2016 Hill Family Estate Carly's Cuvee Chardonnay Napa Valley 750 ml

It’s almost harvest time in Napa Valley, which means wineries will soon be full to the brim. Cellar space is at a premium. If you’re lucky and persistent, this pre-harvest window can yield some sensational catches as wineries make room for a new vintage.

Carley’s Cuvée is sun-kissed California Chardonnay at its finest: lush and bright, blooming with honeysuckle layered with toasted hazelnut and butterscotch-tinged green apple. It’s rich yet crisp, melding vibrant citrus zest with ripe tropical fruit and a touch of caramel.  

This luxurious golden elixir displays the touch of two master winemakers: Alison Doran, a disciple of Napa legend André Tchelistcheff who has also worked with Lewis Family, as well as consulting winemaker Jean Hoefliger, the 100-point-scoring genius behind so many of the iconic wines of Alpha Omega, Clark-Claudon, and AXR.

What’s been captured in the bottle here is something quintessentially Californian—something that begins with the Hill family’s deep connection to the land and knowledge of its riches. 

Here in Napa, the Hill family have been farmers for four generations. When owner Doug Hill settled down with his wife and kids on an acre of land in Yountville, he used his know-how to help his neighbors grow vegetables for Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. But the vines were what called him, and from its inception in 2001, he steadily grew Hill Family Estate to more than 120 acres in Atlas Peak, Carneros, and Oak Knoll. In the last three vintages alone, Hill Family has earned more than 15 scores of 90 points or more from the likes of Robert Parker, James Suckling, and Jeb Dunnuck. 

Made in small quantities and meant only for the Hill Family die-hards, Carly’s Cuvée is sourced from a number of handpicked sites across the Valley, yielding a perfect snapshot of Napa in all its brilliance. It succeeds in delivering the refined decadence that Napa Chardonnay can deliver when it’s in the right hands—it balances richness with elegance, purity with complexity, and does it all with a mouthwatering, long finish. Don’t wait—this wine will be gone long before harvest is halfway through.