Delicious. Even with the 16% alcohol this has aged well and was surprisingly young. Flavours moved between prune, plum, spices, leather, and even some caramel overtones. Mineraly finish.
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zin is not supposed to age this long but this bottle was delicious. alcohol seemingly integrated. no volatile funk. just dried fruit and spice. almost elegant. balanced. I'm shocked.
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Cellared at 55F since received from mailing list. Healthy deep purple, aromas and flavors of raisin and prune juices , bitter chocolate, and coffee. Difficult to drink. Poster child overripe; internal quality control should have stopped this from being bottled. Picking a Turley off the shelf is like picking a piece of chocolate from a sampler - sometimes splendid, sometimes good, and as in this case sometimes horrible.
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Absolutely amazing that a 13 year old zin can mature like this and be so elegant yet still zin-like in all of it's qualities. A great bottle of wine popped, slow oxed in bottle for an hour, then consumed at a restaurant.
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Still holding up nicely, if not as virant as a couple years back. Still a crowd pleaser, though and definitely not over the hill. Yummy. (2006 Ueberroth a couple days ago was much better, though)
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As is often the case with Turley Zins, with nine years of age this wine has lost many of the qualities that make these wines so sought after. Still very enjoyable with the cheese course but the wine has some of its richness and unctuousness... but not its alchohol. Drink up!
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Dark purple and a tight nose of briary dark berries that did soften quickly and actually showed a light floral quality over time. This bottle was in a very nice place...a contridiction of smooth firmness that was very resolved and approachable that my wife simply said resembled "Nectar". Lovely fruit textures and notes that had a silky grip and a very good framework...enjoyed over several hours and it stayed firm to the end.
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phenomenal experience, great promise on the nose, wonderful lingering fulll experience on the tongue with a touch of pepper and spice on the finish as an upnote, nicely rounded with good structure. The bottle was in perfect shape, and over the several hours did not lose any energy. More interesting finish than the Dogtown we had a day ago, and perfect for Thanks giving dinner
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This is flat-out delicious zin. Gorgeous fruit (cherry, blackberry, cranberry) with some spice and chocolate....also, some raisin--the fruit is very sweet. Moderately thick (moderate for Turley), palate-staining, rich and smooth, the alcohol is just burried in the fruit at this point, and the tannins are very smooth and reserved. I find little to no heat in this wine from my cellar, and it is not at all over-the-hill. Quite delicious. Would score higher if there were more complexity.
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87 pts on opening: Opens up a bit funky with a notable stew aroma, but that blows off after 15 minutes or so revealing hints of the trademark (for me) Turley brambles on the nose along with spicy zin. On the palate, a bit thin with puckering tannins. Later develops some of the same "stew" notes as the flawed btl. I'm starting to suspect this could be the normal character of this wine at this age. I would guess this is past its prime. The last few bottles opened have helped me with my Turley strategy, which is "drink between 4-6 yrs of vintage". For me, that means 2002-2004 are in the drinking window now. While I suspect there are exceptions (Hayne, possibly Rattlesnake being longer living, Juvenile a little less), the more accessible of the Turley lineup seem to follow that pattern for my tastes.
80 pts two hours later - the concensus loser among 5 btls of zin opened this evening, picking up the same stew / cooked character as the earlier bottle that I thought was flawed. I'm not convinced this is flawed. Looking back on prior notes for aged Turley, I see that I've had the same perception from several btls, different sources, etc.
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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.
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Turkey Taco Tuesday Tradition continues. We have enjoyed a couple of 04's from this vintage. We had an '03 1-2 weeks ago and it was a mess. This was a great middle. We have discussed in previous tasting notes the "disappointing" 2000 vintage may not be that bad after all. A very enjoyable wine that was very earthy on the nose and even more so on the palette, we found the wine acessible from the moment the wine was opened. The smell was heavy and dark, like black cherry and then it became a very big wine with the aforementioned deep earth texture and smell. While very drinkable this was a bit much for the Turkey Tacos, but after the kids went to bed and the wine had been open for 90 minutes or so, we felt the earthiness drift away and the cherry came forward that we had smelled, then the tannins showed a little and the wine became a delicious combo. Slight earthy nose still lingered, dark red/black fruit came forward, cherries and plums filled the mouth and oak lingered in the side of the mouth at the end making this a big wine overall. I do not know how much of this wine I can compare to other Zins, maybe a Syrah. No matter what, get these in cue for the fall, it is probably too hot to enjoy these with a big hearty meal now, but I can't wait to get this with a Pot roast after the Georgia Spring/Summer ends ( 90 degrees today). I don't even like Pot Roast.....
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Red/purple color. Nose smells like a Zin - bright, peppery berries, a bit of underbrush. The palate shows kirsch, zin-berry, black pepper, and some earthy components. Quite a bit of oomph still, although the tannins are integrating nicely. Last bottle, but I bet this will drink well for at least a couple more years.
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Nice rich and clear purple color with on opening a sharp, hard, dileneated nose of pungent berries that softened over time to have a very pleasant bouquet...again over time as the evening wore on this wine softened but maintained a very rich personality with a bright entry, a smooth and full mouth feel, despite the 16% alcohol, and a nice finish...what I expect from Turley.
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Not as enjoyable as the last bottle...not as much fruit & definitely seems hot. (That's not to say it's not good...just not the complete barn-burner the last bottle was.) Could be bottle variation, but glad we went on a treasure hunt to dig out our 2000 zins. Drink up!
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Wow - this is a huge wine. Heady aromas, deep ruby color, and plenty of fruit on the palate. Cherry, bits of fig, dried red fruits. This was very Turley-esque - good for those who like the style, not so good for those who don't :-)
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Dark fruit & spice on the nose, loads of fruit on the palate and finish. Definitely falls in the hedonistic fruit-bomb category. This is one that clearly benefits from being served cooler so the alcohol doesn't take over its more subtle characteristics. (Though it is interesting as it warms up, too.)
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3/24/2023 - TAB Wine wrote:
past its prime drinking, but still has life showing prune notes with brambly fruits.
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1/26/2019 - klezman wrote:
Delicious. Even with the 16% alcohol this has aged well and was surprisingly young. Flavours moved between prune, plum, spices, leather, and even some caramel overtones. Mineraly finish.
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10/11/2018 - jpbach13C wrote: 91 Points
zin is not supposed to age this long but this bottle was delicious. alcohol seemingly integrated. no volatile funk. just dried fruit and spice. almost elegant. balanced. I'm shocked.
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7/18/2014 - Tgood wrote: 66 Points
Cellared at 55F since received from mailing list. Healthy deep purple, aromas and flavors of raisin and prune juices , bitter chocolate, and coffee. Difficult to drink. Poster child overripe; internal quality control should have stopped this from being bottled. Picking a Turley off the shelf is like picking a piece of chocolate from a sampler - sometimes splendid, sometimes good, and as in this case sometimes horrible.
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1/9/2014 - johnallen wrote:
- Crimsom color - Getting a little tired
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7/21/2013 - drycab wrote:
An amazing 13 year old Zin!! It hides the 16% alc very well and just works.
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2/13/2013 - drycab wrote:
Absolutely amazing that a 13 year old zin can mature like this and be so elegant yet still zin-like in all of it's qualities. A great bottle of wine popped, slow oxed in bottle for an hour, then consumed at a restaurant.
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11/19/2012 - firstgrowth wrote: 92 Points
Robust, a little sweet, great with curry chicken rice soup.
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3/18/2012 - mdvino63 wrote: 90 Points
Still holding up nicely, if not as virant as a couple years back. Still a crowd pleaser, though and definitely not over the hill. Yummy. (2006 Ueberroth a couple days ago was much better, though)
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12/4/2011 - afalk wrote: 90 Points
Dark color, almost purple. Black raspberry, hints of licorice. Wonderful, but slightly past its prime.
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10/14/2011 - rfrenkel wrote: 92 Points
Still doing well - similar to 2008 review
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6/17/2011 - BigSchmove wrote: 84 Points
Could tell this was past its prime. It had a little body but not the full body that i'm used to with the Turley's This was good but past it's prime.
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5/5/2011 - JDRFoster wrote: 91 Points
No notes. Recall it being very nice, with great fruit and appealing secondary characteristics.
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8/22/2010 - ross.b wrote:
Waited too long
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3/4/2010 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
RICH DEEP BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE WITH BLACKBERRIES AND CURRANTS IN THE FLAVOR. LONG FINISH.
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12/12/2009 - jfkwines wrote:
I only sipped a drop, seemed nice, slight heat, lots of berries. Jeannette enjoyed it thoruoughly
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8/5/2009 - hsacks wrote: 90 Points
As is often the case with Turley Zins, with nine years of age this wine has lost many of the qualities that make these wines so sought after. Still very enjoyable with the cheese course but the wine has some of its richness and unctuousness... but not its alchohol. Drink up!
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3/5/2009 - Tejano wrote:
Dark purple and a tight nose of briary dark berries that did soften quickly and actually showed a light floral quality over time. This bottle was in a very nice place...a contridiction of smooth firmness that was very resolved and approachable that my wife simply said resembled "Nectar". Lovely fruit textures and notes that had a silky grip and a very good framework...enjoyed over several hours and it stayed firm to the end.
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11/28/2008 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
phenomenal experience, great promise on the nose, wonderful lingering fulll experience on the tongue with a touch of pepper and spice on the finish as an upnote, nicely rounded with good structure. The bottle was in perfect shape, and over the several hours did not lose any energy. More interesting finish than the Dogtown we had a day ago, and perfect for Thanks giving dinner
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7/4/2008 - mdvino63 wrote: 92 Points
This is flat-out delicious zin. Gorgeous fruit (cherry, blackberry, cranberry) with some spice and chocolate....also, some raisin--the fruit is very sweet. Moderately thick (moderate for Turley), palate-staining, rich and smooth, the alcohol is just burried in the fruit at this point, and the tannins are very smooth and reserved. I find little to no heat in this wine from my cellar, and it is not at all over-the-hill. Quite delicious. Would score higher if there were more complexity.
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6/10/2008 - vanpe003 wrote:
87 pts on opening: Opens up a bit funky with a notable stew aroma, but that blows off after 15 minutes or so revealing hints of the trademark (for me) Turley brambles on the nose along with spicy zin. On the palate, a bit thin with puckering tannins. Later develops some of the same "stew" notes as the flawed btl. I'm starting to suspect this could be the normal character of this wine at this age. I would guess this is past its prime. The last few bottles opened have helped me with my Turley strategy, which is "drink between 4-6 yrs of vintage". For me, that means 2002-2004 are in the drinking window now. While I suspect there are exceptions (Hayne, possibly Rattlesnake being longer living, Juvenile a little less), the more accessible of the Turley lineup seem to follow that pattern for my tastes.
80 pts two hours later - the concensus loser among 5 btls of zin opened this evening, picking up the same stew / cooked character as the earlier bottle that I thought was flawed. I'm not convinced this is flawed. Looking back on prior notes for aged Turley, I see that I've had the same perception from several btls, different sources, etc.
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6/10/2008 - vanpe003 wrote: flawed
Btl from WC seemed cooked. Basically undrinkable (wet dog fur on the nose, fresh road kill on the palate).
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7/8/2007 - Screameagle wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing. Doesn't show very much fruit.
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5/9/2007 - Greg W wrote: 91 Points
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.
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5/1/2007 - jfkwines wrote: 90 Points
Turkey Taco Tuesday Tradition continues. We have enjoyed a couple of 04's from this vintage. We had an '03 1-2 weeks ago and it was a mess. This was a great middle. We have discussed in previous tasting notes the "disappointing" 2000 vintage may not be that bad after all. A very enjoyable wine that was very earthy on the nose and even more so on the palette, we found the wine acessible from the moment the wine was opened. The smell was heavy and dark, like black cherry and then it became a very big wine with the aforementioned deep earth texture and smell. While very drinkable this was a bit much for the Turkey Tacos, but after the kids went to bed and the wine had been open for 90 minutes or so, we felt the earthiness drift away and the cherry came forward that we had smelled, then the tannins showed a little and the wine became a delicious combo. Slight earthy nose still lingered, dark red/black fruit came forward, cherries and plums filled the mouth and oak lingered in the side of the mouth at the end making this a big wine overall. I do not know how much of this wine I can compare to other Zins, maybe a Syrah. No matter what, get these in cue for the fall, it is probably too hot to enjoy these with a big hearty meal now, but I can't wait to get this with a Pot roast after the Georgia Spring/Summer ends ( 90 degrees today). I don't even like Pot Roast.....
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9/22/2006 - MarkC wrote: 90 Points
Red/purple color. Nose smells like a Zin - bright, peppery berries, a bit of underbrush. The palate shows kirsch, zin-berry, black pepper, and some earthy components. Quite a bit of oomph still, although the tannins are integrating nicely. Last bottle, but I bet this will drink well for at least a couple more years.
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2/14/2006 - Tejano wrote: 91 Points
Nice rich and clear purple color with on opening a sharp, hard, dileneated nose of pungent berries that softened over time to have a very pleasant bouquet...again over time as the evening wore on this wine softened but maintained a very rich personality with a bright entry, a smooth and full mouth feel, despite the 16% alcohol, and a nice finish...what I expect from Turley.
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2/11/2006 - winekitchen wrote: 90 Points
Not as enjoyable as the last bottle...not as much fruit & definitely seems hot. (That's not to say it's not good...just not the complete barn-burner the last bottle was.) Could be bottle variation, but glad we went on a treasure hunt to dig out our 2000 zins. Drink up!
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11/21/2005 - MarkC wrote: 92 Points
Wow - this is a huge wine. Heady aromas, deep ruby color, and plenty of fruit on the palate. Cherry, bits of fig, dried red fruits. This was very Turley-esque - good for those who like the style, not so good for those who don't :-)
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10/11/2005 - winekitchen wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit & spice on the nose, loads of fruit on the palate and finish. Definitely falls in the hedonistic fruit-bomb category. This is one that clearly benefits from being served cooler so the alcohol doesn't take over its more subtle characteristics. (Though it is interesting as it warms up, too.)
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5/9/2005 - keithgg wrote:
Massive, and hot. I immediately rushed to the bottle to learn the alc - 16%. It seems a bit out of balance to me. a huge wine with soem rough edges.
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3/6/2005 - Patrick wrote:
Great colour and an interesting bouquet but very noticeably hot on both the nose and on the palate; the most disappointing Turley I've had
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9/22/2002 - dbg wrote:
outstanding
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2/25/2002 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Red fruit, subtle pepper notes, spicy finish.
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