What Would Mikey Drink

Waxy spice and cherry liquor. Lush aromatics, huge bouquet massive attack and finish. Very ripe fruits and tannis abound in this large scaled, masculine pinot. Very California. Needs time. I won’t touch my magnum for 5+ years. Helen Turley is a genius. This is a fascinating stuff. With pan fried chicken and brown rice.A- www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

Smells, looks and tastes like a California pinot. Deep, dark, dense and ripe. Cherry liquor and earth aromas. Palate staining, savage raw meats, dark chocolate, cherry. Lots of ripe tannins. I’d love to taste it blind against a Kistler pinot (2001 Kistler Vineyards). With salmon, sauteed spinach and mac and cheese. B+ www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

Zin can age! Aromas of honeysuckle, sappy maple, and spice. Hides its 16.5% alcohol behind its candied bing cherry and dark chocolate. Mostly comes together on the finish but sometimes the syrup is out of balance. Feeling adventurous, we ate chocolate and grapefruit gelato from capogiro. They make the best ice cream, period. Grade: B [...]

Deep, dark and brooding. Explosive nose of winter and cedar. Smells like it’ll be killer. Then at first it is, until the finish. Nothing but tannins. Hard to get past it, much more powerful than the pure fruit underneath. May shed over time. Still, Turley makes some amazing wines. Worth a try. With a burrito. [...]

Incredible aromatics. Deep and dark. Has a spine bone lacking in most merlots. More like a great Bordeaux. Concentrated and intense, huge and tannic. Outstanding balance and hold. Needs a few more years. Will the tannins calm over time? With, what else, a steak. A- www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

Dark inky and ruby, nose of candied cherry and bramble. Bright and sharp attack. Syrup and tannis collide across this full bodied pinot. Very California. I wish it had some more charm and less brawn, but I also wish I had another bottle to see how well it will age. When it gets 2nd flavors [...]