Bighorn Cellars

In 1992 Bill “William” Hill sold the namesake winery he had founded almost a decade and half earlier. The winery’s reputation was built on Bill’s knack for developing premium hillside vineyards at a time when others looked to the more fertile valley floor. In 1994 Bill founded Bighorn Cellars along with co-proprietor Richard Wollack, whose background in real estate investment is a marriage made in heaven. Together with winemaker Don Baker they are turning out a stable of well-crafted, balanced, and fairly priced wines. Don’s approach is to let nature take its course, and to let his wines express varietal purity without the heavy-handed use of oak or winemaking techniques.

The 300-acre Camelback Vineyard in Los Carneros, the southernmost vineyard in Napa Valley, has gravelly, well-drained soils as opposed to the more common clay, along with the typical maritime climate of the AVA. 40-acres serve as the main source for this bright, yellow-gold Chardonnay. With buttercream, honey, and bosc pear aromas, medium body, sweet, ripe, vivacious fruit on the palate, and a clean, lemony finish, this is a refreshing change of pace in Napa Chardonnay.

Reviewed October 20, 2006 by Catherine Fallis.