2010 Zinfandel Lodi Dogtown Vineyard

Turley’s 2010 Zinfandel Dogtown Vineyard is a wine that will challenge readers’ perceptions of what Zinfandel can be. Intensely perfumed and gracious, the 2010 flows across the palate with raspberry jam, crushed flowers and licorice. The aromas and flavors are very much high-toned in this utterly distinctive Zinfandel. There is no shortage of personality here. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. This is a thrilling set of wines from Larry Turley, Ehren Jordan and Tegan Passalacqua. Tasting this wide a range of 2010 and 2011 Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs is like taking a master class in California terroir. The house style favors an expression of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah built on aromatic intensity and elegance, which Jordan credits to gentle extractions. At times, the wines come across as quite Burgundian in the way they express richness but not excess heaviness. Over the last few years, the wines have become a little more laid-back and less overtly ripe, which is a net positive given that the starting point for all of these wines is fruit of exceptional quality. The Petite Syrahs in particular are noteworthy because they are among the few wines that find the elegance Petite Syrah is capable of, while avoiding the massive tannins that are so typical elsewhere. The 2010s are strong across the board, although Turley did not bottle a few of their wines from sites that got scorched by the heat spikes, which includes the Highway 101 and Zampatti. The 2011s are more variable, as befits a vintage that had much less favorable conditions overall. Tel. (707) 963-0940

(16.2% alcohol; the tiny clusters yielded just a half ton of fruit per acre, according to winemaker Jordan): Bright deep ruby. High-pitched aromas of blackberry, licorice pastille, mint, wild herbs and black tea. Thick, powerful and creamy, with a very strong spice character to the black fruit and licorice flavors. Rather musclebound and extremely backward today--even a bit unrefined--finishing with a serious spine of tannins. Very impressive but not yet ready for prime time. Jordan noted that Lodi was much less affected by heat spikes in 2010 than was the North Coast.