"...the most nuanced, intricate and arguably timeless wine in the extensive Turley Zinfandel array...a modern classic in the making...97 points" (ML) Wine Advocate on the 2022 Hayne Zinfandel

Turley Wine Cellars have released their 2022 vintages for sale en primeur and we are delighted to have secured allocations.  Turley are famous for their extraordinary range of single-vineyard Zinfandels, from small parcels of old vines across California.

Larry Turley established his winery in 1993, having previously helped to found Frog's Leap.  At a time when Californian vine growers were focused on Cabernet and Chardonnay, Turley realized that old Zinfandel vines were part of a unique viticultural heritage, in danger of being lost.    

Zinfandel originated in Croatia, but found its way to Southern Italy, where it became known as Primitivo, and Austria, from where it was imported to the East Coast of the US, in the early 1800s.  The variety found its ideal home when it was transported to the West Coast during the Gold Rush era, from 1849 onwards.  Planted extensively in California throughout the late 1800s, the vineyards fell into neglect following Prohibition.    

When fine winemaking in Napa and Sonoma took off in the 1970s, the focus was on emulating Bordeaux and Burgundy, based on classic French varieties, so the pre-prohibition Zinfandel vines were neglected by most growers.  Larry Turley saw this opportunity and began sourcing fruit from the oldest, highest-quality plots, like the Evangelho Zinfandel, from vines planted in the 1890s. 

Today, Turley produces wine from a dizzying 29 different vineyards.  Below we offer six of the most highly-rated, from the 2022 vintage.  The growing season in California in 2022 was ideal, except for a heat wave around Labor Day (5 September) that caused many vines to shut down.  Zinfandel's natural tolerance for high heat made it one of the success stories of the vintage and Turley's wines are known for their restrained, focused style, as well as the kind of 'monolithic density' that The Wine Advocate's Matthew Luczy finds in the Ueberroth Zinfandel (94 points).

With prices starting at under £22 per bottle in bond for the 'Old Vines', these offer a very authentic expression of a unique piece of winemaking history.  Availability is very limited, so please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to add some to your cellar.

Offered en primeur, landing in the UK in early-2025