Turley Wine Cellars Fredericks Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel 2023 (750ML)

Fredericks Vineyard was first planted in 1885, and the head-trained, dry-farmed Zinfandel that Turley picks there today went into the ground in 1937. The certified organic site climbs in contoured terraces from 800 to 1,200 feet in the Moon Mountain District, a mile and a half from the Napa line, on iron-rich red volcanic soil. Larry Turley founded the winery in 1993 and has made its name with California’s historic Zinfandel plantings. In 2023 a long, cool season gave these old vines time to ripen fully while holding their acidity. Native yeasts handled the fermentation, followed by 15 months in French and American barrels, 20% new. For now the wine is dense and closed: black cherry, plum and fig, cocoa, licorice, lavender and wild herbs, with a gamey, smoky edge and muscular tannin. Critics suggest waiting until around 2027. Give it braised oxtail, venison chili or barbecued brisket.