United States · California

Chasseur

Chasseur is a small Sonoma Coast and West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir producer founded in 2001 by Bill Hunter, sourcing from some of the region's most windswept and fog-influenced vineyard sites in the extreme coastal zone including Freestone and the Fort Ross-Seaview area. The winery operates as a négociant-style producer working with a rotating roster of small growers rather than a single estate. At auction, the portfolio averages $40 across 105 lots, with individual cuvées including Freestone Station ($34), Sexton Vineyard ($61), Umino Vineyard ($42), and several Pinot Noir bottlings averaging $31–$41. The moderate prices reflect the estate's positioning as a quality coastal producer without the auction premiums of Hirsch, Peay, or Ceritas. The 2007 vintage is the dominant top mark across multiple cuvées — the first year of broader recognition for this extreme coastal Sonoma zone and a year of notable quality from these windswept sites. Hunter's winemaking philosophy is deliberately non-interventionist: native yeast fermentation, minimal sulfur, and no fining or filtration — approaches that built a loyal following in the natural wine community. Auction prices below $120 across the entire range suggest the market values these wines as current drinking rather than long-term cellaring investments.