First, let me say that I am not a fan of young zinfandel.  I realize that all the wine "pundits" out there talk about Zin being vibrant and juicy and ready to drink on release, but I really do not care for most zins unless they have about 5 years of bottle age.  I know I can't be the only one who dislikes young zins out there, so let's all get together and form an action group "Citizens against zinfandel infanticide".   Having said all that, I freely admit that I drank the 2004 Turley Dusi too soon for my palate.  Every once in a while I get talked into trying a big bold zin with 3 or 4 years of age, and I rarely like it.  This was no exception.  The wine seemed disjointed, somewhat tannic,  a bit tart, and too "hot", with an alcohol content of 16.5%.  I had a glass with my cheeseburger for dinner, and corked the bottle until the next day.

The next day the wine drank much better.  The tannin had softened, the fruit seemed more prevalent, and the alcohol seemed better concealed.  This tells me that the wine should either be decanted for a considerable period of time, or it should be left in the cellar for another year of two.  Of course, those who like young zins will like it the way it is now.  But all of you who ordinarily drink cabs and meritage/Bordeaux blends should avoid the tempation to just open the bottle and drink it as soon as the cork hits the counter-top.

3 stars

 

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