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Meet Fleury Estate Winery’s Second Generation Winemaker
September 22, 2023
At Fleury Estate Winery, there are some exciting changes afoot as the winery continues forward with their family-run philosophy. Co-founders Brian and Claudia Fleury, who founded the winery in 2000, are still very much involved in the day-to-day business of winemaking and hospitality at their small, Cabernet Sauvignon-focused Napa winery. And the next phase of the winery’s growth is only just beginning as their son Connor, 25, and daughter Kendall, 27, become increasingly involved in the operation.
Connor and Kendall are expanding the scope of what they do day-to-day at the winery—and the type of experiences and wines Fleury Estate Winery will offer—but their core family- and grape-centered paradigm remains unchanged. Their priority will also be their flagship estate Cabernets, grown and made by Fleury family members, from grape to glass.
“What makes Fleury unique is that we own the winery, the production, the ability to cellar the wine and bottle the wine, and grow the grapes,” says Brian. “We are a small family winery which is increasingly rare in Napa. We’re very excited about our kids being in the business and wanting to take over.” Family-run wineries are in the advantageous position of being able to make their own decisions when it comes to winemaking, which is exactly where Fleury thrives.
Growing the Fleury Tasting Experience
Anytime there’s a major change at a winery, even when it’s independent and family-run, collectors and sommeliers anxiously wait to see how the brand will evolve. And the Fleury family is confident that their most avid collectors will be pleased with their future plans, while leaving the door open to new collectors with some of the developments.
Connor has stepped in to oversee the grape-growing and winemaking, as his sister Kendall hopefully steps in more when she moves back to Napa from San Diego. Ultimately, she will manage wine education and launch new experiences for winery visitors in the new hospitality building they’re constructing at their home estate in Rutherford.
In the Spring of 2024, Fleury’s new 5,000-square-foot hospitality space will open its doors.
“It’s about twice as big as our current tasting and barrel storage room,” Connor says. “We will offer three to four tasting areas, each with their own individual design and ambiance.”
The tastings will still be run by a family member, set to music by Bebel Gilberto, and will include barrel samples and extra large pours. There’s no question their family-first ethos will continue, where each and every guest leaves knowing they’re part of the Fleury family.
“The biggest change [in the new space] will be that our visitors will now be able to enjoy views of the beautiful backdrop of the Napa Valley, as well as our barrel room, from their seats,” Connor notes.
There will also be an outdoor seating area with Bocce courts, a perfect accompaniment to their 2015 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Connor’s new rosé. If you’re as excited to try it as we are, you can sign up for our newsletter and be the first to hear of its release.
Speaking of a new rosé wine, as Connor continues to be more hands-on in the winemaking process, he’s bullish on expanding the range of wines Fleury Estate currently offers. He will, of course, honor Fleury’s legacy as a family-run producer of artisanal wines crafted from their three estate vineyards, while producing new wines with the same attention to detail they’re known for.
“I’m very excited because this year we’re making a rosé, we’re making a sparkling wine and we may make some brandy,” he says. “We’re also expanding the experiences we provide here at Fleury. We have new tastings, hands-on tours and new ways to give customers an opportunity to experience the Valley that I’ve been able to love so much.”
While you may not be able to get to their tasting room right now, you can still experience their passion in each bottle with our Fleury tasting experience, and taste a range of their wines as you get ready for their new rosé and sparkling wine.
But in the end, everything comes down to the grapes, he says.
“2021 was the first harvest where I was completely hands-on,” Connor says. “We are barrel tasting it and it’s looking like it’s going to be one of the best wines we’ve ever made. I’m very happy, but I can’t take too much credit, because I’ve had a lot of support around me with a consulting winemaker and my parents. And then just the fact that it was a great year for fruit.”
Full Circle Winemaking
For Connor, having a bigger grip on the reins has been a surreal, full-circle experience, and he says that he still leans on his father, while also trusting in the excellent raw material he has access to from the family’s three estate vineyards.
Like the vines they maintain, their family history on the land runs deep. “I am actually living in the home I was raised in as a child,” Connor says. “My sister and I lived in this two-bedroom cottage with my parents until I was six. It’s kind of cool being 25 in that same small cottage on the property.”
Growing up in a small, hands-on family wine business that manages everything from grape-to-glass means he’s essentially been in the biz since he was a toddler (not drinking the wine, of course).
“We have a 150-year-old walnut tree right next to our cottage,” Connor says. “When me and my sister were younger we would collect the walnuts, bag them up, and sell them at the front of the winery. We’d also sell the lavender we grew, and put a nice little bow on it.”
This 150-year-old walnut tree, standing tall and steadfast for generations, is a living testament to the deep-rooted history of the land. And Connor and his sister know it well. That intimate knowledge of the land—and his connection to it—only makes Connor a better winemaker.
Fleury Estate, as Connor well knows, has become a cult favorite for Cabernet Sauvignon fiends.
“Our wines have a refined feel, but also an earthy note, especially with our mountain fruit,” Connor says, referencing Fleury’s six acres of Howell Mountain vines. Fleury also has 30 acres in St. Helena, and 11 acres at their home base. “Our St. Helena wines can be dangerously smooth, but not one of them tastes like the other, and many are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.”
He attributes the wines’ different styles and flavors to their minimal intervention, terroir-forward approach to winemaking. Allowing the land to lead allows wine drinkers to experience the different sites in each glass. Cabernet Sauvignon made from their mountain fruit (for example, the 2014 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon) are more complex, restrained and brambly, with velvety tannins that lead to a long and lasting finish. While on the other hand (or land), their wines sourced from St. Helena are more opulent and exuberant.
“The grapes are the most important element,” Connor says. “We want that to be the focus, and not the oak. We also make really light sulfur additions, which also helps with hangovers.”
It’s clear that Fleury’s next generation of family winemakers is more than ready—and excited—to keep the winery’s legacy, and bring their own ideas to the table. With new additions to their offerings rooted in a rich history of producing incredible wines, we can’t wait to see and drink what’s next for this family-run winery.
While you prime your palate for a taste of the 2021, check out Fleury’s other wines here.
A Preview
Fleury Estate Winery Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 2015: Possessing depth and brilliance, this 2015 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon shows what diligence and attention to details can offer at its maximum. A banquet of aromas excites the nose. Tones of rustic graphite, deep chocolate, blackberry, savory oak and sweet tobacco fill your nose. The wine builds in power and presence on the palate with dark fruits, floral notes, cedar, espresso and gravel. Bolstered by soft and opulent tannin, the 2015 is expansive and complex. With plenty of structure and persistence, this offering is a pleasurable experience now and showcases plenty of promise for the beauty that will come with time.
Fleury Estate Winery Passionné Red Blend, 2016: A deep garnet red in color, the 2016 Passionné is restrained, elegant and powerful all in one. Showcasing the exemplary and stunning vintage, the aromas are filled with notes of forest berries, black currant, jam, rose petals and chocolate. A medium to full-bodied palate is outlined with vibrance and depth. Generous flavors of black cherry, dark plum, earthy chocolate and savory notes are complimented by fine-grained tannins and a lively finish.
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