Some vineyards are planted; The Hilt Estate was chosen. Carved into the most brutal, wind-punished quadrant of the Sta. Rita Hills, these low-vigor vines must fight for every single grape. The elements work against you at every turn—but the toughest terrain for a grower yields the absolute best fruit for a winemaker.

Matt Dees is not just a winemaker; he is a master blender revered by the wine cognoscenti as one of the finest in the United States. Utilizing a patchwork of estate parcels—each with its own distinct altitude, aspect, and microclimate—Dees assembles a Pinot Noir of staggering completeness. This is not a wine made from a single block or a single clone. It is a masterwork that speaks the full, complex vocabulary of the estate, captured in a single bottle.

The Hilt is owned by billionaire Stan Kroenke, the architect behind a global sports and entertainment empire spanning the Los Angeles Rams, Arsenal FC, and the Denver Nuggets. When Kroenke builds something, he does so at the highest echelon of human achievement.

Nowhere is this relentless pursuit of perfection more evident than in his other wine estate: Screaming Eagle.

As the most iconic, coveted, and collected Cabernet Sauvignon on Earth, Screaming Eagle is the undisputed Holy Grail of American wine. The Hilt is forged under that exact same ownership, driven by those exact same uncompromising standards, and crafted by the very same winemaking team.