Sugarloaf Vineyards

The Sugarloaf Vineyard was developed by vineyard visionary Bill Hill in in the late 1990s. At the time, no one believed that a Napa Valley vineyard as far south as this one—it’s on the same latitude as Carneros—could fully ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. With time, however, Hill was proven right.

The key to Sugarloaf’s success is its rocky underpinning. The vineyard development team had to use a rock crusher to break up the ground enough for vines to take root, because topsoil is so sparse. This exposed spine of volcanic rock acts as a solar panel during the day, storing up the heat and radiating it well past sunset. Our rows of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are on a steep slope facing southwest, which maximizes their exposure to afternoon sun. Wines from this challenging site are dark and richly textured, gaining sleek polish with time.

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