2020 Primitivo Reserve
2019 Primitivo Reserve is a big bold wine with enormous structure on the palate. It’s hard to believe just 5% Petite Sirah is blended into this wine, the overall color is dark, rich and coasts the glass. Only the best barrels were chosen in the creation of this blend and it certainly shows! The wine is complex and well-spiced but also well balanced on the finish. The taste is not over ripe, it is restrained with accents and unique nuances that truly mark it as a reserve and special wine. The flavors begin with subtle oak nuances of vanilla, cinnamon, toast and peppered meats, then the wine reveals a core of ripe black fruits and a mouth filling texture. The tannins are seamless, I pick out elements of earth, cedar and pencil shavings accented by clove and vanilla. Flavors build throughout the mid palate and lend to a generous ending.
2019 Primitivo Reserve is a big bold wine with enormous structure on the palate. It’s hard to believe just 5% Petite Sirah is blended into this wine, the overall color is dark, rich and coasts the glass. Only the best barrels were chosen in the creation of this blend and it certainly shows! The wine is complex and well-spiced but also well balanced on the finish. The taste is not over ripe, it is restrained with accents and unique nuances that truly mark it as a reserve and special wine. The flavors begin with subtle oak nuances of vanilla, cinnamon, toast and peppered meats, then the wine reveals a core of ripe black fruits and a mouth filling texture. The tannins are seamless, I pick out elements of earth, cedar and pencil shavings accented by clove and vanilla. Flavors build throughout the mid palate and lend to a generous ending.
Sculpterra Winery is proud to offer another fantastic release of Primitivo Reserve wine! This 2019 vintage is incredibly dense, layered with aromas of blackberry pie and finishes tart and dry. The wine features the “best of the barrels” from the entire Primitivo grape harvest. Therefore, this wine is meant to age and will improve with proper cellaring. The wine combines three vineyards; the Sculpterra estate 8-acre ridgeline Primitivo block, the neighboring Camp-8 Primitivo vineyard and a little bit of Petite Sirah was added and sourced from “Lago De Los Patos,” a little vineyard block right in front of the Sculpterra sculpture garden. Both Primitivo vineyards feature dramatic uphill slopes where high winds and intense summer heat ripen the fruit with ease. The Camp-8 road vineyard has sandy soils that stress the vines more. The estate ridgeline block contains limestone soils that impart unique flavors into the wine. We farm the grapes with utmost care and everything is hand manicured. Leaf pulling was completed in early June and allowed the cluster to ripen in the sun, creating dark colored wine and a rich flavorful mouthfeel. The growing season was spot on, and we had a very easy time ripening the fruit to the desired sugar and acids levels we sought to achieve.
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Varietal | Primitivo |
| Varietal Composition | 100% Primitivo |
| Appellation | Paso Robles |
| Vineyard | Frankel Family Estate |
| Acid | 0.66 g/100 ml |
| PH | 3.55 |
| Residual Sugar | 0.05 g/100ml |
| Alcohol | 16.00% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 05/18/2022 |
| Cases Produced | 300 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | California |
All grapes were hand-picked in the early morning hours and delivered to Sculpterra Winery for desteeming and fermenting. The crush was followed by a 2-day cold soak, then specific culture yeast was introduced at the start of fermentation. About 20% of the clusters were whole-berry fermented ad not crushed. Temperatures were controlled to not exceed 74 degrees F during stainless tank fermentation. We pressed the skins at a low psi and settled the young wine for 2 days before barreling down for long term aging. Six new 300L thin stave Minnesota barrels were used for the aging of the Primitivo Ridgeline block. These barrels exhibited strong notes of coffee, buttered popcorn, and caramel. Petite Sirah was aged in a once used 265L American Oak barrel, and contributed dry tannins of dark chocolate and bittersweet flavors when blended with the Primitivo. Each barrel was topped and tasted every six weeks. It was amazing to see the development of this wine from tight, bold flavors to elegant, refined and uplifting bouquets. We let the wine age for a total of 18 months before bottling 540 cases on May 20th 2021.
