2023 Turley - Zinfandel Napa Juvenile (750ml)

Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley in 1993 by Larry Turley, a former emergency room physician who left medicine to devote himself to reviving California's oldest Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vineyards. Under winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, the winery now produces dozens of distinct bottlings from vineyards scattered across the state, many with vines dating to the late 1800s. Turley farms organically and relies on native yeast fermentation throughout, an approach built around preserving the historic character of these old sites rather than imposing a uniform house style.

Juvenile sets itself apart from Turley's single vineyard wines by drawing on younger vines, generally six to twenty five years old, that have been replanted within several of the estate's old vine parcels across more than a dozen California counties. Grapes are picked and vinified separately from their older neighbors, then aged for about a year in a mix of French and American oak, only a small portion of it new. The wine is bottled unfined, keeping the finished product close to how it tasted straight from the barrel.

Expressive and juicy, the wine offers black cherry, raspberry, and bright blue fruit alongside briar, cracked pepper, and a touch of lavender and leather. Soft, well-managed tannins keep the finish smooth rather than gripping. It pairs nicely with grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom pasta, or a plate of hard salami.