“Publisher’s Picks”
“This mountain-grown Malbec (with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a glorious example of firm, structured tannins and an opulent, suede texture. Ripe boysenberry leads the fray, with juxtaposed flavors of milk chocolate, cinnamon-cedar, and white pepper. Violets emerge, served on crushed stone, with a wash of currant.”

“This translucent and bright colored Sauvignon Blanc from Brandlin opens with an inviting gentle grapefruit and lemongrass bouquet with hints of vanilla, white florals, and sea spray. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, refined, and bright. The flavor profile is mild grapefruit, saline with notes lime and vanilla. We also detected some hints of white peach, lemon verbena, and green tea. The finish is dry and refreshing and shows nice length. The Tasting Panel would pair this Sauvignon Blanc with grilled swordfish, raw oysters or with a crab cocktail.”

“This dark red colored Zinfandel from Brandlin opens with a craisin, dried strawberry, and violet bouquet with hints of spiced plum, oak, and teaberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is well-balanced, refined, and polished. The flavor profile is raspberry and spiced red plum blend with notes of wonderful stony minerality, oak, and dried strawberry. The finish is dry, and its flavors and dusty tannins are nicely extended. The Tasting Panel would pair this food friendly Zin with a veal chop or with veal Milanese.”

“This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Brandlin opens with a very inviting black currant, pencil shaving, and black cherry bouquet with hints cinnamon, coffee, and blueberry. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is well-balanced, polished, and nicely coats your mouth. The flavor profile is a gentle black currant and crushed stone minerality blend with notes of graphite, blueberry, and cedar. We also detected hints of pomegranate and dark chocolate. The finish is dry, and its moderate dusty tannins lead to an exceptionally long finish. The Tasting Panel would pair this incredibly versatile Cab with a New York strip steak or a Tuscan veal chop.”

“Aromas of blackcurrants, cherries, blackberry leaves, olives and some dried oysters. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine tannins. Delicious, savory character with a fresh finish. Drink from 2023.”

“A four-barrel selection off the estate, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon ThS is more generous than the winery’s other Cabernet-based reds, yet it’s also more concentrated and structured. Medium to full- bodied, it’s loaded with cassis and black cherries, dressed up with more savory notions of dark loam sage and bay leaf. The tannins are firm yet ripe, finishing softly dusty and lingering elegantly on the finish.”

“Firmly structured and densely concentrated, this tightly wound wine shows deep blueberry and blackberry flavors, generous cedar and clove accents, and good length on the finish. The tannins need time to resolve, so the wine will be best from 2028 through 2040.”

“Blackberries, blackcurrants, peppercorns, tobacco leaves, tar, dried violets and mocha on the nose. Sweet spices, too. Full-bodied with firm, plush tannins and a succulent core of spiced dark fruit. Drink after 2023.”

“A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Henry’s Keep Proprietary Red Wine is built along similar lines as the straight Cabernet but with a touch more complexity. In addition to the sage, bay, black cherries and cassis, there are additional floral and herbal notes woven throughout. It’s medium to full-bodied and framed by dusty tannins, firm yet silky, with a long finish.”

“Inky and dark in the glass, the 2019 Brandlin Estate Henry’s Keep Proprietary Red Wine deliver freshly tilled soils, baking spices and intense dark fruits on the nose. The palate is seamless and well- structured, with plenty of tension and richness. Intense black and blue fruits collide with mineral and scorched earthy undertones on the palate. Enjoy this outstanding bottling over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037.”

“This estate grown blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with some Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cab Franc is suffused with mountain brush, dried violets, blackberry, and cinnamon. Finely grained tannins adorn the palate, unmasking a looming shadow of flavors, from black olive and slate to balsamic and toffee.”

“This deep ruby colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Brandlin opens with a black raspberry and moist loam bouquet with hints of black cherry, blueberry, and new leather. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, smooth, and lush. The flavor profile is graphite, stewed plum, and oak with notes of juicy blueberry and boysenberry. We also detected a hint of red licorice. The finish is dry and its well-managed refined tannins build-up and last for quite a long time. The Tasting Panel would pair this Cab with a Butcher Boy club steak.”

“I get the sense that winemaker Steve Rogstad and his team like the edginess that Mount Veeder fruit brings into the winery and that they work hard not to tame it too much. This vintage of Henry’s Keep shows that edge beautifully, with bold Cabernet-driven fruit, easy grip and a long finish that is already integrating the oak spice notes. Drink now or age a while — you win either way.”

“Very ripe, lush, jammy fruit flavors give a lot of pleasure to this full-bodied wine as moderate tannins add good structure to the palate, firming up black cherries, cranberries and blueberries that show excellent depth. Best from 2025–2035.”

“Here is a pleasantly rustic Cabernet that’s long on full throttle boysenberry and cassis that ride a big tannic grip through a long finish that keeps pumping flavor. I love this now for its youthful exuberance, but it’s got the stuffing for further aging. Want to have some fun? Channel your inner Malcolm Forbes and have this with a burger and fries — you won’t be disappointed!”

“Very expressive, with zesty anise and apple wood mixed with sassafras and sweet bay leaf flavors, all backed by a dense, polished core of blackberry and açaí berry fruit. Features a hint of tar that adds spine and textural contrast to the finish. Big all around, but everything is well-proportioned.”

“Terrific fruit — respectfully grown and vinified — then aged and finished with impressive skill. That’s what you get for your money in this wine, and it is a thing of beauty. To be clear, beauty is not what everyone seeks when buying premium wines from Napa, and if the automotive equivalent of what you’re seeking is a Hummer, you might be better off with another choice. But if a BMW is more your thing, this could be what you’re after in a current release at a high level. Fully 50% of the 110 barrels of this were new, but you’d never know that from the wine unless you had additional information about the toast level of the barriques or the time the wine spent in them, and the tech sheet I have at my disposal won’t enable me to clue you in on that. But really, given that the character of the finished product is what matters, who cares?

Winemaker Steve Rogstad has managed to turn out a very serious and age-worthy Cabernet that places the pure core of fruit at center-stage, with all the winemaking accents right where they belong — as accents in the wings. As this opens with aeration, you can find the cooperage expressing itself with subtle spiciness and toastiness, but there is no icky vanilla or distracting charred notes in this wine — and I checked it again and again to assure that you won’t find them, either. The tannin management is as skillful as the wood influence, making this already wonderful with decanting and a pairing with fairly serious food — or just a nice piece of cheese."

“This midnight purple-colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Brandlin opens with a cassis, boysenberry, and pencil shavings with a hint of blueberry. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied and medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, plush, and savory. The flavor profile is blueberry and stony minerality blend with notes of cedar and black currant. We also detected some hints of menthol and blackberry in the mix. The finish is dry, and its flavors and integrated dusty tannins, are very lengthy and pronounced. The Tasting Panel would decant this Cab with a very long time and then serve it with a well-marbled ribeye or seared duck breast.”

“The Brandlins came upon the top of Mount Veeder in the late 19th century and, with their Alpine heritage, said yes, please when many said no thank you, mountain life is not for everyone. It began with an orchard and some grain to sell to the valley, but this is Napa, so eventually they took advantage of their terroir and started producing wine. This Cab is just awesome. It sings with mountain fruit, a term we use in the industry to reference the high-elevation vineyards that gain more sun and retain more acidity than the valley floor or even lower hills. It is so present with a nose of classic blackberry fruit and an added earthy, roasted-herbs situation. The palate is a straight up joy to sip with very well-balanced fruit and a tannin structure that supports without taking over. This wine is wonderful.”

“Brandlin Estate consists of 49 acres of Napa Green Certified vineyards situated at altitudes of 900 to 1,250 feet on Mount Veeder. Aromas of blackberry, Earl Grey tea and black plum pull you into the glass where you find flavors of boysenberry, cinnamon, black currant and black olive tapenade. The tannins are voluptuous and rounded and the finish seems to never stop.”

“Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2021” “Each year, Wine Spectatoreditors survey the wines reviewed over the previous 12 months and select our Top 100, based on quality, value, availability and excitement. This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world. #81. 2018 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Vivid and expressive, with a lovely beam of plum, anise and boysenberry notes sailing through, flanked with sweet bay leaf and violet notes and carrying through the lengthy finish. This has the grip to cellar too, but approachable now for its vivacious fruit. Drink now through 2034.” 93 Points: Outstanding; a wine of superior character and style.

“The outstanding 2019 Brandlin Estate‘Mount Veeder’ Cabernet Sauvignon has small parts Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec blended in. Stored for 22 months in 50% new French oak, this offers pencil lead, dark currant and coffee grounds on the nose. The palate is very rich and concentrated, with good finesse. Enjoy this beautiful wine over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037.”

“Blueberries, stewed blackberries, chocolate, espresso, dried herbs and sweet tobacco on the nose. Full-bodied with firm, muscular tannins. Compact and fragrant with a firm finish. Try after 2023.” 93 Points: Outstanding

“Tasting a barrel sample of Brandlin’s 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon shows a textbook profile, with lots of energy coursing through the vivid, dark fruit while sparkles of anise, sweet bay and violets are scattered throughout. It’s grippy, but also has a generous feel, a function of the vintage."

“A perfumed, fresh nose filled with violets, lavender, black currants. The palate is plush, dense and precise, finishing with a purity and deftness that is increasingly hard to find in Napa. Impressively ready to drink even at this young stage.” 94 Points: Highly recommended

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“Lots of ripe black fruit with blackcurrant jam, nutmeg and cedar on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with layers of juicy blackberries and toasty-spice notes, framed by firm, sleek tannins. Dense palate.” 94 Points: Outstanding

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“Coming all from Mt. Veeder, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate reveals a dense purple color as well as a spicy, meaty nose of darker plum and currant-like fruit intermixed with plenty of tobacco, bouquet garni, and earthy minerality. Medium to full-bodied, with plenty of fruit, solid mid-palate depth, and a good finish, enjoy this beautifully balanced mountain Cabernet over the coming 10-15 years.” 92 Points: Outstanding wines. These wines are outstanding for their type and are worth the extra effort to seek out.

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“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Brandlin Estate opens with savory scents of grilled meats, bouquet garni and tapenade over a core of ripe black and red currants, boysenberries and black raspberries plus a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with compelling tension, delivering freshness to the intense black and red fruits, framed by fine-grained tannins and finishing with a lingering herbal lift.” 90+ Points: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines

“This has the expressive fruit and racy spine of the vintage, mixing plum and blackberry paste flavors with a graphite edge, while extra sassafras and bramble notes add energy to the finish. Solid. Best from 2022 through 2032. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.” 93 Points: Outstanding; a wine of superior character and style

“A brambly array of fresh red berries and some leafy notes, too. This has a fresh and upbeat feel to the nose. The palate has a silky, fine weave of tannin, carrying ripe-berry pastry and red plums. Drink or hold.” 90 Points: Outstanding

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“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Brandlin Estate comes from a vineyard on Mount Veeder and was aged 22 months in 50% new French oak. It has a beautiful bouquet of plums, blueberries, exotics spice and dried flowers. This gives way to a medium to full-bodied, balanced red that has the tannic grip of the appellation, yet also plenty of fruit and texture. It’s a charming, well-made red to drink over the coming 10-15 years.” 90 Points: Outstanding wines. These wines are outstanding for their type and are worth the extra effort to seeking out.

“I have always been a fan of Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignons. The wines are often rich and deep, with excellent structure and firmness. The 2014 Brandlin is a clear example of the best wines from this AVA. Tasting notes: This wine comes up with bold berries, some cassis, and jamminess in its aromas and flavors. On the palate it delivers excellent persistence making it a delicious pairing wine with a grilled ribeye. (Best Served: 2018-2024.)” 92 Points

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“Lively, green notes on the nose, complemented by a welcome rigidity and lack of flab on the palate. It is robust with firm tannins coasted in a core of ripe fruit. Subtle for a mountain wine, with some elegance and persistence.” 90 Points: Highly Recommended

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“A complex nose of dark fruit, herbs, spice box and wood. It is full-bodied, yet fresh and balanced. Structured. Firm tannins lead to a savory finish with length.” 94 Points: Outstanding

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“The 2018 Brandlin Proprietary Red Henry’s Keep is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Vibrant and overt, the 2018 is a gorgeous wine with much to offer. Bright red/purplish fruit, crushed rocks, spice and floral overtones all take shape over time. More than anything else, I am impressed with the wine’s drive and balance.” 93 Points: Outstanding. A wine of remarkable personality and breed that is well worth seeking out

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“A deeper, darker, more soil-forward nose than the Estate Cabernet, with aromas of wet clay, graphite and oiled leather. A seamless, rich, black-fruited palate leads to a finish that is a bit short and inward at the moment.” 92 Points: Highly recommended

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“The Brandlin family were homesteaders on Mount Veeder in the 1870s, eventually planting vines on a high ridge. In 1998, Chester Brandlin worked out an arrangement giving Cuvaison the right to purchase the vineyard and Cuvaison’s winemaker, Steve Rogstad, makes the wines today, including this blend based on cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. The wine’s mountain-grown intensity is built on bright strawberry flavors and blueberry-skin tannins. It has a clean richness that should develop well over the coming years.” 92 Points: Delicious, compelling; a compelling wine of its region; a delicious, finessed expression of place – “Year’s Best US Cabernet & Blends”

“Aromas of forest wood, in cedary mode, with violets, earthy and spicy notes and blueberries. The palate has a very sleek feel with such succulent and fresh, redcurrant and plum flavors. Builds nicely at the finish and holds well. A blend of 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% petit verdot, 7% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.” 93 Points: Outstanding

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“The 2015 Brandlin Henry’s Keep also looks terrific. Possessing an inky purple color as well as load of blue fruits, it has more minerality, full-bodied richness, present, yet ripe tannin, excellent purity of fruit and a great finish. It’s another seriously good-looking barrel sample.” 92-94 Points: Outstanding wines. These wines are outstanding for their type and are worth the extra effort to seeking out.

“The deep garnet-purple 2015 Red Blend Brandlin Henry’s Keep (a barrel sample) has lots of cedary oak on the nose with cassis, blackberries and blueberries aromas plus dusty earth and baking spices suggestions. Medium-bodied and elegant in the mouth, it offers nice expression with firm, ripe tannins and a lovely lift to the finish.” (91 – 93)+ Points: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines

“The deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Red Blend Brandlin ThS (a barrel sample) has a fragrant nose of red and black currants, black cherries and mulberries with notions of violets, dusty earth, spice box and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, it’s taut, tight-knit and firm in the mouth, with a grainy backbone and lovely freshness plus loads of energy and great depth coming through on the finish.” (93 – 95)+ Points: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines

“Tasted as a barrel sample, the 2015 Brandlin ThS is the best I tasted in this lineup. Blueberries, crushed rocks, charcoal, and notable minerality all emerge from this rock solid 2015 and it’s concentrated, deep and textured, with building tannin. It should last for 15+ years.” 92-94 Points: Outstanding wines. These wines are outstanding for their type and are worth the extra effort to seeking out.

“From vines planted by the Brandlin family in 1926, this shows a smoke-kissed nose of fresh-tilled earth and sun-warmed slate alongside black cherry compote and red licorice, and then a silk-textured palate pulsing with energy and full of kirsch, red and black currants, Rainier cherries, pomegranate juice, and spice. The finish rings through with subtly floral peppercorns, and dusty tannins structure this beautiful, balanced wine.”

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