Santa Maria, CA – The Miller family, owners and stewards of the Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Estates, are pleased to announce the release of The Pillars, a selection of three historically inspired wines from the most exceptional parcels within Bien Nacido Vineyard.
Since Bien Nacido Vineyard’s inception in 1973, the most impressive parcels of the vineyard have commanded the highest demand and demonstrated the greatest quality. It’s with this understanding that, after 45 years, the Miller Family has decided to craft these three special wines, anchored in the rich history of Bien Nacido and appropriately called the Pillars to represent the foundation of the winemaking program.
“The Pillars Wines were created to honor our family’s history, leadership and vision for growing the world’s best grapes and producing the highest quality wines from the Bien Nacido Estate,” shares Nicholas Miller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The name was really inspired by the pillars of our family.”
“The Captain pays homage to our grandfather, Captain Robert Miller, who was the anchor of our family,” explains Miller. “It’s from the highest elevation Pinot Noir vineyard in Bien Nacido and serves as a compass for achieving our goals for excellence.”
Old Vines, labeled LXXIII to represent ‘73, is produced from the original vines planted by patriarch Steve Miller and his brother Bob. “Even after 45 years of climatic stress, these vines are still producing quality fruit and serve as a beacon of resiliency,” explains Marshall Miller, Vice President of Operations.
XO Syrah is sourced from the X Block, which was planted in the 1980s – the very first cool climate planting of Syrah in California – and functions as a reminder that Syrah from Santa Barbara County rivals the best of France’s Hermitage. “We hope it inspires a new generation of winemakers to have the confidence to grow exceptional Syrah in our region,” says Trey Fletcher, Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills winemaker.
Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estates are part of The Thornhill Companies, the industry-leading umbrella brand owned by the Miller Family – one of California’s premier winegrowing families who have been farming California’s Central Coast for five generations. In addition to the prestigious Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Estates, The Thornhill Companies includes such well-respected brands as J. Wilkes, Ballard Lane, Smashberry and Barrel Burner wines, French Camp vineyard in Paso Robles and the custom crush facilities Central Coast Wine Services and Paso Robles Wine Services.
For more information, please visit www.biennacidoestate.com.
