Region: California

Varietal: 100% Zinfandel

Tasting notes: The 2021 Zinfandel Juvenile, Turley's young vines bottling, is terrific. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, mocha, chocolate, tobacco and dried herbs give the Juvenile tons of flavor intensity to fill out its plush contours. This racy Zinfandel is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Producer: After founding the Frog's Leap winery with business partner John Williams in 1981, then ER physician Larry Turley had 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 28 separate wines from 35 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.

Vineyard and Winemaking: Though the vast majority of Turley’s wines are single vineyard designates, Juvenile is actually composed of a variety of young vines that have been replanted in several of their old vine sites. They tag the younger vines then pick them separately and make a distinct wine. Juvenile vines range in age from about 6-25 years, and are pulled from a selection of Turley’s best vineyards across California.