1997 Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(17.1% alcohol): Good medium red. Superripe nose displays good retention of red fruits complicated by chocolate and cocoa powder notes and a hint of smoky bonfire. Quite powerful, opulent and full, even verging on heavy, conveying a slightly roasted, liqueur-like quality to its flavors of red berries, coffee and mocha. Like the '96, this conveys a rather sweet impression, but here the tannins are a bit dustier, suggesting that this wine should be drunk soon.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1997 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard is unquestionably a remarkable wine. However, it will be very backward and potentially long-lived. It was only slightly evolved when I tasted it in September, displaying an opaque saturated, thick-looking purple color, and unevolved but promising notes of black raspberry liqueur intermixed with minerals, spice, and cherry fruit. Massive yet phenomenally rich, admirably pure, and representing the essence of this varietal, this wine requires 12-18 months of bottle age; it should drink well for 10-15 years. An extraordinary Zinfandel, with 17.2% alcohol. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2010. As I have stated many times in the past, Turley Cellars' offerings have become the reference point for Zinfandel, as they are the most complex, concentrated, hedonistic wines ever produced from this varietal. Critics claim the alcohol levels are too high, but proprietor Larry Turley and his winemaker, Ehren Jordan, would argue that the alcohol levels are high only because they harvested fully ripe fruit. Turley and Jordan have also taken the art of wine making to a higher playing field. At the same time, they have resurrected a bevy of old head-pruned Zinfandel vineyards that had largely been ignored, or had their crops sold off to be unceremoniously blended into white Zinfandel. Turley Cellars' goal is to produce 10,000 cases of unfiltered, hand-crafted Zinfandel. As for the 1997 Zinfandels, Larry Turley feels they "are the best wines we have yet made." The wines are amazingly good, and as the following tasting notes suggest, readers could buy blind here and always end up with a juicy, complex, mouth filling Zinfandel. Tel. (707) 963-0940
Black-ruby. Bright, spicy, very complex aromas of blackberry, black pepper, iodine and brown spices, plus a lively floral note. Extraordinary fruit offers great sweetness and intensity. Thick yet almost miraculously poised. Finishes with endless, palate-saturating fruit and exhilarating Christmas spices. Always a monumental wine from Turley.
About the producer
Founded in 1993, Turley Cellars is a leading name in California Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. The winery has helped preserve the state’s old-vine heritage, farming historic vineyards organically and producing distinctive single-vineyard wines known for their character and longevity.