Two from California

I recently again had the need for a Zinfandel so it was off to the cellar, where this time I plucked out the 2005 Turley Dusi Zinfandel. While I've had Dusi Zins from Ridge before, I've never had one from Turley. This wine was good, though I wouldn't put it among the top efforts from Turley. It was relatively simple and straightforward for a Turley, though still enjoyable.

Right before heading home for Christmas, I opened a half bottle of the 2005 Biale Zappa Red. A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, this is a very enjoyable bottle, though similarly lacks a bit of complexity like the Turley. This is a feature of a less-than-stellar 2005 Zinfandel vintage, but the wine was still overall enjoyable and probably a little better than the Turley (perhaps the added Syrah/Petite Sirah components gave it a little extra dimension).

Overall, I enjoyed these two bottles, though not to the extent of the top wines from these producers. However, these wines show that even in a lesser vintage, the Turley and Biale can produce very good wines, just not the exceptional ones they will make in a better year.