Winemaker Notes
Brambly dark fruits, earth, spice and Herbs de Provence aromatics fill the glass. Layers of warm spices and leather are intertwined with flavors of black plum, ripe raspberries and huckleberries, balanced by nice acid and structured tannins.
Blend: 48% Syrah, 42% Grenache, 10% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Turbine Red is a versatile blend of 48% Syrah, 42% Grenache and 10% Petite Sirah, matured in 15% new oak. It will be ideal for a wide range of food pairings with its moderate weight and Goldilocks ripeness. Medium ruby-purple, it features blackcurrants, blueberries, lilac, laurel leaves, licorice and powdered sugar aromas. The full-bodied palate offers intense, detailed fruits, abundant, rounded tannins and bursts of fresh acidity that drive the long finish.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.