Chris, I absolutely agree. And, I don’t think we’re alone, among wine Geeks. A few years back I would post a note on Turley and get a blast of pushback from boardmembers who still equated Turley with Helen and an over-the-top style of winemaking. This is changing.
Tegan Passalacqua took over winemaking from Ehren Jordan a few years back and has continued - and I think refined a trend that Ehren started, of scaling back the wines to the point that they really reflect the individual sites of their remarkable vineyards. As well as any producer, to my palate, these individual offerings are extremely distinctive. I have friends who even catagorize some of the wines as “Pinot-like.”
Pretty big fan and I’d agree with Mike about “scaling back the wines”. I’ve been sharing an allocation with a guy for many years and though I don’t buy a bunch I do like the wines.
Mike, Ehren Jordan was at Turley Mid 90s through 2010+? I’m not sure when the shift away from “over-the-top” started in earnest. I dimly remember stumbling around outside a Turley tasting room circa 2004 feeling like I’d imbibed two or three shots too many. The wines were tasty, but not exactly restrained. I remember a 1997 Turley Black Sears from a dinner in 2007 that a friend accurately described as: “Unabashedly huge wine. Impressive for its pure explosiveness. Potent and hot, but not stewed or pruney…Bruising in style, unapologetic take-no-prisoners wine.”
I’ve heard repeatedly about the “pull back”, and I don’t doubt it. If the claim is that it happened pre 2005…I’m calling “Shenanigans”. If afterwards…right on.
Richard, I’m thinking that I began to notice the change with the 09-10 vintages? I recall that longtime Turley supporter RMP just blasted what he perceived to be a style change about 5-6 years ago. It’s interesting that critics like Bonne and Galloni (who appreciate a more nuanced style) are very onboard with the current Turley offerings, I’m not sure where Parker is now.
Word to this- especially as the OP mentioned space concerns. Turley will not solve those for sure. I have to use bulk storage or magnum racking for them.
They also have a history for pretty aggressive bundling and in order to get their “top” wines, you have to buy 17 cases of their lower end. Not sure if this is still true or not though- I was never on the list, only bought a few from others.
Mike you know Zin [not so much politics ] but I once bought some 30+ year old Ridge Zin and it was still more than drinkable. Once tried some 40+ year old Ridge Chenin Blanc and while it lost some of it’s get up and go was still somewhat recognizable as CB.
IMO, buy! The Pesenti (estate) is my favorite of their zins. And grab all the PS you can and hide 'em for as long as you want. Distinct wine, very brambly, very balanced considering the alc %, and always enjoyable.
We visited last summer. I was very impressed with the toned down vision they have with their Zins. Well balanced and they had a few older wines opened that were singing. I do feel I can grab these in the secondary market but Texas is different.
Wow, impressive. First off, thanks to you all for the quick and thorough responses. I think it’s a testament to how many responses I received to this post, as to the passion around this wine. Irregular bottles, or not, I’m going to order some of these. I think Zin is such a wonderful wine - the “middleweight champ” of reds!
Jeb - true, true on the lists - this is my vetting process!
Ironically tried my first Turley a few days ago, the 2010 Old Vines Zin. I thought it was exceptional. Killer nose, nice complexity and a very plush mouthfeel. Although a bit larger to me than Bedrock, Carlisle or even Ridge, it was so well-balanced. That said, it left a distinct impression as being an early drinker.
Stylistically though, I’d place the Turley into the more dark fruited Zin tier, with secondary aromatics and flavors perhaps being more overt (lots of black tea, herbs, worcestershire sauce and a touch of oak). I’d place the Bedrock and Carlisle styles as being more red-fruited, with a more lifted spice than the Turley.
Either way, add me as another Turley fan. I will definitely look for more.
I am mixed on them. I have been on the list two years now and have taken my allocation.
I agree I like MOST of thier wines. Oddly enough I just go grab a random wine from the cellar and 2-3 times its great. One time, I wish I had not bough the bottle.
I find the juvenile to be a decent wine on average, but not sure where you see this wine for 19 bucks.
AT roughly double the price of other zins, I will be passing on most this year.
They are unique, and when they are on, they are great wines, but too many not so goods for the price for me as of late.
A word of caution: If you really like the Ridge, Bedrock style, you might not like Turley’s zins. I find a lot of the Turley’s too alcoholic, and I’ve been served some older ones where I thought the alcohol really stood out once the fruit had dissipated a bit.
To each his own taste, of course. My tastes tend toward less ripe California styles. But if you’re expecting something like Ridge or Bedrock, you might be in for a surprise.
To John Morris’s comment (two comments ago), I would say that I think (a) the style has been adjusted in recent years, perhaps away from some of the ones that would have led to John’s experiences, (b) they aren’t really wines you need or want to age for a long time, and (c) I agree that these are different from the Ridge / Bedrock style, those tending to be blended with other darker/blacker grapes, and made in more of a claret style and a less exuberant style than Turley.
Probably some Turley zins would age well enough (Hayne most likely the best of all of them), but I’ve never sensed that any of them besides Hayne would significantly benefit from longer aging. And I’m someone who tends to prefer wines older, including wines like California pinot and zin that many people don’t believe / realize can age well. The Turley zins might improve for a year or so after release.
Scott, these are going to knock it out of the park with your summer cookouts in the Lone Star State. Remember, Ueberroth and Pesenti. I think both are around $40, great value for world class wines.
Scott, if I could ask a favor, whenever you get your first ordering option, loop back to the board and tell us what it looks like – what you are offered, what the prices are, what conditions there are. I’m curious what the mechanics are. Thanks!
] but I once bought some 30+ year old Ridge Zin and it was still more than drinkable. Once tried some 40+ year old Ridge Chenin Blanc and while it lost some of it’s get up and go was still somewhat recognizable as CB.