2020 Crown Point Estate Selection

The 2020 Estate Selection is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It has layered aromas of cassis, iron, grilled game meats, soy sauce and bitter chocolate with alluring, herbal undertones. The full-bodied palate has a deep core of spicy fruit, cashmere-textured tannins, seamless freshness and a long, latent finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in bottle.

Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, the 2020 Estate Selection is sourced from the more loamy, flatter portions of the estate. It reveals another level of purity and precision, with awesome aromatics of crème de cassis, black raspberries, truffly earth, graphite, and spring flowers. This medium to full-bodied, pure, incredibly elegant red has ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. It will have 20-25 years of longevity. 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.

The first iteration of a white from Crown Point, the 2020 Estate White Wine is made this vintage from Sauvignon Blanc, fermented and aged on the lees for one year in cigar barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered. It has very pretty scents of white apricot and melon with classic accents of grass, green herbs and white flowers. The light-bodied palate is bright and lifted with tangy acidity and crunchy, citrus-driven fruits, finishing with stony mineral notes.