Turnbull

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/7/7

I'd like to say a few good things about Turnbull.  For starters I was surprised at the quality of their offerings. As is often the case for me in Napa Valley, I can't get my head around paying the extra 25% for the branding, but they had some good wines. We spent the $20 on the reserve tasting, which was voided when we bought a bottle of the Merlot below. I note this because some wineries (Cakebread, for example) be sure they collect their tasting fee up front, regardless of how you conclude your retail experience (i.e. how many cases/bottles you buy).  A good winery, in my opinion, waits to see if you and their offerings have something in common...whether there'll be something to talk about later...whether a good match can be made.

A minor note from this experience was the seeming disinterest in our existence by the wine pourer, who spent most of her time with her back to us reading a magazine. I would have been more annoyed if I hadn't been grateful for the isolation, having just left Cakebread, as it were.

2008 Leopoldina Cabernet franc $60/$48/$30

Notes of vanilla, black pepper.

Blended with petit verdot and malbec

Typical cabernet franc with a modest earthy finish. The blackberry is there, but it’s muted by the finish.

2008 Fortuna Merlot $55/$44/$45

Full bouquet of black cherries, black berry, and cola. (the winemaker notes say black tea, but I don’t get that…until I taste it). This is a classic Napa Valley merlot, with the right balance of acidity and fruit. It has a tattered velvety finish, which is nice, and not too overwhelming.

2008 Fortuna Cabernet Sauvignon  $75/$60/$55

Enticing bouquet of blackberry, cola, and black cherry. The pepper dominates the finish on this wine, which is not ungood. The fruit is enjoyable and this is a balanced wine.

2008 Amoenus Cabernet Sauvignon  $75/$60/-

The minerality on the nose is unusual. Frankly, I had a hard time getting past it, to the fruits. The clove dominates the palate and I can’t STAND clove.

2008 Leopoldina Cabernet Sauvignon $75/$60/$60

Deep burgundy color with medium viscosity. The nose is classic Cabernet Sauvignon out of Napa Valley. The earthy, peppery nose wafts the cassis and black cherry out of the glass. The palate disappoints with less tannic backbone than expected, yet still has a fully velvet finish. The cassis and cherry are a bit muted by the finish and this would benefit tremendously by a few years in the cellar.