Turley Zinfandel Cedarman 2023

Alcohol: 15.7%

Grape(s): Zinfandel, Petite Sirah

Localization: Howell Mountain, California, USA

Tasting Notes: Cedarman is a proprietary blend of fruit from both Rattlesnake Ridge and Dragon Vineyards, located at the top of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley. Although primarily Zinfandel, we use a small amount of Petite Syrah from the Rattlesnake vineyard as well. The result is a truly powerful, dense and wild wine, long on flavor.

The Domain: 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."