Ehren Jordan Departs Turley Wine Cellars
The longtime Turley winemaker will focus on his own winery, Failla
Posted: Feb 27, 2013 11:00am ET
Zinfandel lovers won't be happy to hear that winemaker Ehren
Jordan has left Turley Wine Cellars after 18 years, but if you've followed
Jordan and the impressive work he has done at his own winery, Failla, it should
come as no surprise.
"Most people think Helen is still making the wine anyway,"
Jordan laughed, referring to Turley's short-tenured first winemaker, Helen Turley, the sister of owner Larry Turley.
In the past two decades, Jordan and Larry Turley together
crafted what I think are some of California's most impressive and iconic
Zinfandels. You'll find Turley wines on the best restaurant wine lists in the
country. They are full-flavored, powerful yet refined, and express the
distinctive character of Zin and the classic old
vineyards from which they come, like Hayne in Napa Valley, Ueberroth in Paso Robles and Dogtown in
Lodi.
Jordan, who was also Turley's general manager, said the decision
to leave wasn't easy, but it was something he had considered for some time.
Jordan and his wife, Anne-Marie Failla, launched Failla in 1998 and focused on
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The brand has grown enough, and considering
the surprisingly large size of the 2012 crop, Jordan said, "It was obvious that
Failla is a full-time job."
The timing was also right. Jordan's winemaking team at Turley is well-seasoned, and his right-hand man, Tegan Passalacqua, has been doing much of the
heavy lifting for a while. Christina Turley, the eldest of Larry's three
daughters, made a name for herself as wine director for star
chef David Chang's Momofuku
restaurants in New York. Since moving back to California two years ago, the 28-year-old
has taken on many of the marketing and business duties.
Jordan and Turley remain friends. "I told him if he needs me, I'm only a
phone call away."
I will keep an open mind, but the wines from both Turley and Failla are brilliant. I only hope that as Failla approaches super-stardom, Ehren maintains the reasonable pricing structure and great QPR that I appreciate from both wineries. Maybe Ehren will add a few Zins and/or Petite Sirahs to the Failla lineup? :)
Turley has long been a large counter-point to the "Zinfandels as simplistic fruit-bombs" crowd, and I hope they maintain that tradition.