Preview

Ahead of the bottling of this special new wine, I was invited by winemaker, Paul Frankel, to give it a try. It’s a collaboration between Sculpterra Winery and the Jardine family. They supplied the Zinfandel fruit which was then fermented, barreled, and aged at Sculpterra.

Jardine Family

Originally of Scottish descent, the Jardine family established themselves in the Paso Robles region in the 1870s before the current town was even built. They helped source some of the photos that were used on Sculpterra’s History Wall, and Jardine Road, in the north of Paso, was named after John Thomas Jardine, one of the children of the original Scottish immigrants.

The vineyard

The small Jardine Ranch ‘Nut House Farms’ vineyard lies just off Nacimiento Lake Road, on the west side of Paso Robles, in the renowned Adelaida District. The tiny dry-farmed vines grow on steep limestone-heavy slopes, providing extremely low yields and fantastic quality.

Tasting Notes

89% Zinfandel 11% Petite Sirah

Super-vibrant, deep ruby colour

Complex, and noticeably different to Sculpterra’s Primitivo wine on the nose. Graphite-like earthy aromas soon give way to plum, cherry, strawberry, and violet floral notes, along with a touch of vanilla and clove.

Very dry on the palate. The assertive tannic structure and balanced acidity suggest this wine will develop very nicely with some cellaring. There’s an impressive intensity to the fruit flavours and great balance, finishing up with elements of cocoa powder, cedar, and spice.

Conclusions

I’m very excited to see how this wine evolves in time. It’s the first time I’ve seen fruit from Paso’s Westside used in a Sculpterra Wine, and Paul has clearly applied his know-how and keen eye for detail to some exceptional quality fruit. 

Having also tried it from the barrel earlier in the year, I can tell you it’s a wine that started off great but should continue to improve even further for a number of years yet.

It’s due for release in the first quarter of 2021, and given the small production of 210 cases, I can see it selling out pretty quickly.

*It’s no secret that I work for Sculpterra Winery. Rest assured however, that all opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

Darren.

Balancing Act. Of all the sculptures at Sculpterra, this one took the longest to create. It’s entirely fabricated using bronze welding, and took 2 years to complete.