98 Points  - hot new label                                                                       
One of Paso Roble's up-and-coming Superstars. Turtle Rock  is a new label from Don Burns, assistant winemaker at SAXUM. Limited.

98 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "A blend of 52% Syrah, 24% Graciano, 13% Mataro, and the rest Grenache, fermented with 30% stems from the Syrah and aged in 80% new French oak, the 2023 Claude's Cuvée reveals ripe red and black fruits, leather, camphor, pepper, and spicy, loamy earth notes. It's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with a pure, seamless mouthfeel and gorgeous tannins, all pointing to plenty of accessibility as well as excellent aging potential....I’ve been raving about Don and Claudia Burns’ Turtle Rock label for years now, and I think it’s safe to say they’re making some of the most exciting wines in the region, year after year. Don launched Turtle Rock in 2014, initially making the wines at Justin Smith’s estate, though they’ve since moved to Tin City. The portfolio pulls from top sites throughout the region, including G2, 4 Hearts, Terry Hoage, and James Berry. The wines always deliver that classic Paso Robles fruit, but like the best estates in the area today, they also show purity, finesse, complexity, and elegance. While the focus has always been Rhône-based, Burns has recently begun working with Bordeaux varieties as well, and the results are terrific."

There are few estates in California today that are more exciting than Don Burns’ Turtle Rock. Pulling from some of the top vineyards on the westside of Paso Robles and making the wines as Justin Smith’s Saxum estate, Burns has consistently produced some of the wines of the vintage since his first releases in 2014. As I wrote in the past, readers interested in finding the next up and coming superstar in Paso Robles need to put Don and Claudia Burns’ Turtle Rock estate at the top of their list."