Crown Point Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Roger Bower, the owner and visionary behind Crown Point, purchased the property in Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA in 2012 after recognizing its potential to produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Nestled in the Eastern-most foothills of this transverse valley, Crown Point has a distinct terroir which is perfectly suited for the Bordeaux varieties. Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland are the consulting winemakers and share Roger's vision for producing estate wines to rival the best in the world. Simon Faury, formerly of Merryvale, Harlan Estate, and a native of the Northern Rhone, is the head winemaker. Simon trained in Bordeaux at several First Growth Estates, as well as at top estates in Barolo, Mendoza, and Australia. Simon has his Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology from The University of Bordeaux. Juve Buenrostro has managed their vineyard in Happy Canyon for twenty years. This remarkable team produces hand-crafted small lots of all five Bordeaux varieties from the estate to create two Grand Vins: Crown Point Cabernet Sauvignon and Crown Point Estate Selection. The wines are made in the vineyard and spend extended time in the cellar before release. Each wine is a unique expression of the vintage and meticulous selection at every stage. The results are rich, concentrated, voluptuous and regal wines of depth and character unrivaled in the area and in California. Crown Point wines are approachable today, yet will age gracefully for many years to come. Humbled by the extraordinary press that the wines have received since the inaugural release in the Fall of 2016, the quest for greatness continues.
The Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara American Viticultural Area where the east-west running Santa Ynez mountain range intersects with the north-south San Rafael mountain range. The east-west transverse mountain range is geographical anomaly in itself, and only one of a few in the world. While Happy Canyon sits as little as 12 miles to the north of the Pacific Ocean as the crow flies, the west-to-east running mountain range protects the vineyards from direct oceanic influence, but also traps the heat of the Santa Ynez Valley during the day. Cooling breezes and a fog-rich marine layer also roll through the canyon in the late afternoon and early morning, creating a wide temperature swing between daytime highs and nighttime lows. Their location is unique in that they do not experience the heat spikes felt in the North-South running Napa Valley.
Happy Canyon’s warm micro-climate is the perfect home for Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as many Rhône varietals. The soil, a mixture of loam and clay loam with interspersed cobbles, is high in mineral levels while low in nutrients, resulting in small vines and very low grape yields—a circumstance that results in concentrated flavors and excellent terroir expression.
On the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, the rolling hills of the tiny Happy Canyon AVA produce top quality reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and whites from Sauvignon blanc. The region’s low-nutrient soil grows smaller vines and in turn, higher quality wine grapes.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.