Bien Nacido Vineyards

Grapes From These Vineyards Make California's Top Wines — Here Are 16 Names to Know

"I regard Bien Nacido as the benchmark of Santa Maria Valley: of roughly 3,000 acres about 600 are planted, and its undulating hills with a west–east orientation funnel Pacific breezes that make Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay particularly successful. Planted by the Miller family beginning in 1973, the site sells fruit to over eighty clients—especially smaller boutique producers that helped make the vineyard famous—and yields distinctive wines such as the 2021 Au Bon Climat Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay (sleek citrus, buttered brioche, yellow apple), the 2019 Qupe Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah (winter spice, blackberry, coffee), and the 2019 Migration Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir (silky tannins, salty crushed stone, volcanic ash earth)." - Ray Isle, Jonathan Cristaldi