The Brown Estate and House of Brown team recently hosted a Comparative Blind Tasting Masterclass in Dallas, bringing together wine professionals, enthusiasts, and industry members for an engaging and educational experience. Led by Master Sommelier Chris Gaither, the event featured a curated selection of wines from both House of Brown and Brown Estate, as well as international wines. The tasting offered a unique opportunity to evaluate styles, regions, and winemaking approaches in a side-by-side blind format, encouraging objective exploration and discussion.
Setting the Scene: More Than Just a Tasting
The DFW wine community showed up in force, and the energy was electric. The lineup brought together House of Brown’s approachable, expressive Lodi releases alongside the bolder, complex cuvées of Brown Estate. Chris threw in some benchmark French wines and global classics into the mix.
Chris guided us through each flight with a fun approach to teaching, nudging us to trust our palates and not our preconceptions. Notes were scribbled, “aha!” moments abounded, and friendly debates filled the room as we tried to place each glass.
The Wines: Surprises and Standouts
We tried the following wines (did I mention in a blind format)? Note, we tasted two at a time.
- 2022 House of Brown Chardonnay Lodi, California. I tasted melon, citrus zest, creamy texture with just a kiss of oak.
- 2023 Louis Latour Mâcon-Villages ‘Chameroy’ from Burgundy, France. I tasted pear and apple and minerality.
- 2024 by Ott Côtes de Provence Rosé from Provence, France. I tasted strawberry and rose petals.
- 2023 House of Brown Rosé Lodi, California. Notes of raspberry blood orange and flowers.
- 2023 Descombe Beaujolais Villages ‘Granite’ from Beaujolais, France. Notes of big cherry, violet, and spice.
- 2022 House of Brown Red Blend from Lodi, California. Notes of black cherry, plum, and cocoa. It was a bold wine with soft tannins.
- 2023 House of Brown Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi, California. Notes of blackberry, mocha and herbs.
- 2023 Santa Julia Malbec Reserve from Valle de Uco, Argentina. This was the challenge of the tasting, and I completely bombed. Notes of blueberry, blackberry, tobacco and spice.
- 2020 La Gaffelière Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from Bordeaux, France. This was classic Bordeaux with notes of cassis, cedar, graphite, and earth.
- 2022 Brown Estate Chaos Theory Red Blend from Sonoma Valley, California – I tasted notes of black and red fruit, baking spice, and it had a silky finish.
- 2023 Brown Estate Zinfandel from Napa Valley, California. Notes of blackberry, black cherry, and spice. It was a great Zinfandel and one of the wines that alerted the industry to take notice.
What Made This Tasting Special
Familiar favorites met world-class benchmarks. The blind format reminded us all that great wine speaks first to your senses, not your assumptions. House of Brown delivered freshness and accessibility, earning praise for their easygoing, modern wines crafted for everyday enjoyment — but with enough personality to keep things interesting with wines from different countries.
Heart, Heritage, and a Whole Lot of Fun
The tasting was a celebration of progress, palate, and the stories behind every label. House of Brown and Brown Estate is more than just a winery — it’s a legacy of family, determination, and breaking new ground in California wine. If this tasting reminded us of anything, it’s that “the best wine” isn’t about price or provenance, it’s about connection, conversation, and a sense of place that resonates.
