
A standout Happy Canyon Cabernet combining crème de cassis and graphite with remarkable finesse and fine-grained structure.
Aged 22 months in French oak (50% new)
Crown Point is redefining Santa Barbara County Cabernet from the warm, gravelly benchlands of Happy Canyon. Guided by winemaker Simon Faury and consultant Philippe Melka, this 2021 release is an absolute stunner, combining crème de cassis, lead pencil, and cigar wrapper with silky, building tannins. It delivers the regal elegance of Pauillac with gorgeous California fruit purity.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated and checks in as 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. It's another jaw-droppingly good wine from this team. Crème de cassis, graphite, tobacco leaf, spicy oak, and a Pauillac-like lead pencil character all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a flawlessly balanced, pure, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine yet building tannins, and a great finish. It's borderline perfection, and quite possibly the finest Bordeaux blend I've ever tasted from Santa Barbara County. Drink bottles any time over the coming 20-25 years.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the finest wines I have tasted at Crown Point. Seamless and refined in the glass, the 2021 hits all the right notes. All the elements come together beautifully. Winemaker Simon Faury has managed to soften the strong, pungent notes typical of Happy Canyon while also reigning back the bombastic intensity of the early years here. The 2021 is sublime.