Turley Cinsault Bechtoldt Vineyard 2021

Turley Cinsault Bechtoldt Vineyard 2021

Planted in 1886, this Cinsault vineyard is the oldest of its kind in the country – perhaps even beyond. The vines are gnarly, head-trained and planted on their own roots. The wine is light-bodied, tart, perfumed, and extremely well balanced.”

One of California’s great wineries, Larry Turley’s Turley Wine Cellars continues to play a critical role in safeguarding the Golden State’s viticultural heritage, saving old, head-trained and sometimes own-rooted vineyards from destruction. With fully 29 different bottlings, Zinfandel (often complemented by small amounts of other co-planted varieties, such as Carignan and Grenache) is the standard-bearer here, though Turley also does a fantastic job with other varieties, most obviously Petite Syrah. Given how distinctive each of the single-vineyard bottlings is, it’s tempting to suggest (though some will no doubt think it heretical) that Zinfandel might be the variety best adapted to expressing “terroir” in California.