Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by former emergency room physician Larry Turley in 1993. Under the direction of winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, Turley now makes 50 different wines from over 50 vineyards across California, primarily Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, with many vines dating back to the late 1800s. By farming organically and focusing on old vine vineyards of these varieties, Turley aims to both create and preserve California’s unique winemaking culture.
Born in Tennessee and raised in Georgia, Larry has spent the better part of his life on a farm. This being the south, they were primarily tobacco and dairy farms; nevertheless, his respect for the land and its cultivation began at a young age. As an adult, Larry channeled this passion for preservation towards people, studying medicine and working as an emergency room physician. After moving to California in the mid-seventies, Larry came home from the ER one night to discover someone camped on his property. After first driving his motorcycle through the tent (this was, after all, the 1970’s in the “wild wild west”) he met its occupant, John Williams, the soon-to-be winemaker at Spring Mountain. After sharing a glass of wine, they became friends; a few bottles later, they became business partners. Frog’s Leap Winery was begat in 1981, with Larry on a tractor by day and suturing by night.
The winery enjoyed quick success; however, much like Athena originated as an ache in Zeus’ head, the impetus for a smaller, more focused project began to take shape in Larry’s mind. He’d taken a shining to the wines made from Zinfandel & Petite Syrah, growing particularly fond of those made from old vine vineyards. Eventually he sold his half of Frog’s Leap to John and started Turley Wine Cellars in 1993.
Because Larry has never met an old vine vineyard he didn’t like, Turley now makes 47 separate wines from over 50 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the late 1800’s. Often weak and decaying, these old vine vineyards require extra care and attention in order to restore them to their former glory. After twenty-five years in the emergency room, Larry can now focus his resuscitative skills on the various old vineyards that comprise the wines he loves.
Turley Cedarman Zinfandel is made from 100 percent Zinfandel.
Review:
Keenly structured and appealingly briary, this Zin is loaded with jammy blackberry, roasted anise and licorice flavors that build toward broad-shouldered tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Hailing from over two dozen vineyards across the beautiful Golden State, the Turley Juvenile is more of a clear bellwether for a vintage than any other wine we make. Fragrant, lifted aromas of ripe dark fruits like black raspberry and blood orange on the nose. Superb balance between acidity, tannin, and spice, with a succulent, profoundly satisfying texture.
Review:
A jammy bomb of fruit, offering cherry pie and ripe raspberry flavors accented with toasty spice and briar notes as this energetic Zin zips along the zesty finish.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Turley Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel is made from 100 percent Zinfandel.
Organically farmed, own-rooted, head-trained and dry-farmed vines planted in 1915 in the silica-rich sandy soils of the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA. Marking the 10th vintage of this wine, bright ripe red fruits, raspberry preserves, and white pepper burst forth from the glass. Precise on the palate like a perfectly seasoned piece of meat, with more red berries and a sumptuously complex texture.
Review:
Turley Pesenti Zinfandel is made from 100 percent Zinfandel.
Deeply perfumed and enthralling nose of ripe red fruits, high-toned spices, orange zest, and an almost minty crushed chalk. Palate is smooth, lush, energetic, and pure, with a smack of well-toned acidity, satiating structure, and a long, precise finish.
Reviews:
A briar patch in a glass, this Zin is tightly focused and energetic, with flavors of wild berries, underbrush, espresso and pepper that build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
The 2022 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard is a very pretty wine, and also surprisingly delicate for Paso. Medium in body, with terrific nuance, the Pesenti is super-expressive in this vintage. Crushed flowers, blood orange and cedar overtones linger on the aromatic, finessed finish.
-Vinous 92-94 Points
After working with the fruit for over a decade, Turkey is proud to present the first single-vineyard bottling for Turley from the Del Barba Vineyard. Contra Costa is a delta where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers meet, and these head-trained vines are planted in deep dehli blow sand, made up of decomposed granite coming down from the Sierra Mountains. The resulting wine embodies the best the delta has to offer: silken textures, ultra fine tannin, and dark saline fruits.
Turley Zinfandel Buck Cobb is made from 100 percent Zinfandel.
Organically farmed head-trained vines planted at 1500' in the granite and quartz soils of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Primarily savory and red-fruited, with characteristics of black pepper, dried meats and fine-grained tannin texture.
This would be an excellent pairing with wood-fired pizza.
The unique volcanic soil composition of this site is exhibited in this Cabernet’s mineral texture and intensely structured palate. This latest release from the exceptional 2018 vintage presents a deep purple rim surrounding an opaque garnet core with an abundance of aromas emerging from bakers’ chocolate and dark cherry to crème de cassis to tapenade. Both graceful and bold on the palate, the broad tannins are balanced by pulsing acidity that brings tension and freshness throughout. Notes of boysenberry are interspersed with accents of sweet thyme against a backdrop of crush rock minerality, adding to the long finish and layers of complexity.
Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The 2019 offering is a collection of fifteen single-vineyard quality sites that could all be bottled as single source bottlings; six blocks of Dutton Ranch, three from Sanchietti Vineyard, Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Zio Tony Ranch, three of Parmelee-Hill, and Durell Vineyard. The wine has inviting aromas of spicy pear, marzipan, lemon drop candy, peach pie and pineapple. As a cool-climate Chardonnay, there’s a refreshing acidity on the finish giving the wine great poise, balance and energy.
Review:
Rich, powerful and well-structured, with lemon drop accents to the dried apple and pear tart flavors that show plenty of toasty accents. The creamy finish is boosted by rich acidity. Drink now.
- Wine Spectator 93 Points