6/18/2023 - Greg W Likes this wine:

Fantastic wine. Already drinking well. Great nose. Long finish. Outstanding.

3/31/2023 - Greg W wrote:

Age has helped this wine. Deep and rich - perfect drinking window

1/21/2023 - Greg W wrote:

Really good. Great nose, lots of fruit but balanced and a solid finish. Looking forward to seeing how the remaining 5 bottles evolve.

1/7/2023 - Greg W wrote:

Solid. Perfect drinking window

12/25/2022 - Greg W wrote:

Sadly corked

12/25/2022 - Greg W Likes this wine:

Still holding strong.

12/23/2013 - Greg W Likes this wine:

2nd bottle from a case of mags purchased directly from the winery in 2011. First bottle was consumed one year ago on my son's (also a 1991 vintage) 21st birthday and didn't show particularly well, so we were anxious to try this again (on his 22nd birthday!).

This bottle was showing beautifully. Bottle was decanted and immediately poured. Nose was expressive from the start. On the palate, everything was working together - lots of fruit, very complex, tannins perfectly integrated but still present. Finish was excellent - long, lingering and powerful. We consumed the bottle over a good hour, and it continued to improve throughout - the last sips were the best of all.

Classic aged California cab in a really great spot right now.

11/15/2009 - Greg W wrote:

Decanted for approximately 2 hours. Beautiful, expressive nose right out of the gate - deep, complex and powerful. The same theme continued on the palate, which was loaded with complex, dark fruity notes, a touch of cedar, beautiful purity, and no hint of alcohol. Long, powerful finish. As the wine warmed up to room temperature over the two hours that the bottle lasted, the wine improved. By the end of the night, this was one of my favorite cabernet-based wines of the year.

6/20/2009 - Greg W wrote:

Decanted for one hour. Wine was solid from the first sip. Very lively - lots of fruit. Powerful wine - long, powerful finish. Only detraction was a hint of dill, which was a little distracting, and a slight feeling of heaviness, but overall, very nice cabernet.

7/14/2008 - Greg W wrote:

SQN Dinner: Autrement Dit, Tarantella, Incognito, In Flagrante, Strawman: Very sweet, with a thick, syrupy mouthfeel and a long finish. Everyone at the table loved it - I had a hard time warming up to it. Maybe just not my favorite style.

7/14/2008 - Greg W wrote:

SQN Dinner: Autrement Dit, Tarantella, Incognito, In Flagrante, Strawman: Dark and brooding wine. Dark fruits and a meaty/gamy feel, with plenty of power still left. Hard to follow the Incognito, as this wine didn't have the extra level of freshness and complexity, but still an excellent bottle.

7/14/2008 - Greg W wrote:

SQN Dinner: Autrement Dit, Tarantella, Incognito, In Flagrante, Strawman: This wine was showing beautifully tonight. It literally shut down the conversations at the table when poured - everyone was captivated by the nose, which was evident as it was poured into the glasses. Dark, ripe fruit, enough acidity to give it a feeling of freshness - powerful and complex - extremely long finish. Super wine.

7/14/2008 - Greg W wrote:

SQN Dinner: Autrement Dit, Tarantella, Incognito, In Flagrante, Strawman: Loved this wine. Bright and lively, with plenty of fruit and balancing acidity. Still very fresh, with lots of power, but doesn't come across as overbearing in any way. Beautiful, long finish - excellent!

7/14/2008 - Greg W wrote:

SQN Dinner: Autrement Dit, Tarantella, Incognito, In Flagrante, Strawman: Fresh, vibrant, and fruity. Big wine, but hid its alcohol well, possibly due to being served slighty too chilled, which may have been a "good" mistake. Served its purpose well - a refreshing, tasty starter wine.

6/1/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Popped and poured - no decanting. This is drinking beautifully - nose and palate of roasted meats and spicy, dark blue and black fruits. Everything is in balance - elegant fruit, framing acidity, and a lengthy, smooth finish. The wine kept improving as time went by and it started to warm up a bit. When the last glass was poured, the nose was evident from quite a distance away. Still has enough power to hold for a while, but it was drinking beautifully tonight.

5/24/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Opened and poured - no decanting. Very tight upon opening. Left the bottle open for an hour, and re-visited. Time was this wine's friend, as it kept improving with every passing minute. After it opened up, the nose is outstanding - a combination of floral, spicy red fruit, a little gaminess/meatiness and lots of complexity. Early on, the palate revealed a little oak, but that faded away with time, and the palate took on the characteristics of the nose. Bright, spicy, lively red fruit, balancing acidity, along with minerality and a meaty note in the background. Picked these up for $20 on Wine Commune - wish I had bought more.

5/3/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Popped and poured - no decanting. Initially, wine was opened up on the nose, with cherry, spice and earthy notes. In the mouth, an offputting spritziness to the wine, followed by lots of dark notes - lots of earthiness, dark cherries, and a little spice. Left the glass out and the bottle uncorked for several hours - then revisited the wine. Much better - the spritziness is gone, and the fruity notes have emerged. Still a fair amount of earthiness, but the fruit is now brighter, and the wine is a nice balance of dark fruit, spice, earth, and now tart cherry notes. A slight bitterness to the finish keeps it from scoring higher, but I'm glad I have a few more in the cellar, as it feels like this wine will improve in a couple of years.

4/26/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Last tasted this bottle around a year ago, with poor results. Hoping for better, but no luck. Alcohol and heat dominated - again. No difference at cellar temperature or warming up to room temperature. The glass is sitting several feet away as I type this, and the cherry vodka notes are clearly present - even at this distance. Undrinkable (to me) tonight. I'll try the rest tomorrow (or at least another sip), but I have lost all hope for this bottling.

3/9/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Opened and poured - no decanting. After initial taste, which was fairly tight, left in glass for a couple of hours, with the bottle open, and it was much, much better. Big, bright, fruity, meaty nose. Palate very similar, with the brightm tangy fruit complemented by the meaty notes and the acidity. Still tastes like a young wine, with the finish quite powerful and long. I wish it had been decanted. We'll finish it off tomorrow night, and I suspect it will be even better considering its path tonight.

2/23/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Decanted for approximately one hour. Tart black cherry fruit, spice and some earthiness on the nose. Initially, a bit of heat as well. Even though it was decanted for an hour, it still needed time, as it was just hitting its peak after four hours. At that point, it was a beautiful pinot - the tart black cherry fruit and a certain spiciness are prevalent, but the wine's balance was the best feature, as everything is integrated nicely at this point. Not an oversized pinot - I like this style.

2/14/2008 - Greg W wrote:

Popped and poured, although first glass poured out and sat in glass for approximately 1/2 hour while we ate the appetizers. Nose was singing imediately - tart fruit notes soared out of the glass. The palate matched the nose - lots of tart fruit, with notes of spice and a little earth, and a beatiful feel and balance to the wine. Excellent length on the finish. I love this wine! On day 2, we finished off the bottle after putting it in the cellar overnight. Still going strong - fruit has faded slightly, but still very enjoyable.

12/31/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Double decanted approx. 2.5 hours prior to consumption. Powerful, dark fruit on the nose. The palate is similar, with plenty of meaty, fruity notes, along with baking spice and black pepper. While the fruit is clearly young and powerful, there isn't a hint of the wine being out of balance. In fact, my favorite feature of the wine is the way it portrays its power without being overpowering in any way. The wine is still just a baby, but it's also very drinkable in its youth. The finish matches the nose and palate, as it is fruity, powerful and extremely long.

12/31/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Double decanted approx. 2 hrs. prior to consumption. This wine is hitting on all cylinders. The nose is highly perfumed - just leaps out of the glass with notes of plums, chocolate, baking spices, etc. Everything is perfectly balanced on the palate, with lots of still powerful fruit, ripe tannins, and just the right amount of acidity, yet it has taken on a certain elegance at this point as well. While the nose and finish are excellent, the finish is even better, as it just goes on and on - a perfect mixture of power and finesse. I love where this wine is right now - not in any danger of fading, but how can it be much better?

12/22/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Sine Qua Non Dinner - Pagan Poetry, Twisted and Bent, Imposter McCoy, Papa, Strawman: Not as vibrant as the last time I tasted it, but still very much alive, with lots of red fruit and a citrus note which was interesting. From a distance, hard to really tell it's a rosé, as the color is a very dark reddish pink. Very "drinkable" wine to start the night.

12/22/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Sine Qua Non Dinner - Pagan Poetry, Twisted and Bent, Imposter McCoy, Papa, Strawman: Very hard to describe this wine. Out of the glass, a clear golden color, but visibly thick as it's poured, literally clinging to the sides of the glass. Incredibly sweet liquid - the description of "dessert in a glass" seems perfectly appropriate. I actually had a hard time taking more than a few sips, but the sips I was able to take were amazing - sweet, expressive, complex and unlike any other wine I've ever experienced. I can't rate this, as I have nothing to compare it to, but still a great way to end the dinner.

12/22/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Sine Qua Non Dinner - Pagan Poetry, Twisted and Bent, Imposter McCoy, Papa, Strawman: Couble decanted approximately 3 hours before drinking. Dark purple - almost black in color. Huge nose of black fruit - quite different from the Imposter McCoy. On the palate, tons of dark fruit, along with licorice and game/meat notes. Long, lingering, powerful finish. Huge wine, extremely complex, yet completely in balance. If the Imposter McCoy is any indication (I didn't open any of those early), I'll hold the remaining bottles for a few years, but fun to taste at this stage.

12/22/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Sine Qua Non Dinner - Pagan Poetry, Twisted and Bent, Imposter McCoy, Papa, Strawman: Double decanted appoximately 2 hours before drinking. Still very dark reddish purple. The nose was singing from the start - wide open and bursting with spicy red fruit. On the palate, everything is integrated perfectly - the tannins are smooth, the fruit is perfectly ripe and powerful, without coming close to being overpowering (not a hint of alcohol). Long, powerful finish. Seems like we caught this wine right in its' sweet spot, although it doesn't show any signs of fading any time soon.

12/22/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Sine Qua Non Dinner - Pagan Poetry, Twisted and Bent, Imposter McCoy, Papa, Strawman: Double decanted approximately an hour and a half before drinking. Bright golden color. Beautiful nose - butterscotch and tropical fruit notes burst out of the glass. Big, powerful and vibrant on the palate, with a somewhat thick texture without being cloying. Plenty of length on the finish. Holding up very well.

12/8/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Decanted at the table - then immediately poured. Still very dark purple in color - has the appearance of a much younger wine. The nose started off a little funky, but after that blew off, the nose had lots of dark fruit and a distinct graphite/melted rubber note. The palate was actually very nice - still a lot a fruit, but balanced by a surprising amount of acidity, along with still very powerful tannins. Red and black fruits present, along with a very evident minerality (baby aspirin?). Big, ripe, powerful, long finish. The wine was clearly improving as it sat in the glass, with the last sip by far the best one (after it had been opened for around two hours). We poured the remaining wine back into the bottle, and I will sample again tomorrow.

9/27/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Healthy dark purple color. On the nose, tart cherry fruit, baking spice and coffee grounds. The palate is a mixture of tart red fruits and dark fruits. The coffee ground note is present on the palate as well. Overall, seems like it's not all together at this point - it's a little disjointed. The finish is excellent - powerful, nice tart fruit and long. I think this wine just needs more time to come around.

9/26/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Opened and poured. Nose is open from the start, but gets more expressive with time. Powerful, tart red fruit and spice, with a little forest floor thrown in. Big and rich on the palate, with the tart, red fruit bursting out. Very powerful pinot, but hold it all together, with the acidity balancing out the fruit. Long, powerful finish, with the same notes of red fruits and spice. I love this style when it works - this one works.

9/25/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Purple color - seems to be lightening just a bit. The wine really needed time to open up. Initially very tight, but after around 2 hours, it was singing. Beautiful, expressive nose - dark ripe fruit, chocolate, and a distinct note of tart citrus that I always get in the Jackass bottling. Similar on the palate - powerful fruit - very complex - notes of red and dark fruits - and that distinct tart citrus note that rounds out the wine. Very powerful, but no perception of heat at all (15.9% alc. noted on label). Long, nose filling, pleasing finish. Great zinfandel.

9/24/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Still very dark purple in color. Ripe berries on the nose. On the palate, the ripe berries are present (but not over-ripe in any way), along with notes of chocolate and a nice dose of minerality. The wine is nicely balanced, as there is still ample acidity and smooth tannins to go along with the fruit. Interestingly, no eaucalyptus notes that I usually get from Australian shiraz. The finish is still powerful and long. A very nice shiraz.

9/23/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Very dark purple in color. On the nose, berries, plum, oak and coffee grounds. Palate is similar, although over the course of the evening, the coffee ground note faded, as did the oakiness. At its' peak tonight (which occurred after around 4 hours after opening), the wine was drinking well, with clean, concentrated fruit, plenty of power on the palate and in the finish, and a very nice feel to the wine. A good start to the trip!

9/13/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Reddish in color. Beautiful, penetrating nose. Notes of red fruit, berries, spice and minerals all present. On a palate, a complex mixture of tart cherry and dark fruits, berries, and the mineral undertone running throughout. Perfect balance and feel to the wine - tannins are still present but resolved, fruit is prominent, acidity perfectly balances everything out, and there's still plenty of power and life left. Long, balanced, smooth finish. This bottle started out great right from the moment it was opened (no decanting), and just kept getting better and better. After an hour or so, it was firing on all cylinders. Beautiful wine, seemingly drinking at its peak, but also seems like it has the stuffing to carry on for many years.

9/10/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Nice dark, purple color. Dark fruits on the nose, with a little spicyness. On the palate, a little dark fruit - but not much. Excellent structure and feel to the wine - still very powerful and a solid, powerful finish. But, unfortunately, it's seen better days, as the fruit has faded into the background. Too bad, as I really liked the feel to the wine, but without fruit, hard to really enjoy it. Sealed up and placed into the cellar, so maybe it'll have a day 2 recovery, but I won't hold out much hope. Bummer.

Day 2 Update: amazingly, 24+ hours later, the wine has put on significant weight. It's not a fruit-bomb by any means, but it is now a dark fruited, powerful, structured wine, with a beautiful finish. Originally rated 86 last night, it's improved enough to merit an outstanding rating. It resembles the wine of last night from a structure and power perspective, but the fruitiness on the palate has changed completely. I would never have guessed that a 10 year old zinfandel would need decanting, but, in this case, I think it would have helped considerably.

9/10/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Purple, reddish color. On the nose, pure red fruits, with a slight earthy note. Very similar on the palate - ripe, clean, powerful red fruit, with a gritty, leathery edge and a little of the earthiness, which all combines into a beautiful mixture. Great concentration and balance, with a powerful finish. This needed about an hour to open up, then stayed at a high level for 24 hours, when the bottle finally met its demise.

9/3/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Dark purple in color. On the nose, lots of dark, ripe blackberry notes. The palate is somewhat surprising - the dark blackberry notes continue, but not as ripe as the nose would indicate. There is also a dose of minerality, which actually gives the wine a lot of character. The wine was tasted over several hours. As it warmed from cellar temperature to room temperature, the wine opened up a little, but still stayed on the leaner side, with the minerality staying in place. Initially, I was disappointed, as I was expecting more of a fruity wine, but over time, I actually enjoyed the wine. The finish is still powerful, with consistent notes of dark fruit and minerality. Not what I was expecting, but enjoyable nonetheless.

5/16/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Not decanted - uncorked and poured, although based on recent experiences, I waited until the wine had warmed up a bit before consuming. Deep purple in color. On the nose, bright fruit, minerals, pepper and a distinct spiciness. On the palate, very complex, with spicy berry fruit, tart acidity, minerals and a licorice note all melding together perfectly. None of the elements stuck out at all - this is a beautifully integrated wine - almost elegant in nature, but ample power at the same time. Finish is the same - complex, smooth, powerful and long - the wine's balance shows thorugh here as well. Seems atypical for a Turley, but in a very good way - outstanding bottle of zinfandel. Still a half bottle left - seems like it will still be going strong tomorrow - we'll see. One final note - as with most of the Turley's, this was consumed after dinner over the course of several hours, but I suspect this bottle would have been an excellent bottle to consume with food.

5/15/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Not decanted - popped and poured. Dark purple in color - clear on the edges. Great nose - typically distinctive nose for this vineyard - ripe berries and spice, with a streak of grapefruit. Similar to the nose on the palate - leans a little more to the dark fruit side, but full of ripe, exuberant black and red fruit, with a little earthiness and the tell-tale (to me) streak of acidity which always feels like grapefruit. Long, powerful finish with lots of bright fruit. The only drawback is a slight bitterness which is present, which keeps the wine from feeling completely in balance. Still a great bottle of zin for drinking now, and doesn't seem in danger of falling apart any time soon. Classic Jackass zin - lively, fruity, powerful mouthful of zinfandel.

5/9/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Opened and poured - no decanting. Dark reddish/purple in color. On the nose, expressive red fruit, spice and milk chocolate. The palate was similar, with lots of red fruit, spice, and pepper, and also had notes of darker fruit and dark chocolate sprinkled in. As with several Turley's we've recently consumed, this wine opened up and put on weight as it warmed from cellar temperature to room temperature. By the last glass, the wine was hitting on all cylinders - ripe, juicy fruit, ample but not over the top power, and a smooth, integrated, balanced finish. Drinking really well now - a very enjoyable bottle of zinfandel.

5/7/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Opened for one hour prior to pouring - not decanted. Brownish red color - clear around the edges. Very powerful nose of candied red fruit and alcohol. On the palate, what little fruit is present is completely overwhelmed by the alcohol - like drinking cherry flavored vodka. After first few sips (actually, attempts at sips) we let the bottle sit for another hour in hopes it would come around. The alcohol on the nose was so prevalent it permeated the whole room - we couldn't escape it until we physically removed the bottle. One last attempt to sip - then down the drain. Bummer. Hopefully just a bad bottle, as I've had several great bottles of this.

5/1/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Opened and poured - no decanting. Dark red in color. Nose immediately open, with notes of brambly fruit, baking spice and chocolate. Early on, the wine was disjointed on the palate - lots of ripe fruit, but a bit of heat and pruniness as well. Interestingly, the wine significantly improved as it warmed up - with the heat and pruniness fading away, and powerful, ripe fruit left behind. After it warmed up, the wine became very well balanced, with all of the ripe fruit balanced by a streak of acidity. In the end, this was a classic Turley zinfandel - powerful, fruity, and balanced, along with a powerful, lingering, nose-filling finish. Started out questionable, and ended up excellent.

4/27/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Bottle was opened and left in the cellar for two hours prior to pouring - no decanting. Note: underneath the wax capsule was an artificial cork. The nose was very enticing - ripe fruit, a hint of tartness, pepper and spice. On the palate, the wine started out in a similar fashion - very powerful, ripe fruit - lots of pepper and spice - but then a rather harsh bitterness entered the picture. In the first glass, the bitterness was in the background - as the wine warmed up, it came to the forefront, as did the alcohol. This is a tough wine to evaluate, as there is a really nice core of powerful fruit, and the finish is lengthy and powerful as well, but the alcohol and the bitterness were present as well. It's a complex wine - but in the end, the bitterness and the burn were flaws that couldn't be overlooked, and took away from the wine's enjoyment. Could this be due to the artificial cork???

3/21/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Opened and left in cellar for two hours prior to consumption - not decanted. Medium reddish brown in color - very clear around the edges. The nose is very open, with lots of ripe (overripe?) fruit - raspberries and plums (prunes?) - quite rich. On the palate, still plenty of ripe fruit, but notes of pepper and spice appear. The fruit is bordering on pruny and overripe, but the pepper and spice, along with a solid dash of acidity, seems to save it from going completely to the pruny side. Excellent texture and feel to the wine - still tastes lively and fresh and well balanced. The finish is very nice - fills up the nose and lingers for quite some time. Overall, on its own, this is still an excellent example of a slightly aged zinfandel, but last weeks '97 Black-Sears seems to be the standard I'm judging this against, and it falls short - mostly due to the overripe quality to the fruit. In retrospect, I suspect just about any zinfandel is going to fall short (in fact, most wines are going to fall short), so it's probably an unfair comparison. The is a very good bottle of zinfandel that is aging well, but seems to be slightly past its peak, with no danger of falling apart any time soon.

3/15/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Opened one hour prior to consumption - not decanted. Still very dark, with just a slight bricking around the edges. Huge nose - very spicy, pure ripe fruit - just soars from the glass. On the palate, the wine is incredible - very lush ripe fruit, with notes almost too complex to describe. Each sip reveals a different nuance - red fruits, black fruits, lots of spice, chocolate, pepper - close to sensory overload, but in a really good way. The fruit is very lively and very fresh, almost has an effervescent feel to it - doesn't show any sign of aging - quite different from several of the older Turleys recently consumed. Perfect balance to the wine - the fruit and acidity are in harmony - no hard edges in any way - the finish is incredible - long and powerful. This is the best zinfandel I've had in quite some time - maybe ever! Still a little left - we'll see how it fares on night 2.

3/7/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Not decanted - tasted over the course of several hours. Very dark purple in color. Lively nose of dark berry fruit, pepper and spice. On the palate, extremely ripe fruit - bordering on over-the-top, but never quite gets there. Big mouthful of dark and red berry fruit, with the pepper still prominent, notes of chocolate and plums, and a very clear mineral streak running through the middle. Definitely not an elegant wine, but the mineral streak and the acidity keeps the exuberant fruit in check - just barely. If a zinfandel to sip on after dinner (or before a meal for that matter) is the goal, this zinfandel is a huge success, as it seems to be lively, fruity zinfandel at its best. Although it's in a slightly heavy stage, after consuming several older Turleys lately, I think I prefer the wines in their youth.

3/7/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Decanted one hour. Dark, reddish color. Very expressive nose of red currant, plum and spice. On the palate, a combination of red and dark fruits - plums, chocolate, a little earthiness - with enough acidity running through to give it a backbone. The wine still feels relatively fresh, with plenty of power remaining. Good overall balance and feel to the wine - a combination of complex fruit, nice tart acidity and a smooth mouthfeel. The finish is powerful, fruity and lengthy. Seems to be drinking at its peak now.

2/28/2007 - Greg W wrote:

Notes will be brief, as the bottle was consumed in a dark restaurant, under less than ideal conditions. That being said, the profile was somewhat surprising, as tonight this was a dark, brooding wine, not resembling the typical Turley profile. Lots of dark fruit, with a licorice streak running straight through the middle. Underneath the darkness, there is some of the more typical "bright" zinfandel fruit, but it's definitely in the background. There's a slight bitterness to the wine, both on the palate and the finish, but overall, the wine is quite enjoyable. The palate and finish both still have plenty of power, adding to the enjoyment of the wine. Unlike most Turley's, this almost seems like a wine to sip and ponder - different than expected, but very enjoyable.

2/27/2007 - Greg W wrote:

We took this to a local restaurant, where we immediately popped it and poured it. By the time it was served, it was slightly above cellar temperature. Beautiful,open nose of lemon lime and other citrus fruits. On the palate, it was initially very sweet. The sweetness was immediately followed by the citrus fruits and the acidic backbone, but the sweetness stood out. As the wine remained open, the sweetness integrated into the overall perception of the wine, and then everything was in balance - the citrus fruit (grapefruit), the sweetness, the power and the finish - all working together and not a rough edge to be seen (or tasted!). I don't have too much experience with rieslings, but the more I experiment with them, the more I find myself wanting to find and consume more, as they're so enjoyable to drink, and the low alcohol doesn't leave me wanting to stop after one glass. In fact, it's just the opposite - between my wife and I, the bottle disappeared by the end of dinner, which is pretty rare for us (she's usually good for one glass - max). Without any experience, I'm hoping that the integration of the wine with just a little time open is a good sign that it will age well and get even better.