Turley Zinfandel California Old Vines 2010

Bright, deep ruby. Classic zin aromas of blackberry, crushed black pepper and licorice. Creamy-sweet and fat, but with a sweet-tart character contributing to the wine's superb cut and purity of fruit. Complicated by an element of wild herbs. Finishes with suave tannins, solid structure and excellent length. A very successful fusion of zinfandelrsquo;s many aspects, and a terrific value.

This concentrated red is loaded with base notes of dark fruit, offering aromas of boysenberry, roasted anise and dense blackberry, with mocha, espresso and sage flavors that are wrapped in firm tannins. Drink now through 2017.

The 2002 Zinfandel Old Vines is a blend of lots that did not make the grade for the single vineyard offerings. No wimpy wine at 16.4% alcohol, it exhibits deep, jammy black fruits intermixed with saddle leather, pepper, and earth. With an unctuous texture as well as a big, chewy finish, it is a robust, mouthfilling, value-priced Zinfandel to enjoy over the next 3-5 years.

The outstanding 2005 Zinfandel Old Vines, basically a blend of old vine parcels that are not big enough to be sold individually, reveals a dark plum/ruby color, oodles of sweet cherry, plum, licorice, pepper, and spicy characteristics, medium to full body, and a fleshy, generous, well-endowed personality. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years.

Reveals a macerated, sweet jammy cherry-scented bouquet, loads of glycerin, and soft, low acid, plum/prune flavors displaying hints of balsam wood and pepper. It is a luscious Zin to enjoy over the next 5-6 years.

The 2003 Zinfandel Old Vines (1000 cases; 16.4% alcohol) is a blend of declassified wine from Turley's old-vine vineyards. A great buy and one of the best old-vine cuvees the Turleys have produced, the 2003 is as good as their finest single vineyard offerings. Rich, full-bodied, and unctuously textured, it explodes from the glass revealing black fruits, earth, kirsch, licorice, pepper, and underbrush elements. Sweet (from glycerin and high alcohol, not sugar), dry, full-bodied, concentrated, hedonistic, and supple, it is ideal for drinking over the next 3-4 years.

The 2004 Zinfandel Old Vines (a 1,000-case blend of different lots declassified from the single vineyard wines) is one of the estate's best buys. Aromas of plums, licorice, truffles, herbs, and briery black fruits are followed by a soft, plump, voluptuously-textured Zin to consume over the next 3-4 years.