Click on each petal to learn more about Palate Character or sign in, join the taste56 community and let your palate do the talking!
Tasting Notes
Medium-plus in body, this old vine Zinfandel is a true round and fleshy wine with notable energy. There are aromas and flavors of blackberry jam, bramble, and red berries, followed by more subtle notes of mint white, pepper, and chocolate.
COLOR
Red/Violet Tinge
BODY
TANNIN
ACIDITY
SWEET
ALCOH.
15%
GRAPE(S)
Zinfandel, Mataro, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grenache
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
TANNIN
Low
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Tannin can range greatly in wine, but it is necessary to some degree, and a necessary constituent for red wines to age well. In high amounts, it can cause a drying affect, which is sensed mostly on the gums and tongue. Tannin is a natural preservative extracted from grape skins, otherwise known as polyphenols that are micronutrients and antioxidants with potential health benefits.
ACIDITY
Soft
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
15%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
GRAPE(S)
Zinfandel, Mataro, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grenache
Zinfandel, otherwise known as Primitivo in Italy, makes bold, fruit forward wines, which in California range from Round & Fleshy, to Powerful & Extracted. The wines can vary from dry to slightly off-dry. The examples have rich mix of dark and red fruit, along with a range of flavors and aromas like chocolate, tobacco and exotic spice.
Mataro
Ma-TAR-Ro
Mataro, also known as Mourvèdre, is a red grape variety widely grown in Spain and France. It produces dark, tannic wines with high acidity and flavors of blackberries, spices, and earthy notes. Mataro is often used in blends to add structure, depth, and complexity.
Alicante Bouschet
Ah-Lee-KAN-Tay BOO-Shet
Alicante Bouschet, also known as Garnacha Tintorera, is a unique red grape variety notable for its deeply colored flesh and juice, resulting in intensely dark and robust wines. Popular in Spain and Portugal, it is prized for its rich berry flavors, firm tannins, and full-bodied character, often used to add depth and color to blends.
Petite Sirah
Pe-TEET See-RAH
Petit Sirah originated from France but is now principally grown in California. Not for the meek, it produces Powerful & Extracted darkly colored wine that are both rich and very tannic with intense, dark, smoke, spicy fruit, with chocolate notes.
Grenache
Gruh-NASH
Grenache is widely planted throughout the world but some of the best expressions come from the southern Rhone, and in Spain’s Priorat. Grenache has small berries with thick grape skins resulting in dark, tannic wine in its youth combined with an almost ripe sweetness and elevated alcohol. Often part of a blend, Grenache offers a lot of fruit, spice, with floral and herbal notes.
Founded by Larry Turley in 1993, Turley Wines now makes 34 different wines from 38 different vineyards located throughout California wine country.
Turley’s main focus is on old-vine zinfandel and petite syrah. Many of the vines need extra attention, but their age, and the fact that they are biodynamically farmed, helps yield grapes with a ton of flavor and complexity.
Uniquely Californian, Turley wines balance fruit intensity, power, and distinct character.
Blackberry
Red Berries
White Pepper
