Central Coast

• Edna Valley
• Mt. Harlan
• Paso Robles
  • Willow Creek

Comprised of an intelligent collection of different clones including Martini, Dijon and Pommard, this beautifully showcases this winery off Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo County. Originally known for their sparkling wines, Laetitia is also quite adept at still wines. Earthy and savory, this reserve opens up with lithe notes of black cherry, plum, pomegranate, Bing cherry and back notes of mushroom, cedar, tea leaf and plantain.

This is a blend of 66% Roussanne, 21% Grenache Blanc, 8% Picpoul Blanc, 3% Picardin and 2% Clairette Blanche.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pears, peaches, some minerality and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, pears and peaches with good acidity.  A roundness of the wine makes it very accessible.  Long finish.  Still youthful, there is plenty of depth and complexity.  White Rhone varietals are notoriously difficult to guess an ageing curve, but this should easily have a decade left.  It worked quite well with a Caprese Salad and also Guacamole.  

This is 95% Syrah and 5% Grenache and drinking beautifully.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, and roasted meats and herbs.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Deep but the layers unwind in the glass.  Probably not quite at peak but getting close.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  This should continue to drink well for another twelve to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this would work great with roasted veggies off the grill.  

Probably my favorite Zinfandel from the Turley offerings.  Deep garnet in color, Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has back cherries, black cherries, bramble and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Lots of energy.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Of course young, but drinking well.  Black cherries, cherries, spice and slight char.  Long finish.  This will drink well over the next ten years.  Great on its own, this would be perfect with a burger or ribs on the grill.  

Nice to revisit this wine from an excellent vintage.  Still drinking well for those, like me, that enjoy a full throttle Syrah once in a while.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight bacon fat, and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has juicy black raspberry fruit with lots of depth.  Good lively acidity.  Long finish.  This is full mature but should continue to drink well for another five to ten years.  It works better on its own but will work with big foods.  Spicy Indian foods are a good match.  

This is a blend of 34% Mourvedre, 33% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, and 8% Tempranillo.  Purple with a few garnet swirls. The nose is great with plums, black cherries, gravel, leather, black pepper, char and cedar.  Some alcohol showing on the nose.  Full bodied. Some tannins.  Deep.  On the palate, plums, black cherries, black pepper, spice and char.  No alcohol showing on the palate but it does have 15.9% abv.  Long finish.  This is delicious.  It drinks great on its own after about twenty minutes.

This is a blend of 48% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Petite Sirah, and 1% Roussane from California's Central Coast.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, grilled meats, plums, roasted herbs, and char.  Full bodied.  High energy.

This is pretty Riesling grown and made in a certified sustainable vineyard and winery.  Screw capped.  Silvery gold in color with some green hues.  The nose is nice with seltzer, lemons and minerality.  Full bodied with a very nice, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this has a tart acidity that is balanced against a semi-sweet wine.  Notes of pineapple and honey dew.  Very tasty.  Good finish.  This will be a very popular wine at summer parties and events.  It drinks great on its own but worked well with a wide variety of foods including a roasted veggie and eggplant spread on Pita.  V

An interesting tidbit from the American Vintner's Website"  "Miller and Lux went from small time New York butchers to the largest cattle owners in California, and one of the largest land holders in the United State in the late 1800’s.  At the height of their partnership, Miller and Lux boasted nearly 1.4 million acres of grazing land and one million head of cattle. They would come to be known as the “Cattle Kings of California”. Fast forward to current day, and much of the Miller and Lux land holdings is now the fertile ground of California’s Central Coast wine country."  

This is 100% Syrah.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black pepper and slight black olives.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with some underlying char.  Nice texture.  Light tannins.  Good finish.  Drinking well now and should continue for another eight to ten years.  A nice match for Indian food.