Portrait of David Cilli
i. Biography
David Cilli works as Head Winemaker at Promontory Winery in Oakville, Napa Valley, where the job is carried by pace, attention, and restraint rather than display. Born and raised in Tuscany, he brings a cellar sensibility shaped by place and by the long arc of a vintage—an approach that fits a site where patience functions as method. The work, as he describes it, depends on measured decisions and the willingness to wait until fruit and season show what they will yield.
What defines Cilli’s approach is duration: skill built through repetition, observation, and the gradual accumulation of judgment. In his own words, “2018 was a great, drawn-out vintage in which we could take our time, cherry-picking small areas.” That line points to the discipline of selection as much as to the year itself. At Promontory Winery, that kind of patience becomes part of the wine’s expression.
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The Path
David Cilli has been the winemaker of Promontory Winery since 2012. Born and raised in Tuscany, he brings a background formed by an old-world relationship to wine, one that puts restraint, craftsmanship, and slow development ahead of hurry. His path to Promontory Winery is marked by steadiness rather than noise.
The Work Today
He remains the Head Winemaker at the Oakville property, where the work stays close to the material realities of cellar and vineyard. In that setting, the job is hands-on and ongoing, grounded in daily decisions and in reading the changing conditions of the season. Cilli’s position at the Oakville property reflects a commitment to consistency, with enough repetition to let a house style deepen over time.
Signature
Promontory cabernet sauvignon wines are the signature associated with David Cilli. That association is simple, but it identifies the wines most directly tied to his work at Promontory Winery and the clearest place where his Tuscan background and patient cellar cadence meet in the glass.
In Their Words “”
Acclaim
No major awards or credentials are named.
FAQ
Asked of David
What is David Cilli best known for today?
He is best known as Head Winemaker at Promontory Winery in Oakville, Napa Valley. Like many technicians, I also used to think that having slow and long maturation was the right thing.
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The Sunday email
Read about chefs like David Cilli in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.