Westerly Cote Blonde 2013
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2011-
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Spectator
Owner & visionary, Roger Bower, is on the cutting edge of an emerging movement in Santa Barbara County. He works closely with all aspects of farming and winemaking, ranch management, as well as sales and marketing. Roger lives on his property, Crown Point, which is located in the heart of the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA. At dawn and at dusk, he can frequently be seen riding his horses amongst the estate vineyards, fruit orchards, and olive groves.
Winemaker
Adam Henkel, a Kentucky native, came to California by way of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he ran a boutique wine shop that enabled him to taste wines with vintners and growers from all over the world. After numerous trips to France, Australia, Oregon, and California, Adam decided to move to the Napa Valley to learn how to make wine in 2004. Following stints at Merryvale Vineyards in St. Helena and Swanson Vineyards in Rutherford, he settled in at Harlan Estate in Oakville where he was inspired by the “culture of perfection” and the relentless approach to wine quality.
Adam comes to Westerly after eight vintages as an integral part of the winemaking team at Harlan Estate. As the Direct Assistant to the Winemaker and Cellar Master for Harlan Estate, Bond Estates, and Promontory, he became known for producing profound, character-driven wines in an environment where expectations were always at the highest level.
The viticultural diversity, geographical grandeur, and the opportunity to continue making world-class wines is why Adam decided to leave the Napa Valley for Santa Barbara County in early 2013. Adam lives in Santa Ynez with his wife Kellie and four children.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.