Folded Hills began with a straightforward ambition: to make exceptional wine from an exceptional piece of land.

That ambition shaped the family's decision to work with winemaker Angela Osborne, whom they first met in 2016. When they discussed what they wanted from the project, Osborne made her own position clear: she was not interested in chasing scores. The priority was to make pure, expressive wines that reflected where the grapes were grown.

Image: Winemaker Angela Osborne.

That philosophy has produced results.

At the 2025 USA Wine Ratings, Folded Hills' 2024 Lilly Rosé earned Gold and 95 points, while its 2021 Brothers Syrah received Silver and 88 points. The wines are part of a broader body of work built around a family-owned ranch in California's Santa Ynez Valley, where farming, variety selection, and winemaking are treated as parts of the same pursuit: producing the best wine the site can give.

Starting with the Land

The foundation is the ranch itself.

Folded Hills farms organically and biodynamically, with the vineyards integrated into a larger agricultural property rather than operating as an isolated wine estate. The family spent considerable time determining which grape varieties were best suited to the site's climate and soils before settling on a Rhône-focused planting.

The estate now works with Grenache Noir, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, Clairette Blanche and Marsanne.

That choice gives Folded Hills a clear direction while allowing the wines to express very different sides of the vineyard. Grenache can become a bright, precise rosé or a more substantial red; Syrah brings another dimension altogether, while the white Rhône varieties provide a different route through the estate's growing conditions.

The objective is not simply to grow grapes that can survive in Santa Ynez Valley. It is to identify varieties capable of producing compelling wine there.

Image: Santa Ynez Valley.

A Winemaker Who Knows Grenache

Osborne's involvement is particularly significant because Grenache sits at the centre of Folded Hills' wine identity.

Her winemaking is closely tied to the variety, and at Folded Hills she works with fruit grown on the estate itself. Grapes are hand-picked, native yeasts are used, sulfites are kept to a minimum, and the wines contain no residual sugar.

Those decisions are part of a broader effort to preserve the character of the fruit from vineyard to bottle rather than using cellar techniques to impose a predetermined flavour.

The family had already established its commitment to the land. Osborne brought the winemaking experience to translate that fruit into wines with clarity and personality.

The partnership has now been in place for a decade, giving the estate time to develop a consistent understanding of its vineyards and the varieties planted there.

Image: Winemaker Angela Osborne (L) and Grenache.

Lilly Rosé: The Estate's Signature

The clearest expression of that work is Lilly Rosé, the first estate wine released by Folded Hills in 2017.

The current wine is made from 100% estate-grown Grenache, from vines planted specifically for rosé. The fruit is farmed organically and biodynamically and made in a Provençal style.

At the 2025 USA Wine Ratings, the 2024 Lilly Rosé earned 95 points and Gold.

Image: 2025 USA Wine Ratings winner - 2024 Lilly Rosé.

The judging notes describe a pale, vivid pink wine with aromas and flavors of strawberry, rhubarb, and citrus, supported by a floral core and hints of wet stone. The palate finishes dry and refreshing, with elegant lift and medium acidity.

What makes the wine successful is the balance between fruit and structure. Grenache provides the generosity of ripe red fruit, while acidity and mineral character give the wine energy and definition.

It is a style that works particularly well at the table, where freshness and precision matter as much as fruit intensity.

Brothers Syrah

If Lilly Rosé demonstrates what Folded Hills can do with Grenache, Brothers Syrah shows how differently the estate can approach a red.

The 2021 Brothers Syrah earned 88 points and Silver at the 2025 USA Wine Ratings. Judges found fresh plum, spice and earthy nuance, describing the wine as having a Pinot-like lift, a lean frame, savory complexity and a long, vibrant finish.

Image: 2025 USA Wine Ratings winner - 2021 Brothers Syrah.

The comparison is revealing. Rather than relying on sheer concentration to express Syrah, the wine's appeal comes through its combination of fruit, savoury character and freshness.

It also demonstrates why variety selection matters so much to Folded Hills. The winery is not trying to make every wine conform to one house style. It wants each grape to contribute something different while remaining recognisably connected to the estate.

Quality Begins in the Vineyard

That connection begins well before harvest.

The winery hand-picks its grapes and farms with organic and biodynamic practices. Its approach to each vintage also recognises the realities of agriculture. Temperature, rainfall, fog, heat and sunshine vary from year to year, and those differences inevitably influence the fruit.

Rather than treating those variables as problems to be eliminated, Folded Hills uses them as part of its understanding of the site.

That requires attention in the vineyard and judgement in the winery. It also requires patience: vines need time to establish themselves, and a winemaking philosophy becomes meaningful only after enough vintages have passed to reveal what the site consistently does well.

For Folded Hills, the evidence is increasingly clear. Grenache has emerged as a particular strength, while Syrah and the white Rhône varieties broaden the picture.

A Ranch, Not Just a Winery

The wines are part of a larger family project.

Folded Hills' vision encompasses the agricultural diversity of the ranch, bringing together vineyards, animals, food and the surrounding landscape. The visitor experience reflects that connection, offering a sense of how the wines fit into the working property from which they originate.

Image: Award-winning wines, food, and farm animal meet and greets.

That matters because the estate's idea of quality is not limited to what happens inside the winery.

It starts with choosing the right land and varieties, continues through farming and harvest, and ends with wines that give the consumer a genuine sense of the fruit and place behind them.

The awards provide useful external confirmation. At the USA Wine Ratings, the 95-point Gold for Lilly Rosé and 88-point Silver for Brothers Syrah show that the wines can stand up to independent evaluation, while the wider recognition earned by the estate since its first vintage demonstrates a growing reputation for its work.

But the more important achievement is the development of a coherent estate.

Folded Hills has spent years identifying what grows well, refining how it farms, working closely with its winemaker and allowing the vineyards to establish their own identity.

The result is a winery with a clear ambition and an increasingly persuasive portfolio: wines made from carefully chosen Rhône varieties, farmed with conviction and handled with enough care to let quality emerge from the fruit.

For Folded Hills, that is the real measure of success.

The medals are welcome. The quality of the wine is the point.

Header Image: Founders, Kim Busch and Andy (Andrew) Busch.

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