This Port style wine was made with Primitivo wine grapes from the eight-acre ridgeline block at Sculpterra. The grapes were left on the vine post harvest to increase the amount of sweetness in the berries. The fruit was hand sorted in the vineyard and in the winery to increase the overall quality of these extremely over ripe grapes. The vineyard is the steepest block on the Sculpterra estate, lending itself to windy conditions and rocky terrain. A total of one and half tons of Primitivo grapes were delivered to the winery. The grapes were then de-stemmed and crushed that very same day. The crushed grape must cold soaked for five days before native yeast begun to ferment the grapes. The initial sugar reading (Brix) was 30 and the goal was to press of the wine at 18 Brix. It took three days from the beginning of fermentation to reach 18 Brix. The wine was then pressed off into PT and Wine Spirits – High Proof Alcohol was added to the wine. At that point the active yeast died and the sugar in the wine was diluted to 9.28 RS. From there, the wine was rack off into three American Oak barrels. The barrels were three years old and relatively neutral, therefore increasing the overall fruit forwardness of the Port wine. The wine then aged for a total of thirteen and half months before being bottled on November 24th 2009.

The 2008 Sculpterra Pinot Noir is grown on our estate vineyard and is a blend of two clones; 115 and 777. Both clones are grown on the valley floor of our vineyard in a location which hugs the Cripple Creek Riverbed. The 777 clone is grown on the “Escalon block,” translating into “the staircase” in Spanish. This rugged block features soil consisting of clay, small stone, and gravel. The vines are VSP trained and are pruned back to two buds per spur each year. Clone 115 vines are planted on the 15.5-acre block surrounded by the Blue Oak forest, called “Paul’s Forest” named after winemaker, Paul Frankel. The 2008 growing season yielded little rainfall resulting in small berries and a long ripening season.  Both Pinot Noir blocks were hand picked on September 10, 2008 and were crushed at the winery using a tiny half-ton crusher de-stemer.

This 2008 Mourvedre is a blend of eighty-three percent Mourvedre and seventeen percent Primitivo. The Mourvedre grapes are grown on the northern most block on the Sculpterra Estate on a tiny one and a quarter acre parcel. The vines bloom late in the year and fruit sets late in spring. The soil in the vineyard is richer and more suited to the vigor and balance required of the unruly growing habits of Mourvedre. The vines are meticulously carried for throughout the year with hand pruning, shoot thinning, leaf pulling and picking. The 2008 vintage was the third leaf for the Mourvedre vines, and the first year we harvested the grapes. The berries in the clusters were tightly packed and ripened late into the year, making the Mourvedre the last grapes to be harvested on the property. The grapes were crushed at Sculpterra Winery on the small crush pad attached to the tasting room. Yeast ICV-D254 was chosen to ferment the grapes to complete dryness and for its ability to enhance the varietal flavors such as rose petal and walnut, retaining its subtle spicy finish. The must fermented to complete dryness in seven days before being pressed and settled. The wine was then barreled down into one-year-old American oak barrels. The wine was racked and returned to barrel twice throughout 2009. Bottling was completed on August 11, 2008 and yielded a total of one-hundred and sixteen cases.

This highly floral and sophisticated Viognier is the first vintage from the Frankel Family Vineyard located in the rolling hills of Paso Robles. The vineyard is a small one acre parcel tucked into the stepped terraced hillside on the north end of the estate. The soil is a mix of calcareous and limestone contributing to the full growth and maturity of this varietal. The Viognier berries were lightly crushed and pressed at the winery on the same day that hand picking was completed.  Fermentation was done in the absence of the skins to ensure fresh aromatics and floral notes of the fruit. The ferment was kept cold and was completed in two weeks using a combination of two different yeast strains. Fermentation, as well as barrel aging took place in 1/3 stainless steel drums, 1/3 new French oak, and 1/3 neutral oak barrels. Each aging method created different characters and bouquets for the wine. The 1/3 stainless imparted flavors of tropical mangos, grapefruits, and apricots, where as the new French oak imparted a heavy mouthfeel with elements of toasted cider and dried lemon, and finally the neutral oak fermentation and aging created flavors such as honeysuckle and mineral earthy notes. Malo-Lactic fermentation did not occur in the wine and thus created a refreshing pleasant acidity and a bright mouthfeel. The wine was left in its original state (unfined and unfiltered) and bottled after seven months of aging.

This 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is another powerhouse full-bodied wine from Sculpterra Winery. This third vintage of 100% estate fruit is another great example of Sculpterra’s unique balance of fruit, oak, spice, earth, mouthfeel and acidity. This 14-acre Cabernet vineyard is located on the Frankel Family property. The vineyard soils are a mix of limestone, shale, small stone, with a slay-loam profile. The vineyard was planted in 1995 and has been producing quality wine grapes with low yields and balanced vine uniformity for the last ten years. The berries are tiny and create a lush and rich wine full of concentrated aromas. Huge temperature swings from mid-day to evening create sweet fruit with balanced acid and tannin. The vineyard is completely hand manicured; hand-pruned, hand-shoot thinned, and hand-harvested. The 2007 vintage yield was less than 2.5 tons an acre and the grapes were picked in three separate stages, with an early, middle and late season pick. The grapes were delivered to the winery early in the morning where the desteming and crushing took place.

Statuesque is a full bodied bold wine with a mellow mouthfeel. It is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. The Cabernet fruit was grown on the Frankel Family Estate Vineyard on the 14-acre Hilltop Vineyard. Limestone outcroppings dominate this 14-acre hilltop planting with dramatic overlooks on these steep slopes facing the eastern exposure. This terrior is reminiscent of the Medoc-Graves region of Bordeaux and classic Cabernet is the natural result. The Syrah fruit is grown on O’Neill Vineyards; located due south from the Frankel Family Vineyards. The Syrah is planted in rough rugged terrain where gravel and small stone are abundant in the vineyard. The Petite Sirah comes from PMR Vineyards in Templeton. PMR’s soil contains deposit of boron, zinc, magnesium and other micro-nutrients crucial to the health and development of the Petite Sirah fruit. Hand labor is completed throughout the year from pruning to picking for all these varietals. Carefully manicured vines and shoot thinning/cluster dropping allows for only the highest quality fruit to be picked from the vineyard. The 2007 season was another dry year in the Paso Robles AVA, lending itself to low yields, small berries and a deep dark concentration of fruit and tannin structure.

The 2007 growing season was similar to 2006 with little rain fall and a long hot summer. Temperature swings of 50 degrees in July, August and September allowed the fruit to ripen with the right amount of sugar content while maintaining a high amount of acid in the berries. The grapes were harvested at optimum ripeness levels, enabling the dark ripe fruity aromas to come forward in the final product. The grapes were delivered to the winery in the early hours of the morning and crushed half a ton at a time. The grapes were crushed cold to preserve the subtle aromas of the berries. A two day cold maceration took place in the must bins prior to the inoculation of the yeast. Yeast ICVD-254 was selected as the cultured yeast to ferment the sweet must dry. The must fermented for 7 days before the yeast had consumed all the sugar. The free run juice was then extracted from the bin and the remaining berries were pressed with two light press fractions. The press we used is an Old World half ton basket press, the juice collects at the bottom pan and then is delivered to small totes where settling can occur. The wine was then aged in 100% new American Oak Barrels, a 50/50 mix of new World Cooperage American barrels and new Radoux American barrels.

The 2007 growing season proved to be a harsh year with little rain, and the occurrence of frost late into April. The O’Neill Vineyards merlot grapevines are well rooted on limestone calcareous soil creating superb landscape for cultivating merlot grape vines. The merlot is always pruned early in the winter to promote early bud break of the vines. Canopy management included two-bud per spur pruning to ensure sunlight into the clusters to develop full flavor aromas. Merlot typically ripens early and this year proved to be no different. The vines yielded three and half tone per acre, were handpicked, and taken from O’Neill vineyards to the winery for crushing. The merlot grapes were hand-picked and crushed half a ton at a time and then carefully crafted in small lot macro bins. Fermentation by half ton bins ensures the optimal contact of the cap (skins) and the must. The high ratio of skins and juice creates a long lasting and age-able wine.  Once fermentation was completed, the juice was pressed, racked, and then aged in Oak barrels. The wine was aged 12 months in one-year-old American oak barrels.

This is the second vintage of Sculpterra’s Primitivo (Italian Clone from the Croatian derived Zinfandel).  The vineyards are located on two separate blocks on the Frankel Family Estate. The first block called “Ridgeline” is named for its high stepped slopes and view of the Pistachios Orchard below. The vines are oriented in north-south facing rows. The west side of the canopy sees extensive sun light throughout the hot summers. Ridgeline contains soils of high limestone and shale, along with rocky out cropping. The second block is only two acres in size and called “4 Corners,” because the vines touch up against four different properties. The soils of this block are clay-loam with stone and rock outcroppings. The vines went through bud burst in early spring, bloom and fruit set in the middle of spring, and verasion in early summer. 50-degree temperatures swings in the months of August and September were common, enabling the grapes to maintain high levels of acid at night and accumulate sugar by day. Canopy management was highly analyzed throughout the growing season with cluster thinning and RDI (root deficit irrigation). The berries themselves are small and the clusters are limited to two bunches per shoot to attain uniform berry maturity. The fruit was handpicked at two separate occasions (an early pick of 25.5 Brix and a late pick at 27.5 Brix.)

All three varietals were crushed, fermented and pressed completely independently during the late fall season. Each lot was carefully cared for with hand punch downs during fermentation, light press factions, gravity flow barreling, racking and topping. All three wines were aged in different barrel profiles. The Cabernet was aged in all new Oak, half in new Hungarian Oak and the other half in new American Oak. The Zinfandel was aged in combination of a third new Hungarian and two-thirds new American Oak, while the Merlot was aged in 100% new American Oak. During bottling, each barrel was tasted and analyzed before the creation of this final blend. The wine starts out with big cabernet notes of rich thick blackberry, with mineral and earthy aromas. From there, the wine opens up with more Zinfandel characteristics, like notes of bright cherry-strawberry, balanced pepper, and a briary body. The Merlot contains elements of boysenberry and vanilla. The Merlot helps round out the mouth feel/finish of the wine adding subtle and soft tannins.

The 2006 vintage of Sculpterra Cabernet Sauvignon follows in the footsteps of the 2005 Sculpterra Cabernet; rich, complex and full bodied. The growing season had challenging lows and highs but in the end yielded high quality grapes with better than expected balance. The quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the estate Frankel Vineyard is no accident, careful canopy management in the vineyard, attention to detail and the unique mesoclimates set this vineyard apart from others. The fruit is taken from our prized Cabernet 14 acre hillside block, where strong winds, and strong temperature swings create a balance of acidity retained in the evenings and sugar accumulation during the daytime. Pruning was done very early in the year to ensure healthy vegetative structures from the vine. Shoot thinning and cluster dropping was completed to encourage the full development of the fruit. This Cabernet was picked in three separate lots (creating a range of options for blending styles in creation of Sculpterra’s Maquette and Statuesque blends). Yields were low, about three tons an acre and the fruit exempted the classic Sculpterra Cabernet of fruit picked at optimum sweetness matched with full maturity and vibrant healthy clusters.

Gold Medal, Best of Class, 2008 West Coast Wine Competition
Gold Medal, Best of Class, 2008 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition
Silver Medal, 2008 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition
Silver Medal, 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal, 2008 Riverside International Wine Competition

The vineyards are north south facing and were planted in 1995 on their own roots. This varietal seems to match perfectly with the Frankel Vineyards soil, slope, topography, and climate. The berries and clusters are tiny, yet packed with aromas of dark raspberry, cranberry and contain a thick and lush skin. The 2005 vintage was another great year in Paso Robles with a long growing season and an extended hang time with good fruit exposure due to intensive canopy management techniques such as shoot and leaf thinning and the dropping of excess fruit resulting in a crop of less than three tons per acre. 2005 also was considered to be a wetter year in the Paso Robles AVA. More rain contributed to higher yields in the county, lending itself to a more robust and full bodied wine. These growing conditions contributed to the concentrated and intense varietal flavors in the wine. High phenolic content resulted in a highly extracted wine. The fruit was picked in mid October and delivered to the winery in the early hours of the morning. The wine was aged in a combination of new French, American, eastern European oak and then blended together before bottling. Each barrel type added different components to the wine. The wine’s aroma contributes flavors of raspberry, dark-cranberry, chocolate and licorice. While the wine’s bouquet contains elements of earthy mushrooms, herbal spice, and a all round smoky toast. 

Gold Medal, 2007 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition
Silver Medal, 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal, 2007 Finger Lakes Competition
Silver Medal, 2007 Jerry Mead Competition

This lighter style Chardonnay features elements of composed acid, a soft mid-palate, a brilliant aroma of apples and fig, all tied around a gentle vanilla finish. The fruit was grown and harvested from the Shandon Valley Vineyard on the east side of the Paso Robles AVA. This vineyard is one of the oldest in the county and is known for producing quality whites year after year. The wine fermented to complete dryness after two weeks. A portion of the wine was fermented in new French oak imparting a sweet nutty bouquet to the wine. Malo-Lactic fermentation occurred and the wine was aged for 8 months in stainless steel.  The wine was cold stabilized and lightly filtered and fined before bottling in April 2009.

Grapes for our 2008 Paso Robles, Sauvignon Blanc were sourced from two distinct vineyards on the East side. 52% of the fruit was harvested from Paso Robles Vineyard located on a ridge above the Huero Huero River and 48% of the fruit is from the Old Vine Block at the Rava Ranches Vineyard. The later block was established in the early 70’s and produces low yields of intense fruit.  Root Deficit Irrigation was established and maintained throughout the growing season to ensure growth of the vines and maturity of the fruit.  Soil types on both of the vineyards are a combination of calcareous limestone with a mix of slight sand and small stone. The 2008 growing season was another dry and hot year for the Paso Robles AVA.  The Sauv Blanc fruit developed sweet and fruity characteristics in the hot summer days, and attained strong acid and structure from cool and foggy mornings.