2020 Fingers Crossed (Faethm) "Head Held High" California Grenache, Syrah & White Blend Horizontal (OWC)

“Tasted out of bottle and mostly from Bien Nacido (the 2021 is mostly Sanford & Benedict), the 2020 Held Head High White checks in as 80% Chardonnay, 12% Roussanne, and 8% Marsanne. It has a beautiful salty, mineral-driven style as well as ample stone fruits, medium to full body, a focused, chiseled, yet concentrated mouthfeel, and awesome length on the finish. It's a singular, layered, remarkably complete white...” (08/2023)

“The Chardonnay-based Head Held High cuvée comes mostly from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, with the balance from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. It's a wine that feels predestined, having withstood the challenges of heat and wildfire smoke but also because this blend represents the last of the old-vine Chardonnay planted at Bien Nacido, as the vines were torn out after this vintage. "This is the last Chardonnay ever made from W block," proprietors Nikolas and Julia Krankl explain, sounding both grateful and rueful. "We got to work with it once." Luckily, the Krankls will continue to work with the new Chardonnay vines that will be planted at Bien Nacido. Their section will comprise six rows, planted to six different clonal selections. (EB)” (08/2023)

“I continue to love, love, love this 2020 Head Held High White Wine. It’s a blend of 80% Chardonnay, 12% Roussanne, and 8% Marsanne from Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards. The wine went through 100% malo-lactic, and it spent 21 months in French oak barrels, 91% new. One year after bottling, it’s a little closed to start off, slowly unfurling to offer notes of yellow apples, yuzu, orange blossoms, and chalk dust, with hints of almond croissant and fresh hay. The full-bodied palate has bags of savory laced apple and citrus layers with an alluring creaminess to the texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and chalky. (LPB)” (08/2023)

“The 2020 White Wine Held Head High marries richness with a good bit of energy. Still in tank, the White Wine shows a touch of reduction typical of wines at this stage. Lemon confit, mint, white flowers and earthy bits grace this layered, vibrant white wine from Fingers Crossed. (AG)” (08/2022)

“Lastly, the 2020 Syrah Head Held High is a rich, powerful wine that shows the warmer style of the vintage while staying focused, pure, and balanced. Blackberries, black pepper, violets, game, and a kiss of iodine all flow to a full-bodied Syrah with silky tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a gorgeous finish. It's another singular, remarkable wine from this incredibly talented team that I wish every reader could taste.” (08/2023)

“The 2020 Syrah Head Held High comes from the Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards. The Syrah is blended with 7% Grenache, 1% Mourvèdre and 4% white wine and was vinified using 40% whole clusters. It matured in 79% new French oak barrels for 20 months and was bottled in July of 2022. Opaque ruby-black in color, the nose features alluring peppermint patty, violet, tar, coffee bean and underbrush aromas that complement a deep core of cassis. The full-bodied palate boasts luxuriously powdery tannins and latent tones of wild game, wildflowers and tea leaves that linger on the finish. It's remarkably complete at this youthful stage and could merit a higher score as it unfolds in the bottle. It should be very long-lived. (EB)” (08/2023)

“The deep garnet-black colored 2020 Syrah Head Held High needs a swirl or two before it bursts with blueberry preserves and fruit cake notes, plus hints of tar, fertile loam, tapenade, and star anise with an undercurrent of Indian spices. The full-bodied palate is rich, concentrated, and decadently spicy, supported by a lively line and velvety texture, going long, long, long on the finish. Sourced from Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards, this is a blend of 88% Syrah, 7% Grenache, 1% Mourvèdre, and 4% white wine, which is the 2020 White Wine blend of Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Marsanne. It was made using 40% whole cluster and was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 79% new. (LPB)” (08/2023)

“The 2020 Syrah Head Held High is outrageously beautiful. Dark, inky and explosive, with tons of energy, the 2020 is shaping up to be a gem. The 40% whole clusters and a touch of white wine lend freshness and energy to balance all of the intensity of Syrah in this warm year. Black fruit, mocha, leather and licorice all build nicely in the glass. (AG)” (08/2022)

“The 2020 Grenache Head Held High brings slightly more richness and depth compared to the 2021 (at least at this stage) and is loaded with red and black fruits, peppery herbs, flowers, sandalwood, and spicy nuances. It does everything right, and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, has remarkable purity, and fine-grained tannins. This sensational Grenache is one of the finest expressions of the variety I've tasted from California.” (08/2023)

“This opens after about an hour in the glass and shows brightness and intensity with stone, strawberry and dark chocolate-powder character. Full-bodied but bright and not overdone. Dense center-palate with lovely length and levity. Drink or hold.” (05/2023)

“From the Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, the 2020 Grenache Head Held High is blended with 10% Mourvèdre, 9% Syrah and 4% white wine. It was vinified using 51% whole clusters, matured for 20 months in 25% new French oak and bottled in July of 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple in the glass, it explodes with generous scents of blueberry, wild blackberry, tar, bergamot and lavender, continuing to blossom with notes of forest and fennel seed as it airs in the glass. The full-bodied palate balances graphite-laced fruit, seamless acidity and abundant, powdery tannins, and it has a long, ethereal finish with latent spicy accents, suggesting it will reward those patient enough to give it several more years to unfold in bottle. (EB)” (08/2023)

“Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose leaps with notes of Morello cherries, juicy raspberries, and fresh blackberries, followed by hints of wilted roses, powdered cinnamon, crushed rocks, and white pepper. Full-bodied, the palate reveals layer upon layer of perfumed red and black berries with a satiny smooth texture and a lively line lifting the fragrant flavors to a long, long finish. (LPB)” (08/2022)

“The 2020 Grenache Two Become One is a powerful, dense wine. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, licorice, spice, chocolate, leather, tobacco and incense are all dialed up. This powerhouse Grenache is a bit somber today. The warmth and natural intensity of the year comes through loud and clear in a slightly roasted profile, although some of that is tempered by quite a bit of whole cluster usage. (AG)” (09/2023)