To say that owner and winemaker Philippe Langner is an interesting man
is an understatement. He makes the Dos Equis man look like a boring homebody.

He is the product of a world-traveling German father and Parisian mother. As a child, he spent his early days in the fields of his family’s farms in Colombia and Zaire. Before starting his Hesperian brand here in Napa Valley, Philippe trained under the legendary Michel Rolland (whose credits include Dalla Valle, Harlan, Staglin, Quintessa, and a premier crop of Bordeaux estates). Phillippe also had a long run with Château Clarke, a Rothschild-owned Bordeaux house, where he was mentored by the late Jacques Boissenot (whose client list included four of the five first growth chateaus).

Philippe’s wines are loaded with trademark Napa richness and plush fruit, accentuated by power and depth akin to his training in Bordeaux. Being a perfectionist, he enjoys managing all aspects of the winery, from bud-break each spring in the vineyards to the entirety of the winemaking process.