Turley Zinfandel Tasting and Reviews

Turley Zinfandel Tasting and Reviews – Episode #163

January 10, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Turley Dogtown Zinfandel ‘04 (Not Available)
Turley Pesenti Zinfandel ‘04 (Not Available)
Turley Moore-earthquake Zin ‘00 (Not Available)
Turley Moore-earthquake Zin ‘01 (Not Available)

Links mentioned in todays episode.

Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

Turley wines have been some of the hottest over the last 5-10 years and with Owner Larry Turley and winemaker Ehren Jordan is in good hands. Gary Vaynerchuk will taste a few new wines and a few older vintages to see how they are acting!

119 Responses

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January 10, 2007

ChuckW
shotgun, hey shotgun….YOU SUCK!
January 10, 2007

JOEYdaMUSH
sup gary. im going to buy a bottle of your own cab sauv for the weekend. peace.
January 10, 2007

jason carey
Gary
with steak tartare.. a fuller bodied chinon or red burgundy or oregon pinot noir.

with tuna… if its asian influnced, a alsace pinot gris or a really killer vouvray or even a gewerz.

for salmon tartare a full bodied white burgundy or a white rhone. or a cru beaujolias.

If you are feeling like cooking…try a scallop and striped bass tartare sometime.. make it with cucumber, mayo, chives, cilantro, lemon salt and pepper. and put it on a bed of pea sprouts and surround with cherry tomatoes. (serve this with champagne)
drizzle with basil cream.
January 10, 2007

cgf
G-Man,
Great episdoe. I loved the Ridge episode too. It is very interesting seeing you profile a winery. Keep it up.
I have been lucky enough to try a Turley Zinfandel. They pour them by the glass at Zoe’s Restaurant in Naples, FL for 15 bucks. I had a 2001 but I forget which vineyard exactly (Juvenile I think?). I don’t drink that much Zinfandel, but it was definitely one of the best I have had. It sucked with the duck I was eating, but went great with the chocolate cake for dessert. And yes, it was fine by itself.
QOD: When in doubt with a food, I go for riesling. But I don’t eat that much tartare.
Have a safe and fun time in L.A.!
January 10, 2007

Steve R
Loved the show — interesting topic. I have had two Turley Zins, both at local restaurants. They were total fruit bombs, but I am sometimes in the mood for a thick, inky, wine, and these definitely fit the bill. Overhyped? Possibly, but worth a try.

QOTD — I am going to push the envelope a bit, but maybe if you are in a daring mood (or a crazy one), you might try these matches:

Steak tartare — Dry Lambrusco — yes, that red frizzante stuff that people love to make fun of. The light fizziness, bright fruit, and pleasant bitterness on the finish cuts through the fattiness of the steak and keeps the whole dish from getting too heavy.

Tuna tartare — The versions I have eaten have a bit of kick to them, so perhaps a nice Spatlese Riesling (or an Alsatian Riesling) would complement the flavors.

Salmon tartare — especially if there’s some smoke in the mix, some rich, yet crisp Pinot Gris; I like the Alsatian and Oregon styles — lemon chiffon pie in a glass — as opposed to a very crisp and light Pinot Grigio.
January 10, 2007

Carey
Tuna tartar, in my opinion goes really well with a red burgundy. The old world pinot cuts right through it. Last week I had tuna sashimi with a 1995 Chorey-Cote de Beaune from Tollot Beaut & Fils. That was heaven.
BTW, Jets rip Pats next season.
January 10, 2007

ThomasS
O, by the way: I was just watching you with a very nice 3 year old Westmalle Trippel Trappist. Take that! Cheers!
January 10, 2007

ThomasS
Ok Gary, here is your big surprise (ow my head aches: it’s half past 4 a.m. here): no wine with tartar, for God’s sake! The salty and straight forward bitter/sour dimension of tartar does not match in strength with wine, I think (maybe some New World one’s, but nah, not really …). My favourite combo: steak tartar with BELGIAN fries and a good ‘pils’, a lager beer, like Primus Haacht, Oppiter Pax or Slaghmuylder Pils. No Stella Artois, Heineken or some of that junk, that’s no beer man. It’s water with a taste. So there you go: a good Belgian lager beer.
January 10, 2007

stewart l
loved the episode. I think Turley zins get too much hype. They tend to be over the top in fruit and heavy alcohol. I’d rather have a Ridge zin any day.
QOD: With Tuna tartar I prefer a viognier or an alsatian Gewurzt.
January 10, 2007

Claudio Werneck
Hi Gary,

Tks for your email. DonÂ´t forget…if you need anything from Brazil…
January 10, 2007

Paul
Sorry, Tangaroa, but your full of sh*t. Gary tastes a lot of wine. Some is cheap, some isn’t. He has fans who are capable of buying both and frequently do buy both. Most of us like to know about what’s available, even if we can’t afford it. I can’t spend a lot on wine, but it’s nice to hear from those who can. LIving vicariously? Maybe, but if I know someobody’s palate and they something’s good, I believe them. I don’t always agree with Gary, but I think I know what he likes and I can translate what he says to what I like (or don’t).

I’m a teacher. I can’t afford some of the wine he tastes. Can I afford the Cristal he washed down the dirt with? No. So what?? It was fun to watch. Can I afford the Turley wines? No, but it was fun to hear about them.

The statement that you will NEVER buy a $100 bottle of wine is just plain silly. With luck, you’ll live a long time – circumstances change. Sorry you have that bug up your butt; I hope you manage to remove it.
January 10, 2007

Jaye
To Gary – I am so happy to see you brought back your tasting glass. Good on you!

As to the QOTD, being German and the granddaughter and niece of butchers, I grew up eating Steak Tartare as a very regular thing. Haven’t had it in years though! However, I do remember the flavors being delicate so I would think I would go with a very light-bodied wine such as a champagne, dry riesling, or maybe a light pinot noir.
January 10, 2007

Jaye
To Tangaroa – I did a search on the wines Gary drank today, only the older ones are $100 or so on the secondary market. The other 2004 versions are available $40-$50 which is in lots of people’s price ranges. Also, though I agree, most shows benefit from wines under $30 be tasted, it is nice to occasionally “mix it up” and see Gary tasting pricier wines. If for no other reason, than to live vicariously through his tasting of the wine.
January 10, 2007

jared
nice episode gary. i am actually on the turley list and you are correct about the amount of wine one can recieve from them. Here is the problem, they make a good petite sirah and i have yet to be offered any.

QoD: champagne is good with tar tar…rose bubbly is even better.
January 10, 2007

Tangaroa
OK, listen up Vaynerchuk-

This is exactly why you wine guys are so loathed. Gary, I REALLY like you but, there is no way in my entire life I will ever buy a $100 wine. And there is no way in heck that I wile EVER EVER EVER go out out and drop $1000 on 4 bottles of wine to “sample” to build up my palette. It just ain’t gonna happen, vato.

I mean really. Today’s vlog had about as much practical value as a RONCO in-the-egg scrambler.

You know what? There may be 1 or 2 of your fans who are so absolutely filthy rich that dropping $1000 on a few bottles of wine that may or may NOT be any good is par for the course. So fine. You either did an episode for those 1 or 2 people or (heaven forbid!) you did an episode to prove to the rest of us that you are well off enough to be so cavalier with $1000.

Thank you SO much for the vast majority of your shows that I DO get so much out of. I will faithfully tune in tomorrow…
January 10, 2007

LXA_Harris
What the crap is tartare(sp?)??? I’d probably drink chianti with it, but that’s just because I always am drinking chianti.
January 10, 2007

Alaska1
OHHHHH THANK YOU. ZIN ZIN ZIN. I feel so blessed that you have done TWO whole showes on Zin. That just makes my…..WEEK! Thank you VaynerGOD! Any way.(I’m sure I will get !#@$ for that) Ummmm. For Tuna Tar Tar I always love my second Fave wine Reisling! OLD WORLD BABY! Dr. Loosen! 01,02,03, even 05! Great stuff. Keep up the great work. Have fun on the trip! Bring back some for us!
January 10, 2007

malabargold
I like a not-too astringent sauv. blanc with steak tartare – enhances the mustard and anchovies, and cuts through the butteriness of the meat and yolks
January 10, 2007

Kai
Fish Tartare match with ice cold Sake….a top quality Sake.
January 10, 2007

wine dog
Your loyal minions are nominating you like crazy. I signed you up for “Best Blog,” “Best Video Blog,” and “Best Review Blog.” Good luck. Let us know when its time to go and vote.
January 10, 2007

Rob M.
When I clicked on my WLTV bookmark, I was so excited- Gary has Turley in stock! Then, I saw the not available.

“None of these wines are available at Wine Library, I just managed to dig these up.” Nice.

That is why I am so afraid to pay $400 for a wine at a restaurant- I just don’t know whether I would get the 86 point 2000 Moore “Earthquake” or the 96 point Moore “Earthquake”.

Excellent episode.

Cheese, please.
January 10, 2007

dave from Osaka (thunderball)
that was great. i guess its a good lesson for us all to see how much actual variation there can be in very similar looking wines from different vintages/vineyards. thanks!
January 10, 2007

wineo
Steak tartare- I’d say a lighter style red like a pinot of Rioja. Since the meat is crudo, there is no caramelization from grilling or searing and a cab or heartier red might just overwhelm the delicateness of the tender lean meat. As for the salmon and tuna, I guess it would depend on how the fish was dressed and other ingredients. Capers? Oriental style? However, I guess you can’t get hurt with a crisp and acidic white to cut the high fat content in those two particular fish. Anyway dawg, your the expert. But thanks for asking. Have a safe trip and dont do anything I wouldnt do. Buona Fortuna
January 10, 2007

Mike
Gary tar tar and I don’t care!!

LOL

Mike F.D.N.Y.
January 10, 2007

Shotgun
My wife now has a HUGE soft spot in her heart for Turley Zins. She and our son went to Phoenix for the UF-OSU game (we are also HUGELY OBNOXIOUS Gator fans), and the night before the Big Game they dined at Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale (great place BTW) and because she generally loves Zins they ordered a bottle of Turley (vintage ?maybe 2002, Juveniles perhaps– she really doesn’t have a clue). I stayed at home to serve on the Finance Committee of this little excursion. She said the wine was awesome and that it was a great bottle and label design (apropos to recent WLTV). The next day, our Gators kick MAJOR Buckeye Ass (a shellacking as there maybe has never before been seen against such an overhyped and overrated team as the Bucksters with all of their ridiculous battle helmets festooned with gazillions of buckeyes like Russian generals with hundreds of fake medals and ribbons of imagined military glory), and the next couple days after that Turley Zins are the WLTV Theme du jour! Wow. I have had hundreds (well, dozens at least) of great and famous wines, but have never even seen a bottle of Turley zin and in comes my wife as I am watching WLTV and she says yeah there’s the cool bottle. Gary, I am sorry about your Jets but give my Gators a little shoutout huh? and maybe lobby the Jets to draft Chris Leak to replace the hugely wussy no-talent Pennington.

QOD– I love tartare too. But forget the wine. Just enjoy the critter, there are too many competing flavors and unpredictable ingredients to screw with trying to pair a wine. The tartare course will be short enough, so just enjoy a few minutes later whatever you already have poured or just move on. If I had to choose it would be a good NV champagne, which pairs beautifully with almost anything.