Wine X Mag Note: Our heart goes out to everyone in Napa and Sonoma that have been impacted by the Glass Fire. We’ve had a chance to get to know Igor Sill over the years, and sadly his Atlas property took a hit Fran Miller did a nice piece on SFV that she and Igor have graciously shared with Wine X If times arent tough for you, consider how you can support one of the families impacted by the fires. It would be a nice thing……
Sill Family Vineyards: An Under-The-Radar Cult Gem
By Fran Miller
Igor Sill’s small production, ultra-premium, Atlas Peak-derived varietals might be some of the best wines flying under the Napa Valley wine radar. But for those in the know, his award- winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Rose are heralded as cult favorites.
Titans of industry, A list celebrities, and respected political 
leaders – those with access to the very best – are amongst fans of the label that finds a home on wine lists at lauded establishments such as The French Laundry, and Solage Resort, and at Montecito’s San Ysidro Ranch and Lucky’s
steak house. And when Oakville Grocery sought a label to represent the best of Atlas Peak, it selected Sill Family Vineyards to fill its shelves.
But it’s not only the high quality that attracts. Sill’s ready accessibility is equally appealing. In a culture that increasingly places winemakers on pedestals, Sill remains humble, approachable, and ready to talk wine with whomever is interested. The gregarious and amiable former private
equity investor will gladly explain how his passion for Bordeaux wines developed. (The result of an introduction to Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Lafite Rothschild in the 1970s.) He’ll share how he worked with Francois Pinault’s Group Artemis for over a decade
before becoming a Court of Master Sommelier and earning a Masters at Oxford University’s Merton College and viticulture studies at UC Davis. He will detail his work at V. Sattui Winery and Opus One Winery.
He will gladly expound on why Atlas Peak wines are the best, considered by many connoisseurs to be the finest and he’s got the awards to prove it. Robert Parker extended a 97 points rating to Sill Family Vineyards’ 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage, and Wine Spectator rated it 98 points. Sill’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon received the coveted CWSA 2018 Wine of the Year award, the Double Gold Medal. Sill uses an artisan, Old-World approach in crafting his Bordeaux and Burgundian style wines –only 600 cases total annually.
“It takes extra work, and many more steps, not to mention that our Volcanic, organic vineyards are extremely difficult to plant and farm, but the effort is worth it,” said Sill.
Of course, the small size of the vineyard limits production, but then, it also produces some of the greatest cabernet fruit Napa has to offer each and every year, turning the heads of wine critics and collectors worldwide.
There is an undeniable interest in wines born of volcanic origin, interest which seems to have evolved into a significant upward trend in the wine world.
His vineyards sit at 1,650 on an Atlas Peak plateau, known for its volcanic soils and pure air cleansed by San Francisco Bay breezes. The elevation provides longer sun exposure, greater UV, and cooler nights, characteristics that serve to create wines that are considerably different from
those produced within the valley floor. Longer hang times produce fruit that is bolder, with greater red-fruit characteristics. Atlas Peak wines, and specifically Sill Family Vineyards wines, are defined by profound complexity, depth, elegance, and character.
“Winemakers believe that the land speaks to us of possibilities. My sole ambition is to fully express those possibilities, capturing the very best of what Atlas Peak’s magical land offers.” Said Sill
