Chris Wheaton

9.4

Always great to stop through Hong Kong which is kind of Wine Tourism at its best out of region…. Picked up this very youthful bottle to evaluate: saturated almost black/purple in the glass; nose somewhat mute at first but after a day or so all blackberry and plum; first sip almost painfully intense, great acidity and velvet tannins. Long haul wine and great but not outstanding. I’m more in line with NM than AG’s 100 points. — 4 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

Revisiting the ‘20 Old Vines after a year or two in the cellar. Dusky clear purple. Sweet cherries and earth on the nose. Smooth, rich, almost no tannin. A lovely creamy, dark finish like plum pie with ice cream. These Old Vine blends are some of the best values in the Turley line up if not all of CA Zinfandel. — 2 years ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

The ‘21 Juvenile is inky purple with bright edges and a minerally nose that runs a bit hot (15.2% abv). The fruit is subtle and a touch bitter, partially offset by a bit of oaky creaminess. This wine is usually a bang for the buck leader in the Turley line-up, so hopefully a little more time in the bottle will help. Update 9/24: still running hot but mellowing with more vivid dark fruit, firm tannins, decant or age further. 2/25: tight and tannic, no spice, some red fruit emerging. 9/25 a different story; dark, smooth, earthy and mineral driven. 2/26: spiciness layering in still with bright acidity. — 3 years ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.4

There’s a song that includes the line ‘Forget about experience, I’d rather have potential.’ The 2017 Hayne PS brings both — old vine depth with lots of room for aging. Coming out of the bottle an almost milky purple color and with a nose that full of dark fruits and a bit musty, the 2017 is taught, full of massive tannins, and has streaks of vanilla, dark berries and maybe even a bit of lemon. Enjoy it and tuck a few away for 5-30 years to get the full potential. — 5 years ago

Antra Stabler

9.7

In line with the relic. Slightly purple tongue. Fruity, but not overpowering. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Okay…so I entered the night fully aware that we were going to be taking down some unicorns…but this?!  I wasn’t prepared for this. I walked into the room, greeted my fellow brothers-in-wine and began to set my contributions next to the other bottles in the line-up. I casually scanned from left to right in complete wonder at what was on display…and stopped halfway, as my eyes recognized a label from the recesses of my memory. A label that had been filed away under the category of “Academic” since there was very little likelihood that I would ever see a bottle, let alone have an opportunity to enjoy it. And yet, here I was, in a small town north of Lincoln, NE, staring in disbelief at a bottle of 1990 Gentaz-Dervieux. I turned to our host who, at this point, was smiling at me; like a childhood friend who had invited me over to play with his GI Joe Aircraft Carrier, the U.S.S. FLAGG. “F***ing Gentaz?!”

The nose? Magic. Brambles, granite, mushrooms, cumin, espresso, purple flowers, leather, smoke; so sanguine, so savory. Vinous. Rustic. Tremendous with Iberico pork cheek, mushroom ragu with lavender and thyme. I took my time. Drink now through 2035+. — 2 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.0

So tart, amazing licorice and very pure purple fruit; volatile acid that almost crosses the line but comes up clean in the end. Good juice, good vintage and a return to balance compared to 2018. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

First, the Gentaz and now, Verset?! Be still my beating heart! Noël Verset is a freaking legend. His first vintage was during the period of peace between the first and second world war which means, for most of his career, Cornas was a tough place to make a living making wine. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that things began to turn around and by that time, Noël was in his 70’s. Talk about perseverance. By the time he made this 1996 vintage, he had already started selling off some of his vineyards and by 2006, he was done making wine altogether. 

And this 1996? It is lighter in color than the other wines in the Cornas line-up; almost a pale garnet with a transparent core. The nose is just crazy. I just wanted to smell it for the rest of the night. Wild mixed berries, dried purple flowers, garrigue, tobacco, and coffee. This was a Cornas of elegance and thinner on the palate relative to the Allemand and Clape. Long finish. Divine with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. Drinking very well now and could hold for longer but why? — 2 years ago

Brad Jensen

9.0

First impression: You can tell it’s from a top producer. It’s very refined and deliberate. Not delicate, but doesn’t hammer you. Velvety, with smooth tannins playin wayyy in the background. Like the bass line in jazz. The nose is there, but it it’s not all THAT bold, with notes of blueberry, dark rose, black cherry, and dark chocolate. Color is a deep red with purple melded in the middle. Surprisingly medium/light body, with light tannins, more to the rim and background but the flavors are surprisingly restrained, like there’s a hole in it. Good, but not great. — 3 years ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

Released Fall ‘21. A a blend of Zin and other varietals from two vineyards high up in Howell Mountain. The 2019 was inky purple with a surprisingly vanilla/creamy nose. This carried through to the palate but it also had a great back-end kick loaded with bright berries and soft tannins. Another very good player in the Turkey line up. — 4 years ago