1994 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

Dr. Larry Turley (brother of Helen Turley) has employed his sibling to help make these exquisite Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs. The debut releases were the superb 1993s. Dealing with only ancient, head-pruned vineyards (most of the wines come from vineyards that are at least 40-50 years old), Turley has created extraordinary excitement among Zinfandel advocates because of the sheer power and majesty of these wines. Production is modest, with most of these wines available in 350-500 case lots. Once again, readers should recognize that the best chance for obtaining a few bottles of these black beauties is to get their names on the winery's mailing list. The 1994s are even more concentrated and impressive than the 1993s. Moreover, the 1995s (produced from even smaller crop yields than normal) also exhibit awesome potential. There is no doubt about it - as a fan of the underrated Petite Syrah, I have never tasted greater Petite Syrahs than the 1994 Aida or 1994 Hayne. Some of the extraordinary Petite Syrah produced by La Jota from the old Park-Muscatine Vineyard on Howell Mountain, and the now-discontinued Ridge Petite Syrahs from the Devil's Hill portion of York Creek Vineyard were previous benchmarks, but Turley Cellars' Petite Syrahs have set a new reference point for this varietal. The 1994 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard is the new reference point for Petite Syrah. At 14.9% alcohol, this dry, awesomely endowed wine is not shy about displaying its virtues. The opaque purple/black color is followed by a nose of extraordinary intensity offering jammy smells of black-raspberries and creme de cassis. Amazingly rich, with extraordinary purity (a hallmark of all the Turley wines), this full-bodied, blockbuster, Arnold Schwartznegger-like wine is surprisingly flattering because of its soft tannin. This is an example of carrying extraction to the maximum, but the wine is amazingly well-balanced. It should drink well for 30+ years. If you thought that 1993 Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs from Turley Cellars were mind-blowing, then wait until you taste the 1994s and 1995s. Be sure to get on Turley Cellars' mailing list if you want to get any of these limited production wines. Tel. (707) 963-0940; Fax (707) 963-8683