2010 Turley Zinfandel Rattlesnake Ridge

One of the clear highlights among these 2010s, the Zinfandel Rattlesnake Ridge saturates the palate with serious density, yet also maintains gorgeous delineation. Crushed rocks, asphalt and blackberry jam all take shape in the glass, while a core of intense minerality runs through to the finish. Over time, the Rattlesnake Ridge just keeps getting better and better. 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

(16.1% alcohol): Good bright ruby. Precise, vibrant aromas and flavors of blackberry, bitter chocolate and spicecake. Dense, sweet and firm, with terrific fruit intensity. Very strong material here but the finish is a bit blocked today by pronounced dusty tannins. Lay this one down. (Unfortunately, my first bottle of the Dragon Zinfandel Howell Mountain was corked. A later sample was also a bit musty, and showed little zinfandel fruit sweetness--I assume due to a cork problem as well.)