2016, Turley Estate Zinfandel

With its expressive aromas of peonies, rose petal, dried Mediterranean herbs, cherries and black raspberries, the 2016 Zinfandel Turley Estate is one of the most fragrant and perfumed wines in the range. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, juicy and supple, with a sweet core of fruit, melting tannins and a long finish.

94 Robert Parker

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.