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.
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.
Carignan
Ca-ree-NYAN
In the past, Carignan was responsible for a lot of bulk wine because of its high yielding potential, but in the right hands it can make quality with intense red fruit, spice, and structure. Often blended with other grape varietals, old vine Carignan can yield rich red fruit driven wines at bang for your buck price levels.
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.