Patience Brings Us to the Pinnacle

At the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley lies Happy Canyon, an idyllic region blessed with long, sun-filled days and crisp, cool evenings. It was here, nestled among the quintessential ridges and valleys of this rarified wine-growing region, that Larry and Sharon Grassini made the decision to plant a world-class vineyard. They had purchased the land several decades earlier, and eventually they came to believe this land had the potential to produce exceptional wines. The winemaking world had begun to realize that in Happy Canyon, all of the conditions necessary for crafting superb wine happily converge. The Grassinis were leaders in this pursuit, driving the effort to establish the Happy Canyon American Viticultural Area.

From the very beginning, Larry and Sharon had a singular and unwavering goal: to produce outstanding Bordeaux-style wines that they would be proud to associate with the Grassini name. They spared no expense when it came to planting their vineyards, fully aware that the investment and effort they dedicated to ensuring optimal vine planting would create the opportunity for truly remarkable wines.

Once the vines were planted, it was only a matter of time before the Grassini family found the perfect winemaker to realize their dream. Before joining Grassini Family Vineyards in 2013, Bradley Long trained in the Napa Valley with some of the most respected winemakers in the industry. With a background focused on producing incredible Bordeaux wines, he was perfectly suited to elevate the Grassini Family Vineyards wine portfolio.

When Bradley first stepped foot on the Grassini Family Vineyards estate, he quickly recognized the remarkable potential the land held. Though eager to hit the ground running, he understood the importance of patience and took the time needed to truly appreciate the considerable promise of Happy Canyon.

Bradley embarked on a journey of exploration, hiking through the vineyard terrain and becoming intimately acquainted with each vineyard block. He wore out more than one pair of hiking boots exploring the vineyard. With each vintage came a deeper appreciation of the unique characteristics of each block and a keener insight into how to best express the unique character of the fruit it produced.

In Bradley’s words, “My inspiration for this wine is rooted in everything I’ve ever learned during my career in the wine industry. Having worked alongside amazing winemakers in Napa, my goal was to bring that same quality of Cabernet to Santa Barbara. My goal is to create some of the very best Cabernet that this area has ever known and to give it a real sense of place.”

That brings us to this moment. We’re thrilled to offer our inaugural release of the Pinnacle Cabernet. With an extremely limited production of only 50 cases, these wines will be offered on allocation to ensure that these limited-availability wines are accessible first to our most loyal supporters. After so many years of patience, we feel these bottles represent the very best of our 2019 vintage and look forward to sharing them with you!