2011 Turley Petite Sirah Pesenti Vineyard

Serious saturated ruby color. Knockout nose combines dark berries, smoky minerals, star anise, black pepper, smoke and animal fur; I would have picked this blind as northern Rhone syrah. Amazingly ripe and expressive today, offering full-bodied flavors of raspberry, minerals, game, earth and spices. This also has the high pH (4.0!) of a ripe-year Rhone Valley syrah. In contrast to the Hayne Vineyard example, this one offers great early appeal.

Black olives, grilled herbs, blackberry jam, tar and violets are some of the many notes that burst from the glass as the 2011 Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard shows off its unmistakable pedigree. A rich, powerful wine, the 2011 nevertheless maintains gorgeous vibrancy and energy throughout. It is yet another standout from Larry Turley and his team.

Black olives, grilled herbs, blackberry jam, tar and violets are some of the many notes that burst from the glass as the 2011 Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard shows off its unmistakable pedigree. A rich, powerful wine, the 2011 nevertheless maintains gorgeous vibrancy and energy throughout. It is yet another standout from Larry Turley and his team. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026. 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