2010 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

A cool, inward wine, the 2010 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard is intensely saline and mineral-driven in personality. Sweet floral and spice notes add complexity to the beautifully delineated, energetic fruit. The Hayne brings together tension, power and depth, with serious length and extract. These vines were planted in 1953.

A cool, inward wine, the 2010 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard is intensely saline and mineral-driven in personality. Sweet floral and spice notes add complexity to the beautifully delineated, energetic fruit. The Hayne brings together tension, power and depth, with serious length and extract. These vines were planted in 1953. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. 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

(14.4% alcohol, 3.46 pH): Saturated ruby to the rim. Extremely primary, slightly porty blackberry aroma. Creamy-sweet in the mouth, with harmonious acidity giving a light touch to the blueberry and pepper flavors. Most impressive today on the extremely long, juicy finish, which features a strong peppery quality along with a suggestion of exotic fruits. This should evolve slowly and well in the bottle.