Bighorn Cellars

Big in Every Way

Bighorn Cellars was founded by Bill Hill to combine his two ambitions - developing ultra premium vineyard sites and handcrafting limited quantities of exceptional wines from the regions where they grow best.

Bighorn's mission is to produce wines from exceptional vineyards in the best growing regions for each varietal. For example, they make Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Napa Valley, Chardonnay from Carneros and Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast and Willamette Valley, Oregon. Bill Hill's extensive experience developing 'Grand Cru' vineyards in many different geographies makes this unique multi-regional approach possible.

Meet Bill Hill

Bill's enthusiasm for fine wine and viticulture commenced while he was earning his MBA at Stanford University. Having grown up in a farming community in Oklahoma, he was naturally drawn to the agricultural aspects of the nearby Napa and Sonoma Valleys. He quickly became captivated by viticulture for the breathtaking vineyard vistas and in turn enamored with the artful handcrafted wines of the region.

After earning his degree, Bill embarked on a grand tour of Europe, where he was inspired by the subtleties, style and philosophy of French and German wine. The French focus on terroir as being the main determinant of a wine's character and style resonated with Bill, and in 1972 he began his career-long pursuit of acquiring and developing exceptional vineyard sites.

Bill was among the first to realize the potential of hillside vineyard sites in Napa Valley and became a specialist in hillside plantings. Many of the vineyards that Bill created in the 1970s were later purchased by some of the world's top wine producers including The Hess Collection, Piero Antinori of Italy, and Diamond Mountain Ranch.

In1978 he founded the William Hill Winery in Napa California. There Bill had his first taste of winemaking and he focused on producing the star varietals of Napa Valley in the 1970's and 80's: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. William Hill Winery quickly became known for producing award winning wines, and in 1991, Bill's 1987 William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked 13th of the 100 Best Wines of the World by "Wine Spectator."

After selling William Hill Winery in 1994 - Bill founded Bighorn Cellars to specialize in single vineyard wines. Today he remains true to his philosophy and craft - developing ultra premium vineyard sites and producing limited quantities of exceptional wines.

Broken Rock Vineyard , Napa Valley

Named for its remarkably rocky soil, this 48 acre vineyard is Bill Hill's home ranch. Perched on a steep, western facing slope, establishing this vineyard was a daunting but in the end highly rewarding task. This hillside location, blessed with high drainage and low fertility soil, consistently produces wines of unusual intensity and concentration. The property, which is currently planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is located on the eastern ridge of Napa Valley at the foot of Atlas Peak near Soda Canyon. Bill Hill developed this vineyard in a true state-of-the-art fashion: it includes densely planted vines (over 2,000 vines per acre), the best clones grafted onto low vigor root stock, and northwest to southeast row orientation. Our wines from the Broken Rock Vineyard exhibit intense color extraction ranging from deep garnet to purple-black, with rich ripe berry flavors and aromas.