2013 Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard

The 2013 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard shows just how special this St. Helena site is. Perfumed and aromatically compelling, the 2013 is laced with bright red cherry, flowers and sweet spices, with a hint of blood orange that adds aromatic lift. The Hayne is both deep but also notably weightless. Drink this beautifully balanced, harmonious Zinfandel over the next 15+ years.

Not yet in bottle is the 2013 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard. Often a candidate for the top Zinfandel in any vintage (along with the Jackass Hill of Martinelli, a handful of Zinfandels from Carlisle, and more recently Bedrock and Limerick Lane), this wine from a vineyard on the west side of St. Helena tucked under the Mayacamas Mountains has been a staple of Turley’s brilliant winemaking for many, many years. These head-pruned, dry-farmed vines were planted in 1902 and 1903, and the wine seems to be a perfect messenger for them, providing power and elegance, no matter what the vintage seems to offer. No doubt the root systems go down so deep that the vintage differences are often negated by this extraordinary terroir. The 2013 has a dense ruby/plum color and is full-bodied and rich, with brambleberry, blackberry, black cherry fruit and a full-bodied mouthfeel, but (possibly because it is still a barrel sample) not showing the nuances that the bottled 2013s possess. It’s all there, and this wine seems loaded, but I suspect my comments and score are conservative based on what will ultimately turn out in bottle.

The 2013 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard brings together power and finesse as few sites can. Quite simply, the Hayne is one of the most complete wines in the lineup. Bright red stone fruits, orange peel, white pepper and crushed rocks all add nuance to the exotic, high-toned finish. What a striking wine this is.