2011 Petite Sirah Turley Estate Vineyard Napa Valley

According to Larry Turley, all of the 2011 zins I tasted came from fruit harvested before the rains started on October 3.Turley admitted he could have waited to pick with higher sugars but these brisk wines offer compelling vibrancy and should age longer than the more forward 2010s.For those who think of through-the-roof alcohol levels and residual sugar when Turley zinfandel is mentioned, there has been a distinct change in philosophy here in recent years."We used to be the last to pick," noted Turley."Now, when we're able to do our own vineyard work, or direct that work, we're among the first to harvest."The wines are all aged in 20% new oak (and 20% American barrels), added Turley, so "all differences are of terroir."Wet weather on June 3 and 4 affected the flowering in a lot of mountain vineyards, according to winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, but botrytis was not an issue at harvest time.This is a very strong collection.