Year after year, Mother Nature is consistently steadfast and fickle, wonderful and treacherous. Following significant frost damage and a subsequent shortage of fruit in 2008, we enjoyed a brilliant 2009 growing season that made up for the ravages of the previous year.



The result was a beautiful crop. But just as we were reveling in anticipation of the stellar wines of 2009, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball in the form of October rains. Whereas we typically harvest through Halloween, the forecast of wet weather for Tuesday October 13th compelled us to hustle to bring in as much fruit as possible by October 12th.

This translated into an expedited and abbreviated harvest and crush at Brown Estate this year; by the third week of October our vineyards were picked bare, our fermentation tanks were full, and our heads were spinning from the speed with which we had just gotten it all done.

In the midst of all of this farming and winemaking excitement, our highly anticipated 2008 Napa Valley zinfandel was preparing to take the stage. Our weekly tastings found this wine showing exceptionally well – just in time for the holiday season.

The nose, color, and palate of this classic old school Napa zin bespeak its Brown Estate provenance. A superbly well-balanced zin with a long, expressive finish, it is so perfectly suited to both traditional and modern holiday meals that we are making it available beginning November 3rd especially for the occasion.

For the sixth straight vintage we are keeping it real at $36 per bottle. So zin up for the holidays and raise a glass to what's good!