2013 Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard- USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (3/7/2019)
H O L Y cow this is good! First thing you notice is how elegant, especially for a Turley, this wine is…smooth and polished with perfect balance of a silk lace…and as intricate and complex. Shows amazing crushed red berry, licorice, sweet tar, and smoky damp forest, dried flower florals…slight heat at first on the palate, but that quickly integrates along side the multiple spices of white pepper, dried potpourri/citrus, cinnamon stick. Bright and energetic, with crunch from crushed rocks and earth…very pretty florals, and more subtle berry liqueur than you usually get with Turley. The finish is LONG, spicy, and lingering. One of the best Zin’s I’ve ever had…with plenty left in the tank! (96 pts.)
Also…first time with a GRASSL glass(1855). Like it! First of all, it’s cleaner than my Zalto’s …I like the wider base, which seems to create more of a counteractive balance to the feel. Seems lighter in weight to the Zalto, more so like a Gabriel Glas. Doesn’t hurt that my first wine to give er a spin was amaze balls as well!
2007 Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard- USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (12/26/2019)
As with the 13 I last had, this shows wonderful liqueured red berry fruits(raspberry), brambly, with a tart snap…loaded with crunchy crushed rocks and dusty earth tones…savory red licorice…bright and energetic. Not as “elegant” as that 13 showed, and 16.2 abv is showing more than the 15.4 did on the 13. LOVE the florals of dried potpourri and cherry wood smoke…as well as the classics of white pepper spice, sweet tar, and forest floor. As with the 13, it does integrate nicely with more air…but would definitely prefer the 13 for that elegance and less heat. Still…these Hayne’s are SO distinct from all the other Zins Turley produces…a special terroir evident…exactly what I want in my Zin! (94 pts.)