96 Point (200 case) Cabernet beats BIG NAMES in Blind Tasting


Our first of the summer blind tasting Cabernet tasting brought together the who is who among great Cabs.  The lineup included:

  • Aloft (95 RP)
  • Vineyard 29 (95 WA)
  • Fait Main Las Piedras (95 WA)
  • Vineyardist (96 WA)
  • Barnett Rattlesnake Vyd (95+ WA)
  • Ramey Pedregal (95+ AG)
  • Ceritas PMR (96 AG)
  • Cliff Lede Scarlet Love (97 WA)
  • Robert Foley (96+ WA)
  • Kamen Kashmir (99 WA)
  • Crown Point (96 WA)


The Winner – Crown Point 2014!!

Made by a Philippe Melka and longtime Harlan assistant Adam Henkel, this team got it right from the get-go.  Saturated garnet in color, the aromatics of this wine point to freshly baked blackberry pie, plum preserves, toasted rye bread and slate. Voluptuous and fullbodied, this 2nd release is built around tannins wrapped in a blanket of glycerin- notably marked with the essences of cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and dark chocolate. Loaded with black and blue fruits, this wine combines finesse and power that swells across the palate in impressive fashion. One for the cellar, it should drink best from 2018-2028… most likely hitting the top of the evolutionary bell curve ten years from vintage date (2024). Very small production.

Crown Point 2014 Cabernet “Estate” Happy Canyon
GGWC 159.99
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Philippe Melka Notes: “The 2014 Crown Point Cabernet Sauvignon undeniably blew me away. It is precisely what we should expect from Roger’s estate vineyard in Happy Canyon. This is an impeccable encapsulation of what he wants this wine to be: great minerality, a marvelous amount of richness and elegance. This wine should drink well and age gracefully for 25+ years.”

96 Points Wine Advocate: “A deep, velvety purple color in the glass, this bottling by proprietor Roger Bower and winemaker Adam Henkel shows dark-chocolate-covered black cherries, fresh blackberry, white pepper, violet oil, port reduction sauce and spice sake on the lavish nose. Firm tannins frame the palate, which carries black currant and roasted lean beef flavors through soy and pepper sauce into a finish of caramel and espresso grinds.”

95 Points Antonio Galloni: “The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is gorgeous.  Ripe red cherry, raspberry jam, mocha and espresso infused this supple, flamboyant Cabernet.  Silky and purple, with no hard edges at all, the 2014 hits all the right notes.  Even with all of its natural intensity, it displays a good bit of aromatic freshness and nuance as well.”

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