Our 2023 Oak­en­shield Reserve Prim­i­ti­vo is a joy­ous expres­sion of an excep­tion­al vin­tage. The long, cool grow­ing sea­son of 2023 gave us a sur­prise boun­ti­ful har­vest of intense­ly fla­vor­ful grapes. As the Ital­ian clone of Zin­fan­del, Prim­i­ti­vo offers a famil­iar rich­ness but with its own dis­tinct cracked pep­per spice, mak­ing it a bold and excit­ing expres­sion of our Paso Rob­les estate vine­yards. This wine was cre­at­ed to cel­e­brate the spir­it of the good life, and it’s the per­fect bot­tle to open for any occasion.

To cap­ture its exu­ber­ant char­ac­ter, we embraced the high ripeness of the grapes and then bal­anced that bold­ness with a mod­er­ate 10-month aging in French and Amer­i­can oak. A touch of Petite Sir­ah was blend­ed in for added struc­ture, result­ing in a wine with a won­der­ful­ly silky tex­ture. You’ll find invit­ing aro­mas of black cher­ry, cola, and sar­sa­par­il­la lead­ing to a juicy palate of cher­ry and blue­ber­ry with a hint of smoky oak. It’s the per­fect wine for shar­ing with friends and fam­i­ly over a hearty meal, espe­cial­ly right here on a Tem­ple­ton evening.