So, you know Turley Wine Cellars, right? That cult California wine producer whose wines are hard to find and often fetch extraordinary prices? As luck would have it, Chiefwino happened upon a fabulous wine bar in San Franscisco (Nectar Wine Lounge) last September, that not only sells wine on-premise, but also off-premise and has a number of Turley wines on their menu. I opted to bring home a few bottles, including the 'White Coat,' which I uncorked last night. Here is the skinny:
2003 Turley 'White Coat', San Luis Obispo County, California--Trio of white Rhône varieties (Marsanne, Viognier, Rousanne). Loads of intense tropical fruit/honeysuckle aromas, golden delicious apples, a hint of nuts. Full bodied and viscous. Noticeable alcohol--quite hot on the finish. Overall, not bad, but not worth what I paid, which was in the 50-60 dollar range. I think I would rather opt for a White Cotes du Rhône blend of the same varieties for more fruit, acidity and less alcohol---and a 1/4 of the price.
2 comments:
I happened to stop by the Turley tasting room just outside Paso Robles, California (easy to get to from Highway 101). I am a loyal fan of the big Turley reds, but I was curious about the White Coat and picked up a bottle for much less than you did (about $32). At that price, it is worth drinking over other white Rhone wines.
The only thing I can say to that is perhaps the price has come down since the vintage I tried...and I did buy it in a wine retail shop/wine bar in San Francisco. People usually mark up their Turley selections because they only get a small allotment every year.
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