Brand White Blend Napa Valley 2021

Ed and Deb Fitts, a couple specializing in paper manufacturing with plants in Stockton, California, founded BRAND Napa Valley in the early 2000s. During Ed’s frequent visits to survey his plants, he would always try to steal away for a day or two and visit the Napa Valley. Like many, he became intrigued with the wines and the lifestyle and decided to buy his dream property. Ed purchased land on Pritchard Hill, a prime hillside for Cabernet Sauvignon due to its lack of Southern exposure and close proximity to Lake Hennessy, which keeps the hill a consistent one to two degrees cooler than average. It sounds insignificant, but this advantage can make or break a vintage during hot years. Over his first decade in the valley, Ed continued to purchase small neighboring parcels and eventually grew the property to 110 acres.

Simultaneously to BRAND’s upbringing, Jim Bean and Christine O’Sullivan were fostering their love for Napa. As executives at Apple, they too found themselves “running away” to the valley every chance they could. The couple says they fell in love in Napa, and after marrying at the CIA Greystone, they set their eyes on finding a parcel to call their own. While still working for Apple, Jim and Christine acquired 65 acres of vineyard across Napa in St. Helena and Oak Knoll, from which they sold fruit to producers throughout the valley and cut their teeth in the industry. However, it never felt like a forever home, and when Jim left Apple in 2017, as fate would have it, the Fitts were looking for a family to take on the next chapter at BRAND. Two factors drove Jim and Christine to purchase BRAND from Ed and Deb. First, in Jim’s words, “Napa didn’t need more labels. It needed the labels it had to be better,” and taking on an established winery provided this opportunity. Secondly, Christine shares that “we were only interested in doing this if we could be the best of the best.” And in their opinion, Pritchard Hill represents the best of the best for Napa terroir.

Jim and Christine officially purchased BRAND in 2019, and their first change was to transition the 17 acres of vineyard to sustainable farming practices. Great vineyards are the birth of great wines, and the efforts to improve the soils and ecosystems are already improving the quality of the wines. BRAND’s winemaker, Philippe Melka, stayed on with the new ownership. He helped design the winery and build the brand, and for Jim and Christine, that means he is the best winemaker for the job. Philippe has become eponymous with Napa Valley winemaking, having played a hand in some of the most luxurious brands to come from the valley, including Dana Estates, Tusk, and Alejandro Bulgheroni, to name a few.

The 2021 BRAND White is a rare Italian-varietal blend of Fiano and Vermentino fermented individually in terra cotta amphorae, Greco di Tufo fermented in a stainless-steel drum, and Arneis and Ribolla Gialla fermented in neutral oak barrels. All grapes are aged sur lies for nine months before blending and bottling. The wine is dry and medium-bodied, with a golden hue and crisp, expressive aromatics. Notes of citrus and tropical fruits with delicate hints of licorice and spice are textured with nutty, floral, and honeyed flavors, all whirl delightfully in the glass. This wine can hold a bit of age, so feel free to cellar it for a few years if you would like to reap the rewards that often come from time-enjoyed maturation and integration.