2007 Turley Juvenile.  Let’s start at the back.  “Juvenile” refers to the age of the Zinfandel vines — for this wine, 25 years or younger.  Turley is a Zinfandel specialist, gathering old vine grapes planted  in California before Prohibition.   “Juvenile” is made from the occasional replacements since even the life of a vine is not without measure.

The first impression is a deep purple and the smell of an oak barrel.  The taste is bold and composed of primary colors.  This is a wine like a late Gauguin — bare breasts and deep jungle greens and blacks.  “Spicy” or “peppery” does not really cover the ground. The taste is vivid and fruity in a dark, overweening style.  Despite a bias against Zinfandel, I liked it.

The question is how to serve it.  Not many meals would stand up to such a young monster.  It went beautifully with a gamey, soft cheese, especially after the second glass.  It could hold its own, I suppose, beside a hunter’s stew with garlic, tomatoes, and the shoulder of a beast.  But really, it ought to be drunk before dinner, with some bread, and admired for the sheer horsepower of the thing.

These wines are genuinely hard to find.  Dedalus will let you try this one for a (very reasonable) $21.50

Tuta  6/8/09