In 1980, The Brown Family acquired land in the hills east of Rutherford in the Napa Valley. In 1995 they decided to make wine under their own label. The following year the first vintage of Zinfandel was produced and subsequently they have added Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah to their lineup. First and foremost, Brown Estate is known for their exceptional array of Zinfandels.
Brown Zinfandel is near and dear to me. I’ve had all the Estate Zinfandels from the 1997 vintage forward, and my wife and I served the ’99 Zin at our rehearsal dinner at PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn in 2000.
Crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Soaring nose of brambly red and black fruits, white pepper and baking spices. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur and peach on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Just a really well made Zinfandel that keeps you coming back for more. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 93 points.
Look for the 2016 version of this wine at retail and the winery. IIRC pricing is around $42 per bottle.
It should be noted that the front label of the wine has a #BROWNZIN hastag. The winery was an early adopter of Twitter in their marketing endeavors.