As the new shipment of Turleys have arrived, and the spring BBQ season is upon us, I've opened up two bottles from my stash recently. Up first was the 2005 Duarte Zinfandel. This was a nice wine from the difficult 2005 vintage, but not a Turley that really blew me away. I certainly enjoyed it, but it didn't make my list of top Turley experiences.
The other 2005 I had was the 2005 Cedarman Zinfandel. This bottle was quite enjoyable, especially in how it surprised me from the start. I truly think this wine could've passed for a modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape. It wasn't too heavy, but had plenty of fruit and even some of the garrigue elements I associate with a Southern Rhone Grenache. This was really an enjoyable bottle, and definitely the type of experience that reminds me why I buy these wonderful California wines each year.
