When people think of California wine, Cabernet Sauvignon usually comes to mind, but in reality, if there ever was a grape that truly represented winemaking in the Golden State, it's Zinfandel. Whose history in the state goes much further back, and is produced here at a level unlike anywhere else on earth. This is pure California wine. If you like big, bold reds, but perhaps they have all begun to taste similar and you are looking for something new, might I introduce you to Turley Wine Cellars. Founded by Larry Turley (who also started Frog's Leap) in 1993 as vehicle for showcasing Zinfandel, the winery purchased some of the best and oldest Zinfandel sites across the various growing regions of California. After some growing pains, famed California winemakers Ehren Jordan and Tegan Passalacqua stepped in and established new winemaking protocols including wild fermentation and removing the use of new oak in maturations. What resulted is quite possibly the greatest Zinfandels made in America. One of Turley's oldest Zinfandel vineyards, Ueberroth is located just a few miles northwest of Pesenti in the Willow Creek subzone of Paso Robles. The dry farmed, head-trained vines were amazingly planted in 1885 and are farmed organic by hand. The Ph of the soil at the sight creates fruit that is unusually higher in acid—something Zinfandel is usually lacking in—which allows the wines to be bigger and more powerful without losing structure. After a wild fermentation, the wine was matured in oak (a mix of new and spent American and French) for 15 months, and is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Exploding with blackberry, cherry, dark chocolate, and smoked earth, with a bit of orange rind and baking spices, this wine is incredibly stout and firm for a Zinfandel. 15.8% ABV
