BIEN NACIDO ESTATES - Thornhill Co

THE VISION – BOB & STEVE MILLER

In 1969, brothers Bob and Steve Miller came together with one vision – to develop a vineyard that would be acknowledged as among the elite vineyards of the world.

It was a goal that celebrated their family’s 100th year of California farming, which began in 1871, and meant to show the strength and quality of the Central Coast.

Bob & Steve Miller found a piece of land they instantly knew had potential. Formerly used as grazing land, it was part of one of the earliest Spanish land grants. However, the shale soil and unique climate from the transverse mountain range provided a lens into its potential.

Four years of hard work and sweat equity led to the original vineyard plantings – 300 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They were inspired by the high elevation of the vineyard and later named that block “The Captain” after their father, Captain Robert Miller.

The vineyard was planted in 1973.
Bob and Steve called it Bien Nacido,
meaning well born in Spanish,
because of the passion and commitment
they shared in bringing it to life.

HISTORY – RANCHO TEPUSQUET

In 1837 Tomas Olivera received
a Spanish land grant that stretched from the Santa Maria Mesa to the San Rafael Mountains. He called it Rancho
Tepusquet after the nearby creek.

Olivera’s daughter and
son-in-law, Don Juan Pacifico constructed an adobe in 1857 and lived there with their
family, raising cattle, grain,
and wine grapes.

ADOBE 1930’S

Over the years, Don Pacifico’s family divided up the property and the Rancho diminished in size until the two largest parcels were reconnected
by the Miller family.

ADOBE TODAY

Santa Maria Valley Ava

Bien Nacido is located in the Santa Maria Valley, one of the coolest wine growing climates in California. (Winkler Region 1).

The terroir is a combination of rocky soils,
cool climate and ocean influence.

The vineyard is located at the eastern opening
of a transverse (east to west) mountain range, funneling in a steady wash of cool marine air.

The soil structure is diverse, made up primarily
of sandy loam, chalk, gravelly loam and
marine loam.

Vineyard Accolades

Top Grand Cru Vineyards in California ~ Wine Enthusiast
Top Five California Vineyards ~ Wall Street Journal
Vineyard of the Year ~ California State Fair
Top 25 Vineyards in the World ~ Wine & Spirits
California’s Best Single Vineyards ~ Wine Enthusiast
Top 10 California Vineyards to Watch ~ Sacramento Bee
Top 5 Vineyards You Can Trust ~ Pinot Report
Ten Best Vineyards ~ Food & Wine
Top 12 Legendary California Vineyards ~ Wine News

THE VISION CONTINUES - SOLOMON HILLS

Venturing west from Bien Nacido, the Millers found
a unique parcel of land with a special history.

In the late 1850’s the bandit Salomon Pico traversed El Camino Real (Kings Highway) and was the
inspiration for the character Zorro. The vineyard was planted in the late 1990’s and christened Solomon
Hills. It is the western most vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, just eleven miles from the ocean.

The soils are primarily ocean-derived sandy loam, providing rapid water drainage and moderate stress
to the vines. Coupled with the proximity to the ocean and Santa Maria marine effect, the wines
demonstrate crisp acidity, bright fruit and inherent elegance.

TWO UNRIVALED VINEYARDS

Lying just eight miles from each other, Bien Nacido and
Solomon Hills reflect significantly different terroir. While both
experience cool climate effects from the transverse mountain
range, the differences in soil composition – shale vs sandy loam,
and exposition – hillside versus valley, create incredible and
discoverable nuances in each of the wines.

Winemaker

ANTHONY AVILA

Anthony joined Bien Nacido Estates in 2013 as Assistant Winemaker.
While studying Business Finance at Cal Poly, Anthony developed a passion for fine food & wine working in the restaurant industry to help finance his degree.
Anthony has grown grapes & made wine in California,New Zealand and Argentina and has worked several harvests in each region.
Anthony was promoted to Winemaker in 2019 and is committed to continuing the Bien Nacido Estates tradition of crafting small lot, high quality, terroir driven wines.

Vineyard Manager

CHRIS HAMMELL

2008 Wine & Spirits grower of the year
Chris grew up in Arroyo Grande and has a degree from Cal Poly in Agribusiness.
He gained valuable experience at Cambria Vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, first as Assistant Vineyard Manager and then later promoted to Vineyard Manager.
Before joining Bien Nacido, Chris was the Director of Vineyard Operations for the David Bruce Winery.

World class wines, with a history of excellence.

2015