When the Miller family planted the Bien Nacido Vineyard in 1973, they had no way of knowing the international acclaim it would garner: It has subsequently been labeled a “Top Grand Cru Vineyard,” “Vineyard of the Year,” and “Top 25 Vineyard of the World.” This glorified slice of land was their crown jewel, their singular prized possession, so when they decided to seek out another site for cultivation in the late 1990s, it came with stratospheric expectations.
What the Millers discovered was an extraordinary parcel wedged between Bien Nacido and the Pacific Ocean. In the spirit of Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills Vineyard has since attracted the greatest wine producers in California and become a sensation amongst famed critics, including Antonio Galloni, who labeled it the American equivalent of Grand Cru. At just 20 years of age, it already has the terroir to make the shortlist of America’s best-performing vineyards! Imagine buying into Apple, Google, or Amazon in their infancy: In retrospect, it’s hard to think of a smarter/greater ROI, and today you can make a similar ground-floor investment before Solomon Hills rockets into space. The potential for this site is unrivaled and limitless: Take their 2015, which, dare I say, is among the most profound Pinot Noirs on the market. It is lush, seamlessly layered, unboundedly savory, and has the ability to evolve for years, if not decades, to come. Early investments are seldom a sure bet, but this is one of those rare exceptions. Just 300 cases were originally produced—only a few remain!
In the mid-1850s, the Olivera family was granted a deed to a parcel originally called Rancho Tepusquet, near Santa Barbara in California. This was a land grant offered by the then-Governor of Mexico as a homestead for his daughter and new son-in-law to create a future and family. From the first days of their time at Rancho Tepusquet, the Olivera family had raised cows, horses, and other livestock next to a small tributary of the Santa Maria River. With a crystalline water source and nearly 2,000 acres of pasture land, the family started building their home.
Almost 150 years later came Bob and Steve Miller, members of their own fourth-generation farming family, both of whom found this pristine property in 1969 when they were offered two contiguous parcels of land that were part of the original Rancho Tepusquet. With the chance to continue a tradition of farming sustainably and focusing on the highest quality, the two original parcels were reunited and rechristened “Bien Nacido.” Directly (and appropriately) translated as “well-born,” Bien Nacido is about as purebred as vineyards come. As Bien Nacido began to mature, and the amount of fruit available to any producer became more and more limited, the Millers sought another piece of property that could tell another compelling story about the Santa Maria Valley.
In 1999, Solomon Hills was purchased and planted with the same original rootstock from Bien Nacido’s oldest vines. Based entirely on sandy loam and situated just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Solomon Hills is a perfect cool-climate site. In terms of temperature averages, it is as cold as Champagne; the Mosel Valley in Germany; Kremstal in Austria; and Burgundy’s Cote d’Or. As such, the Pinot Noir here typically showcase more intense minerality and purity.
All the wines are made by Trey Fletcher, but with the sole understanding that the vineyards and terroir should speak and not the winemaker. The goal is to showcase the vineyard expressions themselves and to limit the factors in the winery that would take away from that. Each wine is treated as similarly as possible in terms of oak, stem inclusion and aging to achieve this single-vineyard expression. This 2015 was hand-harvested at night, fermented using only native yeasts, then aged 16 months in French oak barrels, 33% of which were new.
If it’s a battle for attention, the gorgeously vibrant ruby core revealed in the glass stands no chance against the lush, intoxicating aromatics that blast out. The 2015 Solomon Hills Pinot Noir rings out with high-toned black cherries, red and black plums, black raspberry, orange zest, and rhubarb intricately infused with rose petals and violets. As time passes, savory dried herbs, crushed stones, loose tea leaves, and damp forest floor are unearthed in breathtaking fashion. There is a masterful balance of polish and rusticity that unfurls with each profoundly deep layer. With soft tannins and refreshing waves of acidity keeping the wine singing at high levels, the finish arrives with a fascinating combination of fruit and earth that linger for minutes. This is the magician’s act of elite Santa Maria Valley terroir in the hands of a time-honored, soon-to-be legend. While cellaring a handful over the next ten years is recommended, you should also open one now. Serve in your grandest Burgundy stems around 60 degrees, alongside someone of significance in your life and spiced duck breast with an orange-fennel salad. Cheers!
