longtime winemaker Ehren Jordan remain the reference point, along with Mike Officer at Carlisle in Sonoma and the Biale Family in Napa, for world-class, quintessential old vine Zinfandels. Sadly, few California Zinfandels reach these heights. 2009 is a softer, lighter-styled vintage for Turley, but the wines are already charming and irresistible. They should be ready to drink when released and best consumed in their first 4-6 years of life. The exceptions are a few of the old vine cuvees as well as their Petite Syrahs, which are all 30-50-year wines. Surprisingly, the alcohol levels are nearly as high as usual, running between 15.1% and 16.5% for the Zinfandels and 1 to 2% lower in the Petite Syrahs. Turley Cellars’ Petite Syrahs are something to behold. As stated above, they are all 30- to 50-year wines and even in a more fruit-forward, slightly lighter vintage such as 2009, they deliver massive fruit and richness, yet possess considerably lower alcohols than any of the Zinfandels. Although they can be drunk young, their true character tends to emerge at ages 10-20 or later as they are the ultimate anti-oxidant when it comes to wine. All of them exhibits dense opaque purple colors, full body and notes of graphite, blackberries, blueberries and incense as well as superb purity and density. Tel. (707) 963-0940; Fax (707) 963-8683