Foxen 7200 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vogelzang Vineyard, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

The Foxen 7200 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from Vogelzang Vineyard carries the sense of a place both raw and precise. It begins with blackcurrant and plum at the core, but it’s the details around the fruit—dried sage, cedar shavings, and the faint echo of warm earth—that tell you this wine isn’t just about ripeness. It’s about the ground it came from.

The first sip is layered but disciplined. Fruit moves forward quickly, dense yet not heavy, before tannins arrive—fine, sculpted, a little gravelly at the edges. There’s a savory spine here, a shadow of tobacco and dry herb running through the finish, giving structure to what could easily have slipped into excess. Instead, it’s controlled, balanced, purposeful.

Happy Canyon is the warmest pocket of Santa Barbara wine country, tucked inland and bathed in heat while the coast remains cool. At Vogelzang, the soils are a mix of sand, gravel, and clay that stress the vines and concentrate the fruit. The Cabernet here ripens with a certain quiet intensity—sun-soaked, yes, but anchored by the mineral tension of those well-drained soils. That duality is what gives the wine its grip.

Foxen has long been a standard-bearer in Santa Barbara, bridging the region’s coastal freshness with its inland power. Their 7200 range, crafted at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic barn, leans into classic varietal expression—less adornment, more truth. The winemaking here lets the vineyard take the lead: careful handling, restrained oak, and time enough for the fruit to clarify itself.

What emerges is Cabernet that reflects both site and season. 2020 was a year of compressed harvests and challenging conditions across California, but in Happy Canyon the fruit achieved a rare balance of richness and energy. That balance shows now, and it will carry forward—this is a wine that can be savored young or set aside to gather polish over time.

Open it with grilled steak or roasted lamb if you want to echo its depth, but it doesn’t demand ceremony. This is a wine that carries its identity without forcing the issue—Cabernet built on place, not pretense.

Foxen 7200 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vogelzang Vineyard—Happy Canyon distilled into fruit, stone, and sunlit weight.