Helen Turley
Helen Turley | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Vintner, wine advisor, winemaker |
| Known for | Advancing Californian cult wines; owning Marcassin Vineyard; consulting for prominent wineries such as Pahlmeyer, Bryant Family Vineyard, Colgin, Martinelli, and Blankiet |
Helen Turley is a trailblazing American vintner and wine advisor, recognized for her role in advancing several Californian cult wines and for owning the exclusive 20-acre Marcassin Vineyard. Her achievements have been honored with distinguished accolades such as Wine Spectator's Distinguished Service Award and Food & Wine's Winemaker of the Year.
Turley has guided prominent California wine consultants including Mark Aubert, Jesse Hall, Philippe Melka, and Heidi Barrett. Her consulting engagements have encompassed esteemed wineries like Pahlmeyer, Bryant Family Vineyard, Colgin, Martinelli, and Blankiet. Before embarking on her consulting career, she served as the winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars until 1995.
Career
After graduating from Cornell's College of Agriculture in the 1970s, Turley began her professional journey at Robert Mondavi's laboratory in Napa Valley. By 1984, she had advanced to the role of winemaker, and in 1989 she introduced the use of wild yeast fermentation, signaling a significant evolution in her winemaking philosophy.
She advocated for cutting-edge techniques such as cold soaking and harvesting fruit at phenolic ripeness to craft wines with natural expression. During the 1990s, Turley emerged as a leading "superconsultant," elevating emerging wineries like Peter Michael, Colgin, and Bryant Family by enhancing their wine quality. She was renowned for nurturing small-scale producers with a strong focus on vineyard excellence as the foundation of superior wines.
At one stage, Turley oversaw production for a diverse portfolio including Colgin, Bryant, Turley, Martinelli, Pahlmeyer, Green & Red, Harrison, La Jota, Landmark, Canepa, as well as her own Marcassin label alongside her husband John Wetlaufer. Her early accomplishments featured Napa Valley Cabernets crafted for Bryant and Colgin that combined powerful flavors with elegance and refinement. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in raising the standard of Chardonnay in both Napa and Sonoma regions and contributed to the recognition of the Sonoma Coast through her work with Marcassin and Martinelli. Jesse Hall was among her final mentees at Martinelli.
Lawsuits
In 2001, Turley and Wetlaufer were engaged by Roy Estate to design their Napa Valley vineyard and act as consulting winemakers. Following production of the 2003 and 2004 vintages, Turley terminated the collaboration in March 2005. Subsequently, Roy Estate initiated a breach of contract suit in September of that year; the matter was resolved privately by May 2006.