Turley Lodi Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard 2024

PRODUCER NOTES:

TASTING: “This wine is a piece of history, and absolutely exceptional in ’24. Violets, ripe red plum, raspberry, and a touch of nougat. Lovely freshness, balance, depth and a texture reminiscent of fine red Burgundy. A lithe, graceful wine that will age well if you can manage to keep your hands off it, though I certainly can’t! Make sure you get enough to at least last you through Thanksgiving—you’ll be very glad you did.”

VARIETAL: “A light-bodied red grape, Cinsault (pronounced SAHN-so) is usually found in the south of France as a component of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône Valley, or consumed as rosé in Provence. The wine is lightbodied with fresh, high acidity, almost akin to a Gamay or a very light Pinot Noir.”

VINEYARD: “Bechtoldt is the oldest continuously farmed vineyard in the Lodi AVA, consisting of 25 acres of gnarled, own-rooted head-trained vines and was originally planted in 1885 by Joseph Spenker. This Cinsault vineyard is certainly the oldest of its kind in the United States, and perhaps even the oldest Cinsault in the world! The Bechthold Vineyard vines are gnarly, head-trained, and dry-farmed in deep, sandy soils. They’re also ungrafted, meaning they remain on their original vitis vinifera roots that were first planted 136 years ago, a phenomenon nearly impossible to replicate today.

QUICK FACTS:

AVA: Lodi; Sub-AVA: Mokelumne River

VITICULTURE: Head-trained, ungrafted, dry-farmed, hand harvested

FERMENTATION & AGING: Native yeast;100% used French oak 7 months in barrel Bottled unfined

ABV: 12.5%