2013 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard

Once again my fall tastings at Turley ran into two sessions. I may soon have to add another, as the range keeps expanding. Larry Turley and his winemaker, Tegan Passalacqua show no signs of slowing down at all, that is for sure. Overall, I found the 2013s to be truly exceptional from top to bottom. It's pretty much hard to go wrong with any of the 2013s, many of which will also prove to be exceptionally long-lived. Vintage 2014 is a bit less consistent. With a few exceptions, the Zinfandels are on the lighter side by Turley standards, even though the drought lowered yields dramatically in some spots. The vintage is stronger and more consistent across the Petite Sirahs and Cabernets. Acidities were lower than normal, while pHs were correspondingly higher, and the wines saw more time on the skins because the extractions did not come easy. As always, the wines are endowed with considerable flair. Turley, an avid home chef, pilot and former ER doctor, attacks every project with outsize enthusiasm and a wicked sense of humor. All of those qualities come through loud and clear in these wines. Pricing remains exceedingly fair considering the quality of what goes into the bottle.

Last year I tasted two vintages at Turley in one sitting. I survived, but just barely. This year, I was a little smarter, and broke up the tastings into two sessions, which turned out to be a great idea, as the lineup here continues to expand. What else is new? Overall, I found the 2012s to be a bit soft and lacking the depth that is typical, although many wines show healthy acidity and brightness. I expect most of the 2012s will drink well early. The 2013s, on the other hand, have quite a bit more energy, tension and overall richness. That said, there is plenty to admire and look forward to in this stellar set of wines from Larry Turley and winemaker Tegan Passalacqua. Today, it has become quite fashionable to resurrect California's old, heritage sites. That is of course a very positive development, but sometimes lost in that excitement is that Larry Turley was among the first, if not the first, person to give value to vineyards that could have long disappeared had it not been for his ability to understand their inherent potential and passion to show the heights these vineyards could reach if farmed with diligence.