New month, new lineup
With over twenty different wines to choose from, every month at Sculpterra Winery there’s a different line-up of eight, selected to go on the tasting list. Personally, I see it as my responsibility to taste these wines and have my own opinion on them, making for a perfect opportunity for a blog post. Just like tasting library wines, it’s a responsibility I’m more than happy to take on.
Of course, I’m not completely unbiased when it comes to Sculpterra wine, as I work there, and it is one of my favourite wineries, but I’ll do my best to stay impartial. To that end, I must stress that any opinions expressed herein are entirely mine. Hopefully, these descriptions will give you a good idea of our winemaker’s style, should you want to come and taste the wines for yourself.
What to expect
If you haven’t visited the tasting room and sculpture garden at Sculpterra, then I definitely recommend you do when you have the opportunity. On my first visit to California, it was one of the first places I wanted to go to.
The fee to taste wine is currently a very reasonable $10, and for that, you get to try a selection of eight wines, from light-bodied to heavier and generally drier in style. If you decide to buy wine, then there’s a discount of 10% given on bottle purchases. Of course, if you really like the wine there are various wine club options…
Sauvignon Blanc 2018 – $22
The fruit for this wine is sourced from Monterey County as it’s better suited to those cooler conditions. It’s aged entirely in stainless steel tanks. The nose is somewhat creamy, with grapefruit and lime citrus notes. Light-bodied and dry with bright acidity, it has a crisp mouthfeel. Flavours on the palate continue the grapefruit and citrus theme. No sign of grassiness here. Definitely more ripe and crisp in style.
Viognier 2017 – $28
Grown on the estate, this white grape is usually the first to come in at harvest time, and the resulting wine often appeals to red drinkers. I get aromas of nectarine, pear, and ripe apple. Definitely more full-bodied and lower in acid than the Sauv’ Blanc, this one also has a touch of sweetness to it. Tastes not unlike apricot jam and ginger to me, which is no bad thing. That spice on the tail end really helps the finish.
Pinot Noir 2016 – $32
Entirely estate-grown, which for Pinot Noir, is almost unheard of in Paso Robles, this is a very popular wine for Sculpterra. Ripe red cherry, cranberry, roasted coffee, and a little earth on the nose. Light-bodied, fresh and fruity in style, it’s a real crowd-pleaser with a surprisingly long finish. It’s not hard to see why this is a big seller. Personally, I like a bit more dirt and oak in my Pinot Noir, but there’s no denying this is a very drinkable wine.
Mourvèdre 2017 – $38
Mourvèdre needs lots of hot sunshine in order to ripen fully, so it’s perfectly suited to the climate here in Paso Robles. This dry, medium-bodied wine has aromas of blackberry fruit backed up by more savoury notes of woodsmoke, vanilla, baking spice and violets. The lively, youthful palate displays dark fruit, then hints red cherry, cinnamon, and menthol on the finish. More people need to try this awesome varietal.
Primitivo 2017 – $38
Another big seller for Sculpterra, and one that’s won numerous awards over the years. Primitivo has close ties with Zinfandel.
Peppery strawberry and cherry fruit on the nose, with elements of wholemeal toast and vanilla. Still young, there’s bright acidity on the palate, which really makes the ripe fruit flavours pop. The flavours are sweet, but it has a dry mouthfeel with a little fine tannin. Another year or two in the bottle should round out the mouthfeel.
Bentley Ironworks Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 – $68
Sculpterra’s flagship wine, this takes the best fruit from the oldest, lowest-yielding vines on the estate, planted in 1993.
Aromas of ripe cherry, chocolate, and sweet baking spice, all wrapped up in freshly tanned leather. Full-bodied and youthful mouthfeel, with plenty of fine tannins and bright acidity. Flavours of cherry and cinnamon spice are pretty intense. Long, layered finish.
Good Cabernet Sauvignon wines often need time in the bottle to realise their full potential, and this is no exception. Some Bordeaux Cab’ wines need upwards of ten years of cellaring and can go on for decades. There’s no need to wait for ten years for this wine though. It’s perfectly drinkable now, but if you can bear to wait for three to four years, this wine will really shine. At most, I would probably suggest keeping this one for ten years, if you want to retain freshness in the fruit. The 2014 is tasting beautifully elegant right now, but I just bought the last one. I did a full review of the 2014 last year. Click here to see that.
Maquette 2015 – $44
Sculpterra’s Bordeaux varietal blend. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
Cherry, blackberry, leather, tomato leaf, sage on the nose. Opening up nicely now. Dry, full-bodied and balanced, with refined tannic structure. Flavours of cherry, blackberry and plum. Good now, but still has some decent ageing potential.
To see what I thought of this wine in July last year, click here.
Petite Sirah 2014 – $50
I tend to find Petite Sirah to be a bit too heavy for my taste, but Paul’s done a nice job here. Opaque purple in colour, displaying aromas of plum, brown sugar, black cherry, cedar, and peppery spice. Dry and heavy-bodied, this wine isn’t messing around. The bold, tannic and somewhat chocolatey mouthfeel really stays with you, with flavours of dark plums and spice. No lightweight.
Over-all conclusions
Quite a varied selection there, so hopefully there’s something for every wine drinker on the list.
If I had to describe Paul’s winemaking style, I would say he produces wines of consistent quality, good varietal expression, and a clean, fresh character. Should that sound like the sort of wine you would like to try, then please stop by and say hi.
Want to know how I got into wine, and what brought me to Sculpterra? See my Wine Journey post, here.
For other wine reviews, do take a look through my other blog posts.
Darren.
