William “Bubba” Hines, the founder of the winery and patriarch of the Hines family, made the pilgrimage from New Orleans to Santa Barbara with one simple goal: make a Burgundian-quality wine in Santa Barbara. Over the last 8 years, this dream has guided every decision, from how the land is farmed to how the cellar is run, letting the wines ultimately speak for themselves – fresh and balanced, offering layers of precision, and distinctive minerality across all of the cuvées.

To achieve such precise wines, the Hines family – led by Bubba, and his sons, Christopher and Billy – have intensively mapped their estate’s terroirs, dividing by soil type and grape clone, while planting high-density in the tradition of many great Burgundian domaines. The best heritage clones growing here will become the massal selections for future plantings on the estate. The plantings are spread across four small plots, adjacent to the main hillside of the family estate in the eastern Sta. Rita Hills, which was like “striking terroir gold” as Chris says. This multi-exposure hill has big streaks of limestone throughout, a rare sighting in this winemaking region.

Bubba remarks, “This entire project started a decade ago because I believed we could make a Burgundian-style wine in Santa Barbara. Within a few months, I found this property and started the long process of developing the site, installing wells, mapping the soils, and bringing in specialists like Sashi Moorman and Chris King, who taught us so much about the site, and on nothing more than a handshake.”

The Hines family’s approach to winemaking is decidedly low-intervention: no batonnage, and no remontage to achieve a wine as natural as possible, without compromising the quality of the wine at bottling. In the cellar, production is carried out primarily by Christopher who vinifies each plot separately and works exclusively with what the grapes naturally provide. Chris relies on spontaneous fermentation and is sparing in his use of sulfur. This is all to preserve the purest expression of terroir in every bottle from across the estate’s different parcels. The result is four unique cuvées that capture both the spirit of California and a touch of Burgundian influence.

Envie – The Cajun word for desire is a lighter expression of Pinot Noir that captures the hillside’s exposure to the beating California sun. Careaga is a lush expression of Pinot Noir from the sandy limestone soils. Huit, French for eight, is sourced from Block 8 at the hilltop, where strong winds both challenge and protect the vines. But La Mer, which is considered the estate’s crown jewel, showcases the limestone-rich soil while retaining both freshness and fruit-density. It’s a wine that reveals the true spirit of William Hines and shows immense potential for aging. As the Hines family remains deeply rooted in their mission, and uniquely guided by a warm, convivial, Santa Rita spirit, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this singular, forward-thinking project.