United States · California

Turley

Turley Wine Cellars was established by Larry Turley in 1993 in St. Helena, built around sourcing old-vine Zinfandel and Petite Syrah from California's most ancient vineyard sites. Turley's founding winemaker was his sister Helen Turley before Ehren Jordan took over in 1995 and built the winery into the definitive reference point for serious California Zinfandel. The winery now farms over 50 vineyard sites, many with vines 80–120 years old, including the famous Hayne Vineyard in St. Helena (planted 1906), Dusi Ranch in Paso Robles, and Moore Earthquake Vineyard in Napa. Old-vine Zinfandel at Turley's scale is unusual — most California Zinfandel producers either work with younger vines or produce far smaller volumes. Auction data shows 2,078 lots at a $45 average, modest by prestige standards but reflecting the affordable pricing model Turley deliberately maintains. Hayne Vineyard Petite Syrah leads by price at $65/139 lots; Hayne Zinfandel averages $74 across 45 lots, the portfolio's highest single wine. The Old Vines Zinfandel ($30/146 lots) and Mead Ranch ($40/66 lots) anchor the broader portfolio. The top auction price of $278 is unusually low for a producer with Turley's critical following of consistent 92–97-point scores, reflecting the estate's deliberate pricing philosophy that prioritizes access over exclusivity. Ehren Jordan departed in 2010; Tegan Passalacqua and Christina Turley now lead winemaking and vineyard management respectively.