Crown Point 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Lastly, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from more volcanic, hillside parcels and is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in 50% new and 50% once-used French oak, it sports a deep plum/purple hue followed by Saint-Julien-like notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, spring flowers, and smoked tobacco. The real deal, it's full-bodied, concentrated, and structured, with incredible purity and precision, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Another sensational Bordeaux blend from this team, it has some up-front appeal yet won't hit maturity for another 7-8 years and will be a 30+ year wine. Bravo! One of my favorite estates in the Central Coast for Bordeaux variety wines is Crown Point Vineyards, which is located in the Happy Canyon region of Santa Barbara County. Proprietor Roger Bower has done an incredible job at this estate, and the wines are made by Simon Faury, with consulting and blending advice from Michel Rolland. These are ripe, concentrated, incredibly textured wines that nevertheless hold onto a terrific sense of purity, finesse, and elegance. They are gorgeous wines, and I don’t think anyone does Bordeaux varieties in the Central Coast better. (Drink between 2031-2050)" -Jeb Dunnuck, 98+JD
The hidden gem of Santa Barbara County wines, Crown Point Vineyards in the Happy Canyon AVA is quietly producing some of California's best Bordeaux blends. An existing vineyard misplaced to Syrah, owner Roger Bower purchased the estate in early 2013, then set out to make the best Cab-blends in the state. First order of business - bring in some firepower. World-renowned oenologists Michel Rolland (Ch Ausone, CH Pavie, Harlan, Bryant Family Wines & Screaming Eagle) and Philippe Melka (Ch Haut-Brion, Petrus, Hundred Acre, Dominus & Dana Estates) were brought on board, as well as Harlan winemaker Adam Henkel. That team stayed intact through 2019 when Adam left and fellow Frenchman Simon Faury (also via Harlan) took his place.
Leveraging the power of Santa Barbara's transverse mountain range, the rocky volcanic and loam soils are cooled by nightly breezes, affording their Bordeaux varietals the unique benefit of inland empire heat during the day, but coastal temps at night that elongate the growing season. Consumers and critics alike have taken notice, putting this 2,500 case producer in the world's finest restaurants, and on most wine report's "Best Of" lists.
