History
Dragon is a younger site than the old-vine Zinfandel vineyards Turley is best known for: it was planted in 2000. Unlike most of the sites Turley bottles, this one is estate-owned and farmed by the winery. It sits at the mountain end of a range that runs from here to the limestone of west Paso Robles.
The Site
High in the pines above Angwin at 2,250 feet, on what Turley calls one of Howell Mountain's highest points. The site is above the morning fog line, so the vines catch the morning sun on an east-facing slope and fall into shade earlier in the day, cooling sooner than many neighboring sites, a wider swing than any valley-floor equivalent.
Vines and Blocks
Zinfandel on red volcanic soil, farmed as a certified organic estate block. The elevation and the stone together force thick skins and small berries.
The Wines
Turley's Dragon Zinfandel skips the sweetness the variety usually carries: dark fruit, wild mountain herbs and a note of crushed volcanic stone, carried by bright acidity and finely grained tannins.