The wine comes from Turley Wine Cellars, a notable Californian producer founded in 1993 by Larry Turley. Turley has built a reputation for crafting Zinfandels, often from very old vines from small, carefully farmed parcels
“Juvenile” is different from many of Turley’s single-vineyard wines: it is a blend made from many younger replanted vines (ranging roughly between 6 and 25 years old) drawn from a selection of Turley’s best vineyard sites across California. For the 2018 Juvenile, grapes were sourced from dozens of vineyards across multiple counties, effectively making this blend a showcase of the winery’s broader viticultural holdings rather than a single-site expression.
Fermentation is done with native (wild) yeasts, and the wine is aged about 12 months in oak (mostly used oak, a small fraction new), making the style more about pure fruit, vibrancy and balance rather than heavy oak influence.
Bright, juicy aromas of red and black berries, raspberry, cherry and a touch of blackberry, lifted by subtle spice and a hint of pepper. On the palate it’s vibrant and fruit-driven, offering ripe berry flavours with good freshness and a supple, medium-bodied feel. Soft tannins and lively acidity keep it balanced, leading to a clean, gently spiced finish that highlights the wine’s youthful, energetic character.