Hawks Hill Ranch 'Moth to Flame', Paso Robles, USA 2023

Hawks Hill Ranch is an exciting boutique producer from Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, crafting Rhône-inspired wines with depth, character and a strong sense of place. From rich, polished blends to expressive Syrah, these small-production wines deliver serious quality and plenty of personality. Founder Kit Kuyper also has a Chicago connection, having spent more than 20 years living in the city while working in finance, making this distinctive California winery a little closer to home. A fantastic discovery for anyone looking beyond the usual California names.

“Moth to Flame” Chardonnay, San Luis Obispo Coast, California, USA 2023

Inspired by the elegance and mineral precision of white Burgundy, Moth to Flame is a distinctive coastal Chardonnay that showcases a different side of California. Sourced from a vineyard near the Pacific Ocean, the 2023 delivers bright citrus, crisp orchard fruit and white flowers, layered with saline minerality and a subtle nutty complexity. Fresh, focused and beautifully textured, it balances California fruit with the tension and finesse of a great white Burgundy. Crafted under founder Kit Kuyper’s Open Outcry label, this is a compelling discovery for Chardonnay lovers seeking purity, energy and a true sense of place. The term “Moth to Flame” is referring to Kit's never-ending quest of finding a CA chardonnay that resembles the bright minerality of a Montrachet from Burgundy.