Crisp and clean, their Chardonnay showcases aromas and flavors of guava, gooseberry, lemon verbena, a touch of tropical fruit. In 1980, the Brown family acquired land in the hills east of Rutherford in the Napa Valley. They were farmers first, and farmers they remain. In 1995, the Browns decided on the strength of their fruit to make wine under their own label. The following year, they produced their first vintage of zinfandel, and along the way added cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, petite sirah, and the occasional dessert wine. In 2010, the Brown family celebrated thirty years in the Napa Valley and Brown Estate's fifteenth crush. Over the years, the farming philosophy has not changed: Fifty acres of vineyards are planted amidst 450 acres of roughneck wilderness that they strive to tend rather than tame – from the occasional inconvenient honeybee hive in the winery - to the prickly star thistles in their vineyards that are a part of their ecosystem. Their winemaking philosophy adheres to the principle of pu