More than a process

Philosophy

Philosophy hero image

More than a process

Philosophy

At Brandlin Estate, we believe that great wines, like great wineries, are not made in a single vintage. Much like the century-old vineyard that we are proud to be the stewards of, we grow, evolve and champion innovation as we pursue our mission to craft Napa Valley’s most extraordinary mountain wines. 

In pursuit of this mission, we are guided by a simple, honest philosophy; that true quality is only achieved without compromise, that there are no shortcuts to greatness, and that to create wines that stir the senses with their intimate sense of place, every small detail matters.

"From how we cultivate our grapes to the way we craft our wines, our approach is a union of tradition, innovation and artistry. At harvest, every grape is hand-picked, hand-sorted, de-stemmed and gravity fed into small fermentation vats. In our state-of-the-art winery, we tailor our approach to each individual lot, with techniques such as cold soaking, extended maceration on the skins, aerative pump-overs and patient aging in the finest French oak barrels."
Steve Rogstad, Director of Winemaking

At Brandlin Estate, our winemaking team champions a distinctive style that honors the character of each growing season, and the vineyard-inspired complexity of our beloved mountain estate.

Winemaker, Rebecca George
As our Winemaker, Rebecca George brings more than 15 years of winemaking experience gained on three continents and at some of the finest wineries in the world to her role at Brandlin Estate. Hailed as one of the most talented winemakers of her generation, Rebecca works alongside Director of Winemaking, Steve Rogstad, to craft a small portfolio of renowned wines that embody the beauty, power and elegance of our historic estate vineyard high on the slopes of Mt. Veeder.
Rebecca George, Brandlin Estate Winemaker in the vineyard on Mount Veeder
STEVEN ROGSTAD, DIRECTOR OF WINEMAKING
Since our debut 2003 vintage, renowned Director of Winemaking Steve Rogstad has guided Brandlin’s winemaking, crafting wines that have earned acclaim for their remarkable depth and complexity. Working with our historic vineyard, which was first planted in 1926, Steve has refined a vineyard-driven approach to winemaking that takes full advantage of the estate’s diversity, which includes 12 blocks of Cabernet, as well as Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and our old-vine Zinfandel.
Rebecca George, Brandlin Estate Winemaker in the vineyard on Mount Veeder

Our farming is guided by renowned viticulturist Kelly Maher, who applies his experience from such acclaimed wineries as Larkmead, Dunn Vineyards and Hourglass to the cultivation of Brandlin Estate. A believer in innovation and experimentation, Kelly’s farming accentuates the quality and character of each block to create a complex palette of world-class fruit.

To preserve the charm and complexity of each block, in the winery Rebecca and Steve do upwards of 25 small-lot fermentations each vintage to make just a handful of wines.
Brandlin estate vineyard at night