Crown Point
Santa Barbara County region
Crown Point Vineyards and Winery is an estate brand that has already reached the upper echelons of the California wine industry.
When 63 year-old Roger Bower decided a change in business was in order, he made a choice of entering the highly competitive wine industry in California.
“Up to then, my only contact with wine was to be sure I had a great bottle of wine to go with my steak,” confided Bower during a recent interview. “I had sold my business in Texas (fire products and chemicals) and I was looking for a new challenge. My parents lived down in Southern California in Orange County and I wanted to be close to them.”
Bower spent some time looking around and finally came to the conclusion that a spot in the Santa Ynez Valley offered him a perfect location to start a new winery.
“I came across a property in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA that some experts felt was an excellent location with tremendous upside. That was in August 2012 and it included some 26 acres that were under vine, mostly Syrah and Sangiovese. The price was right and I started getting my feet wet.”
Bower added that he was forced to replant a portion of the existing vineyards and additional plantings brought the property to some 46 acres under vine.
In 2016, the company’s first offerings became a reality under its new name, Crown Point Vineyards and Winery. The logo chosen is an eye-catching set of arrows with a ‘CP’ in the middle. “The upper arrow signifies the top of the mountain, our vineyard’s location,” explained Roger Bower. “The bottom arrow is the actual vineyards themselves.”
Crown Point Vineyards and Winery’s first release was around 850 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and a blend of other Bordeaux varietals. The wines quickly sold out and the company was on its way. A host of top flight accolades followed in the ensuing years and the Santa Ynez winery was on its way to stardom among the highest-caliber California wineries.
“It’s all about our location,” Bower went on. “We are in the warmest spot in all of Santa Barbara County. The daily temperature swings are from 40 to 50 degrees with the nights dropping into the 50’s. Then, there is the fact that the hot time rarely exceeds 3 to 4 hours a day. It cools off pretty quickly to the wonderful low night temperatures. The grapes are able to refresh themselves and achieve the quality we had hoped for since our inception.”
Bower also stated it has been his aim to compete on the highest national and international level with his Crown Point Vineyards and Winery offerings. To that end, he has assembled an international team (mostly French) of wine luminaries for his winery’s journey.
Two Bordeaux natives, Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland are two internationally acclaimed consulting winemakers who offer extensive resumes with a number of the world’s most recognizable wineries and provide insight as to the necessary elements to make truly great wines. Both consider the terroir of Crown Point’s vineyards as exceptional and capable of producing world-class fruit.
The winemaker is another Frenchman, Simon Faury, who has a Master’s in Viticulture and Enology from the University of Bordeaux and stints in Italy, Australia, Argentina and Napa Valley to his credit. Wineries such as Harlan Estate, Merryvale Vineyards and Robert Mondavi Winery are part of his impressive record.
“It is a sort of fluky thing,” admitted Roger Bower. “Everything sort of came together and I am thankful that it did. When I started all this, it was my goal to make the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world and compete at the highest level. My team meshed nicely and I believe we have accomplished our task.”
“We are blessed with incredible soils and have mostly south-facing vines to tend to. Our vineyard management team has been with us since the very beginning and is led by Juve Buenrostro who knows the vineyards intimately. He gets the most out of our vines and lives with his family on our property. He walks the vineyards every day, a fact that is a rarity in our business.”
Crown Point Vineyards and Winery is an estate brand that has already reached the upper echelons of the California wine industry. It is a result of the passion and enthusiasm that its owner and staff have displayed since its inception.
It is a distinct honor to be able to present this superb 2014 Estate Selection Cabernet Sauvignon offering to our Diamond Wine Club members. It is a memorable wine that will add distinction and depth to any existing cellar or dining experience. Enjoy!
