William Hill

William Hill Estate Winery is a special place. In 1978, visionary vineyard developer William Hill saw the incredible potential of the Silverado Bench, where he built his namesake winery. More than three decades later, our winemaker Ralf Holdenried is making modern wines that speak to the unique terroir of this virtually unknown area of southern Napa Valley.

A confluence of characteristics makes our 140-acre estate an ideal vineyard. Set on a benchland - off the valley floor, but below the steeper slopes of the hills - with a southwestern exposure, the vines bask in abundant sunlight. The vineyard is close to the valley floor climatically, but the volcanic soil and the size and vigor of the vines means William Hill is more like a mountaintop vineyard. These elements translate to elegant, expressive red Bordeaux wines.

Our 140-acre estate rests on the Silverado Bench in Southern Napa. Millenia of geologic activity in the region have formed benchlands, gentle slopes that rise from the valley floor. Unlike the rich, sandy loam soil that dominates the Napa Valley floor, benchland soils - like those at William Hill - tend to be rocky, thin and nutrient-deprived. Vines here struggle to find water deep within the soil, forcing them to produce smaller berries with more intense color and flavor. This translates to exceptionally balanced wines with vivid fruit characteristics and a refined acidity.

At our home vineyard, significant variations in elevation, drainage and sun exposure - even from row to row - have prompted winemaker Ralf Holdenried to carve out specific vineyard blocks, some as small as one-tenth of an acre. The grapes from each block are picked at their optimal ripeness and fermented separately, allowing Ralf to bring the full expression of the vineyard into the bottle.

It is no coincidence that William Hill Estate Winery was designed with the winemaker in mind. Our vineyard is just outside the winery door, giving winemaker Ralf Holdenried the freedom to be involved in every aspect of the winemaking process. During harvest, Ralf can track how the flavors are developing on the vines and then taste from the fermentation tanks, almost instantaneously. The ultimate workshop for artisan winemaking, our winery supports Ralf's approach of carving out vineyard blocks and letting their flavors develop individually before blending.

"The number of tanks and barrels we have in relation to the grapes on the land means I can make decisions about blending once the individual lots have had a chance to show their true potential," explains Ralf. "This winery facilitates an artistic influence over the wine."

And our artist in residence, so to speak, masterfully transforms our grapes into a collection of exquisite wines.

To experience William Hill is to discover another side of Napa Valley. A place where extraordinary vineyards are tucked away along the serene Silverado Trail. A place where you can still discover an incredible wine for the first time.

A Napa Valley that is off the beaten path.

But make no mistake: this is Napa Valley winemaking at its best. This is a place where some of the world's most extraordinary Chardonnay vineyards lie, just up the road from William Hill. A place where the benchland terroir of our own estate vineyard is virtually unparalleled.

William Hill Estate Winery is a unique place, in every sense of the word.