Turley Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah

Turley Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah is a full-bodied, old-vine Napa Valley Petite Sirah at 15.3% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Sourced from vines planted in 1953 in the St. Helena sub-AVA, this bottling earned 97 points from Vinous for the 2021 vintage and has received multiple 96-point scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate across several releases.

Quick Facts: ABV: 15.3%  |  Origin: St. Helena, Napa Valley, California  |  Old Vine (Planted 1953)  |  Producer: Turley Wine Cellars

Production & Heritage

Turley Wine Cellars, founded in 1993 by Larry Turley, has built its reputation around old-vine, single-vineyard wines from California's most storied blocks. The Hayne Vineyard, planted in 1953 on alluvial gravelly loam soils in St. Helena, is head-trained, dry-farmed, and farmed organically — yielding intensely concentrated fruit from its low-vigor, deep-rooted vines. The wine is fermented with 100% native yeast, aged 18 months in a combination of 80% French oak and 20% American oak (20% new barrels), and bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve the vineyard's full expression.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Roasted plum and blackcurrant lead into layers of toasted coconut, cocoa powder, and garrigue. Darker undertones of charcuterie, laurel leaf, and a subtle rubbery edge emerge with time in the glass.

Taste: The entry is dense and opaque with blackberry jam, black cherry, and cassis flavors that coat the palate. Mid-palate, dark chocolate and licorice weave through a savory, smoky backbone, while a surprising perfumed lift and floral quality keep the wine from feeling heavy. Fine acidity threads through the blocky fruit, providing energy and structure.

Finish: Despite the jammy intensity, the finish lands dry with superb, fine-grained tannins and a mouthwatering acidity that pulls everything taut. Lingering notes of dark spice, cocoa, and earth persist well beyond the final sip.

How to Drink Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah

This wine is at its best served neat in a large-bowled glass at cellar temperature (60–65°F), with 30 to 60 minutes of decanting to let the complex aromatics fully unfurl. Its density and tannic backbone also suit food-forward pairings rather than cocktails — think braised short ribs with a red wine reduction, smoked brisket with charred onion, or aged hard cheeses like Comté or Manchego where the wine's savory depth can match rich, umami-driven dishes.

Best For

• Cellaring for collectors who appreciate California old-vine Petite Sirah with proven aging potential
• Pairing with a special steak dinner or holiday prime rib
• Gifting a serious red wine enthusiast something with vineyard pedigree and critical acclaim
• Adding a benchmark Napa Valley Petite Sirah to a curated wine collection

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah taste like? It delivers a powerfully dense core of blackberry jam, dark chocolate, licorice, and cassis with smoky, savory undertones. Despite the concentration, fine tannins and bright acidity keep the finish dry and lifted.

How does Hayne Vineyard compare to Turley Rattlesnake Ridge Petite Sirah? Robert Parker identified both Hayne Vineyard and Rattlesnake Ridge among the three greatest Turley Petite Sirahs in terms of concentration, depth, and potential complexity. Hayne tends to show more opaque, blocky fruit density from its 1953 plantings on alluvial gravelly loam, while Rattlesnake Ridge often displays a slightly different aromatic profile reflecting its own distinct terroir.

Is Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this is a wine built for contemplative drinking, ideally with a generous decant to allow its layered aromas and flavors to fully develop. Its tannic structure and 15.3% ABV reward patience.

Where is Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah made? It is produced by Turley Wine Cellars from the Hayne Vineyard, located in the St. Helena sub-AVA within Napa Valley, California. The vineyard sits on alluvial gravelly loam soils and has been in production since its planting in 1953.

What foods pair well with Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah? Braised short ribs complement the wine's dense fruit and tannin. Smoked brisket or grilled lamb chops echo its smoky, savory character. Aged Comté or Manchego stand up to its intensity, and dark chocolate desserts mirror the cocoa and licorice notes in the finish.

What sizes does Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format for this single-vineyard bottling.

Is Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah worth the price? This bottling positions firmly in the premium-to-ultra-premium tier of California Petite Sirah, justified by its old-vine sourcing (planted 1953), organic dry-farming, native yeast fermentation, and consistent critical acclaim — including a 97-point score from Vinous and multiple 96-point ratings from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Why Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah?

Few California Petite Sirahs draw from vines with seven decades of root depth in alluvial gravelly loam, and Hayne Vineyard's 1953 plantings give this wine a concentration and complexity that younger sites simply cannot replicate. The winemaking reinforces that distinction: native yeast fermentation, a restrained new-oak program, and zero fining or filtration allow the vineyard's voice to come through without cosmetic smoothing. Consistent scores of 96 to 97 points from both Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinous across multiple vintages confirm that this is not a one-off success but a reliably exceptional single-vineyard expression. For anyone serious about California Petite Sirah, Hayne Vineyard stands as one of the benchmarks of the variety.