A couple of months after our daughter was born, Nick and I decided to take advantage of free babysitting while we had family in town and ventured to the Santa Ynez Valley. First on our list was a visit to Crown Point Vineyard, the new(ish) kid on the block located in the Happy Canyon AVA of Santa Barbara. I had been hearing a lot about Crown Point and their estate Bordeaux wines and was eager to visit. Wasn’t too surprised to find that the place is beautiful… and the wines? Well, they are indeed impressive, too! While they normally only offer tours to those on the mailing list or to trade, if you can secure a tasting, you won’t be disappointed.
HAPPY CANYON AVA
Crown Point’s winery sits atop a hill surrounded by vineyards in the Happy Canyon area of SBC, a growing region on the easternmost edge of the Santa Ynez Valley. Its location furthest from the coast means it’s also the warmest region within Santa Barbara County, where it’s not uncommon to see temperatures reach in the 90s during the day in the warmer months. Due to its positioning between mountain ranges, those temps drop dramatically at night, though, as the cooling ocean influences funnel inland — sometimes creating a 50 degree swing between daytime and nighttime temps.
BORDEAUX VARIETALS
While closer to the Pacific you’ll find Burgundian wines, Happy Canyon is all about the Bordeaux varieties. This is exactly why Crown Point Vineyard’s Proprietor, Roger Bower, was drawn to this region in the first place. A former cattle rancher from Texas, Roger was on the quest for a region to grow his favorite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, and fell in love with Santa Barbara County — the Happy Canyon in particular. After researching the geography and climate, he found this property then set his sights on establishing Crown Point Vineyard as a brand dedicated to producing Cabernet and Bordeaux varietals.
THE TASTING
When we arrived, we were met by Winemaker Adam Henkel (who, I might add, graciously came into work on a Saturday to host us). Adam showed us around the winery before we hopped in the ATV and ventured through the vineyards.
It’s hard to understand the estate’s landscape from the tasting room, so I was glad to get a closer look around the property. It’s a lovely place. As we drove between vines and over gently rolling hills, Adam showed us the different blocks planted to Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot while pointing out the land’s varied soil types.
Adam, who spent much of his career at Harlan Estate in Napa Valley, explained how fortunate he felt to be involved with Crown Point early on, able to provide his input on what was to be planted and re-planted and where. The goal at Crown Point is to craft wines that are pure expressions of the estate — wines that are varietally correct but really taste like the place they are from. While chatting about the terroir, Adam shared that although they make wine from Bordeaux grapes, Crown Point isn’t trying to recreate Bordeaux. Instead, he and the team are trying to craft world-class Santa Barbara wine from Bordeaux varietals.
When we returned to the winery, Adam led us through a tasting of the two wines they produce: Cabernet Sauvignon and a red blend known as Relevant Red (the newest release is called the Estate Selection).
THE WINE
I admit that I don’t drink much Cabernet from California these days. Once in a while, though, a producer comes along and reminds me why Cabernet is such a beloved grape. We started with the 2013 Crown Point Cabernet Sauvignon, made of 100% Cabernet. Layered with complex aromas and muscular fruit, it was rich yet elegant for such a young Cabernet. It’s obvious that this wine is going to hit its prime in a few years… maybe even a decade or more.
Next, we tasted the 2013 Crown Point Relevant Red, a proprietary blend of Syrah, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet. Intended to showcase the nuances of the property while still highlighting each variety, this medium-bodied wine was lush with dark fruit and savory notes. While it was a bit more approachable than the Cabernet, it too could benefit from a few more years… if you can hang onto it for that long. Quite a good start for being the winery’s first release!
Overall, Crown Point Vineyard’s wines are indulgent Santa Barbara wines worth seeking out — they’re full of structure and richness, with earthy notes, dark fruit and polished tannins. You can certainly enjoy them now, but if you can hang on to them a few years, you’ll be rewarded!
**Winery Notes**
Crown Point Vineyard: Website
Tastings: Not open to the public
Location: 1733 Fletcher Way – Santa Ynez, CA
