2013 Turley Zinfandel Horizontal

“Larry Turley has produced three 2013 Zinfandels from the Howell Mountain AVA, which he was one of the first to exploit in terms of Zinfandel. Nearly 25 years later, he continues making some of the finest wines this ancient grape can produce. The 2013 Zinfandel Dragon Vineyard from Howell Mountain originates from one of the highest elevation sites in the Turley portfolio. Estate-owned, this vineyard (at 2400 feet, well above the fog line and east-facing as well) is planted in volcanic and rocky soils. It has always produced one of the killer Zinfandels, and the 2013 (15.3% alcohol) is no exception. It has a saturated dense ruby/purple color, a seamless integration of acidity, tannin and alcohol, stunning boysenberry, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit, and great complexity for a Zinfandel. Full-bodied, with a stunningly proportioned texture, terrific purity and palate presence, at the same time its acidity gives it a zestiness and an ethereal quality. This is a stunner... (RP)” (01/2015)

“A big, dramatic wine, the 2013 Zinfandel Dragon Vineyard unfolds gradually on the palate, revealing layers of dark red-toned fruit and exceptional balance. Iron, cherry, plum, game, smoke, savory herbs, licorice, spice, graphite and menthol fill out the wine's big, broad shouldered frame effortlessly. Deep, powerful and intensely perfumed, the Dragon is a superb wine from Larry Turley and his team. Stylistically, the Dragon is quite savory and ferrous in its overall profile, with the fruit more in the background. (AG)” (10/2015)

“(15.7% alcohol, from an east-facing site on the "mid-slope," with a rocky underpinning but more topsoil than the Rattlesnake Ridge, according to Tegan Passalacqua): Good medium red. Nice lift to the balsamic flavors of redcurrant, mocha and nuts. Sweet, supple and fine-grained, with very ripe flavors of black- and redcurrant and nutty oak. A fairly full style of zinfandel but without quite the energy of the Rattlesnake Ridge. (ST)” (05/2014)

“Lovely aromas of mountain flowers and loamy cracked pepper open to focused and layered flavors of dusty raspberry, licorice and dried sage. The tannins finish on a dry note. (TF)” (08/2015)

“The 2013 Zinfandel Duarte Vineyard is dark, fleshy and seductive, with a good dose of aromatic lift from the sandy soils. Sweet red cherry, plum, spice and mint are laced together. Effortless and gracious, the 2013 hits all the right notes. The flavors are intense and aromatic, with plenty of rose petal and sweet red berry fruit notes. (AG)” (10/2015)

“Dusty rose petal and raspberry aromas lead to fresh and supple flavors of cherry pie, toasted sage and fresh pepper. A pleasure to drink. (TF)” (08/2015)

“Winemaker Tegan Passalacqua’s family owns the Kirschenmann Vineyard in Lodi, and the 2013 Zinfandel Kirschenmann Vineyard (15.2% alcohol) is yet another Turley offering that wants to transport the taster to the Southern Rhône Valley of France. Yet it is more than the powers of suggestion that the aromas of raspberry, kirsch liqueur, earth, spice and pepper are all present in this wine, made from head-pruned, ungrafted vines. This is a juicy, up-front, full-bodied yet elegant Zinfandel... (RP)” (04/2015)

“Weightless, gracious and refined, the 2013 Zinfandel Kirschenmann Vineyard is beautifully lilting on the glass. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, cinnamon and mint are all nicely delineated in the glass. As it often is, the Kirschenmann is one of the more ethereal, lifted Zinfandels in the range. (AG)” (10/2015)

“Appealing aromas of cherry and smoky sage lead to a narrow scale of flavors that focus on raspberry, earth and herb. (TF, Web-2015)” (08/2015)

“From a high-elevation vineyard in Atlas Peak, the 2013 Zinfandel Mead Ranch (16.1% alcohol) has its origins at a site planted in 1880, although Larry Turley’s block dates only from 1970. The vines are head-pruned and the soils purely volcanic. One of the profound Zinfandels from Turley in 2013, this wine is locked-and-loaded, so to speak – powerful, packed, rich, and full-bodied, with blackberry, blueberry, black raspberry and cherry fruit in abundance. It is obviously full-bodied, thick, even unctuously textured, while it seems to have slightly less acidity than some of the other cuvées – or at least, that’s how it presents itself. This is a stunner to drink over the next 10-12+ years. It is a great Zinfandel and one of the most sumptuous and exotic in the portfolio. (RP)” (04/2015)

“The 2013 Zinfandel Mead Ranch, from a site on Atlas Peak, brings together super-expressive aromatics and pliant fruit on a wonderfully complete wine that speaks to harmony above all else. Sweet tobacco, herbs, orange zest and dried cherries open up with air, but it is really the wine's sense of completeness that gets me today. (AG)” (10/2015)

“The 2013 Zinfandel Fredericks Vineyard is endowed with expressive dark red and bluish fruit, game, smoke, tobacco, spice and licorice, all with a firm spine of tannin that gives the wine much of its energy and intensity. A wine that grows in the glass, the Fredericks possesses superb texture and depth throughout. This is one of the more powerful, explosive wines in the range. Above all else, though, I admire the wine's distinct personality. (AG)” (10/2015)

“The organic vineyard in Sonoma owned by Dick Fredericks (planted in 1937) has produced the 2013 Zinfandel Fredericks Vineyard (16.1% alcohol). Deep purple, full-bodied, with great freshness and precision, the old vines have produced gorgeously pure fruit, plenty of blackberry, black cherry and currant notes, and a zesty mouthfeel. There’s no sense of heaviness or weight to this rich, concentrated Zinfandel from a vineyard at an elevation of approximately 900 feet. The balance between acid, fruit and tannin is impressive. (RP) 94+” (04/2015)