2010 Duarte Vineyard Zinfandel

Turley’s 2010 Zinfandel Duarte is all about textural elegance and finesse, much of which comes from the high presence of sand in these soils. Layers of expressive red berries caress the palate in a Zinfandel that shows the more feminine, gracious side of the grape. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. This is a thrilling set of wines from Larry Turley, Ehren Jordan and Tegan Passalacqua. Tasting this wide a range of 2010 and 2011 Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs is like taking a master class in California terroir. The house style favors an expression of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah built on aromatic intensity and elegance, which Jordan credits to gentle extractions. At times, the wines come across as quite Burgundian in the way they express richness but not excess heaviness. Over the last few years, the wines have become a little more laid-back and less overtly ripe, which is a net positive given that the starting point for all of these wines is fruit of exceptional quality. The Petite Syrahs in particular are noteworthy because they are among the few wines that find the elegance Petite Syrah is capable of, while avoiding the massive tannins that are so typical elsewhere. The 2010s are strong across the board, although Turley did not bottle a few of their wines from sites that got scorched by the heat spikes, which includes the Highway 101 and Zampatti. The 2011s are more variable, as befits a vintage that had much less favorable conditions overall. Tel. (707) 963-0940

(15.7% alcohol): Good deep ruby. Musky black cherry, bitter chocolate and licorice on the nose, along with a tarry nuance. Fat, broad and sweet, with pliant, creamy black cherry and dark chocolate flavors complicated by a whiff of stone fruits. A bit less explosive today than the higher-toned Salvador, and just a tad roasted on the back end.