Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Petite Syrah from the Turley Estate is black purple in color, tight, rich and full-bodied, with floral and blueberry liqueur notes. It is massive, rich and not ready for prime time drinking for at least another decade. Super-intense and pure, it should enter its prime somewhere around the 15- to 20-year mark and last for another 30 years. The alcohol in Petite Syrah is far less than Zinfandel, and this one tips the scales at 14.8%.
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Wine Spectator
The blackberry, blueberry and huckleberry flavors are rich, lushand velvety, dripping with accents of dark chocolate, Earl Grey tea, licorice, toasted cedar and vanilla bean. A smoky, spicy sandalwood detail weaves in and out on the long finish. Drink now through 2030.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.