2020 Tyler Winery Happy Canyon Vineyard RSW Cabernet Sauvignon

Tyler Winery was started in 2005 when Justin Willett, a young Santa Barbara winemaker, decided to make his own wines. He’d been an assistant winemaker for Arcadian Winery but started sourcing grapes from such legendary local vineyards as Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict. More recently he’s acquired his own Sta. Rita Hills estate vineyard where he has planted 26 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Antonio Galloni of Vinous has rated Tyler wines in the mid- to high-90s and described Tyler’s 2015 vintage like this: “Justin Willett made some of the most memorable wines of the 2015 vintage. His Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are exceptional…. As always, Willett’s style is one of grace and understatement….”

Santa Ynez Valley AVA is home to more wineries than any other area in Santa Barbara County. The appellation was established in 1983 and it includes a total of 76,800 acres, of which 1,500 acres are vineyards. Chardonnay is the dominant grape in this appellation, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. The appellation runs east and west with temperatures and microclimates changing significantly from warmer in the east to cool by the time the district gets close to the Pacific Ocean. In recent years Rhone-style wines have been successfully made here, and vineyards now are also planted to Syrah, Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache, Mourvedre and Marsanne.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.