A truly colossal Zinfandel is Turley Cellars' 1994 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard. Frankly, Zinfandel does not get much richer than this. Its only rivals are the two enormously rich, unctuously-textured wines from the Martinelli Family's Jackass Vineyard and Jackass Hill Vineyard. The 1994 Hayne possesses a dense purple color, and a huge nose of fabulously pure black fruits, pepper, and spices. The texture is akin to syrup, with a thickness and richness that must be tasted to be believed. With all this power and flavor authority, it is easy to think this wine is too heavy. But it is dry, well-focused, and thrilling to drink. The alcohol is an unbelievable 17.2%, yet there is no hotness in the finish - which tells readers about the extraordinary concentration of fruit this wine possesses. Likely to be controversial because of its size and extremely concentrated style, the 1994 Hayne is an historical Zinfandel! Drink it during its first 15-20+ years of life.
NOTE: All the wines in this article were tasted in May, 1996.
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