2020 Faethm Fingers Crossed White

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)

Tasted out of bottle and mostly from Bien Nacido (the 2021 is mostly Sanford & Benedict), the 2020 White Held Head High 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 that will evolve for a decade. Looking at the 2020s from Fingers Crossed, these show the richer, riper style of the vintage and are noticeably bigger wines than the 2021s. Nevertheless, they hold onto a beautiful sense of vibrancy and are flawlessly balanced. The 2021s come across as more cool climate-inspired, with bright, fresher styles that certainly had me thinking of comparisons from the Rhône (the Syrah in particular). One thing is sure, you can’t go wrong with any of these latest releases from Nicolas and Julia Krankl. In addition, I expect production to increase slightly here going forward, as they’ve been able to pick up a few additional parcels in top vineyards in Santa Barbara County.

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. The 2020 White Wine Head Held High is blended with 12% Roussanne and 8% Marsanne. It was matured in 91% new French oak barrels for 21 months and bottled in July of 2022. It has dynamic aromas that begin with creamy baked apple, quince, chamomile and matchstick and blossoms to more savory tones of crème brûlée and beeswax. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive with a gentle, grippy touch and bursts of juicy acidity that lend its concentrated, savory flavors a shimmery quality. It has a flinty personality reminiscent of a white Burgundy, without shirking the abundance of California fruit. It will be sold as part of a six-bottle set that will include two bottles each of white wine, Syrah and Grenache for $684. Only 288 cases were made.