Turley Wine Cellars 2012 Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel

The Turley Wine Cellars 2012 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard is a wine of remarkable depth and richness. Its captivating dark red cherry and plum aromas mingle with notes of mint, licorice, spices, and a delicate floral character. On the palate, the wine exhibits a round and velvety texture, showcasing its full-bodied nature. The Pesenti Vineyard truly shines in the 2012 vintage, revealing a striking inner perfume and complexity that captivates the senses. With each sip, layers of fruit unfold, building towards an inviting and textured finish. This Zinfandel is a testament to the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of Turley Wine Cellars, delivering a wine that offers both elegance and intensity. Its beautiful color and enticing aromas make it a delightful choice for Zinfandel enthusiasts.

Robert Parker - (91-93) Points

"From their vineyards in Paso Robles, the 2012 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard exhibits terrific power and richness as well as lots of volume and texture. Drink this beautiful Zin over the next 4-5 years. Turley Wine Cellars has long been one of the more enviable wine operations in California. Larry Turley should, and does, receive enormous credit for nearly single-handedly preserving many of the heritage old vine Zinfandel sites that exist in northern California. Most of them were threatened with being torn up with what was believed to be more popular varietals such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. This estate produces nearly thirty single vineyard Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs, all from organically farmed vineyards. Natural yeast fermentations have always been the rule, and the percentage of new oak used has dropped from a high of 30% to about half that. Their Zinfandels are never shy, but tasting through the 2012s, it appears they are not as extracted as they once were, but the alcohols remain in the 15% to 16% range because Zinfandel is rarely ripe at lower sugars. It appears that Larry Turley was destined to resuscitate these old vine vineyards as he worked for a quarter of a century as an emergency room doctor. He now works full time shaping wines from nearly three dozen old vine parcels. As he says, he’s never met an old vine vineyard he didn’t like. Turley’s long-time assistant winemaker, Ehren Jordan, has left to pursue his own project (Failla Wines), but Turley has the highly competent Tegan Passalacqua as his wingman. Virtually every one of these 2012 Zinfandels will be drinkable upon release in 2014, and should last for 6-8 years. Larry Turley was one of the first to exploit some of the old vine vineyards planted in sandy soils from the backwater areas of Lodi and Contra Costa. The two Contra Costa sites include the Duarte and Salvador, both ancient vineyards with the Salvador directly planted on its own roots in 1896. The Duarte was named after a prominent grower in Contra Costa. The Petite Syrahs are different animals altogether and most of them should keep for 30-40 years – at a minimum!"

Antonio Galloni - 94 Points

"The 2012 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard is wonderfully lifted and precise, especially within the context of Paso Robles. Hints of licorice, anise and orange peel add gorgeous aromatic presence to a core of sweet red stone fruits. Already open and highly expressive, the Pesenti is another fabulous wine that will reward readers with a long and wide drinking window."