The Hilt is a winery shaped by wind, stone, and restraint — a striking expression of California’s Sta. Rita Hills, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown at the edge of possibility. Founded by Stan Kroenke and part of the same portfolio as Screaming Eagle and Jonata, The Hilt was born not from indulgence, but from discipline. It is a winery where tension, structure, and purity take precedence — where the extremes of site are met with clarity of purpose and an unwavering commitment to the long arc of terroir.

The estate spans two vineyards — Radian and Bentrock — situated at the cool western frontier of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. These sites are rugged, wind-lashed, and densely stratified with marine shale and diatomaceous earth. The vineyards are farmed organically, with a focus on low yields, vine balance, and soil expression. The fruit ripens slowly, with thick skins and high natural acidity — raw material that demands respect, not adornment.

In the cellar, winemaker Matt Dees employs a minimalist, site-driven approach. Grapes are harvested early, with emphasis on freshness and phenolic maturity. Fermentations are native, extractions are gentle, and élevage is conducted in a thoughtful mix of neutral and new French oak, concrete, and steel. The wines are made without excess, their power drawn not from ripeness, but from detail, line, and texture.

The wines fall into three tiers — Estate, Old Guard, and Vanguard — each expressing a different lens on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Old Guard wines are restrained, mineral, and age-worthy; the Vanguard cuvées are more textural, ripe, and expressive. Across the portfolio, there is a through-line of precision and salinity: citrus oil, crushed rock, sour cherry, and ocean air. These are wines that don’t echo Burgundy — they answer to their own coastal rhythm.

What defines The Hilt is its clarity of intent. It does not aim to please the moment, but to carve something enduring from one of California’s most elemental landscapes.

These are wines that don’t arrive with volume — they sharpen into focus with time, like wind over stone