2010 Turley Zinfandel Cedarman

The personality of Howell Mountain in this vintage comes through in the 2010 Zinfandel Cedarman. Although it boasts considerable structure and sheer power, I don’t think the 2010 has enough fruit or personality to stand up to the wine’s pure heft. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. 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

(15.6% alcohol): Medium ruby. Dark berries, orange peel and earth on the nose. Dense and sappy but quite tightly wound, with black fruit and licorice flavors dominating. Doesn't have quite enough mid-palate pliancy and flesh to support its serious tannins, and thus a tad dry on the back today. Will this come into better balance with aging?