House of Brown California Chardonnay 2022

In 1980, Drs. Bassett and Marcela Brown’s search for a rural homestead brought them to a far-flung, 450-acre property in Napa’s eastern hills. The rugged land in the Chiles Valley AVA contained a neglected walnut orchard, an 1859 barn, and an 1885 Queen Anne Victorian home, but no vines—yet. The Browns spent the next decade restoring the property and planting rows of Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Chardonnay. Early on, they sold most of their grapes to established Napa Valley wineries. But the next generation of Browns—Daneen, Coral, and David—saw the ravenous demand for those grapes, tasted their quality, and knew they deserved to stand on their own. The siblings crafted the first estate Zinfandel in 1996 at Rombauer, and after outgrowing their custom-crush facility, built a winery on their property in 2002. The first Black-owned estate winery in the Napa Valley, Brown Estate built their reputation on elegant and balanced wines, and the team farms 50 acres of certified organic and sustainable vineyards.