Remembering Don
Bryant

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MARCH 21, 2025

The wine world lost a visionary when Donald L. Bryant Jr. passed
away on March 1 at age 82 from natural causes. Bryant was a force to be
reckoned with, someone who knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and a man of
action who pursued his vision with extraordinary drive.

Don Bryant was born in Illinois, attended Denison University
in Ohio and earned a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis,
graduating in 1967. Shortly thereafter, he founded an asset management company
in St. Louis and went on to build a significant business that pioneered a
number of financial instruments that are now quite common.

By the late 1980s, Bryant had built the resources to pursue
two other passions that would define much of his life’s work: art and wine. In
his 50s, Bryant immersed himself in art history and began assembling a
collection of artwork from reference-point artists. A major player in the fine
arts, Bryant served as a trustee at numerous major institutions in New York,
London and his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He supported the arts and
education through philanthropic endeavors at several educational institutions
in St. Louis.

Bryant loved wine, as evidenced by his personal collection
of the great wines of the world, which he studied with meticulous attention. In
1988, Bryant purchased his striking property above Lake Hennessey in what is
commonly referred to as Pritchard Hill. He replanted the site with Cabernet
Sauvignon and employed modern viticultural practices. The first few vintages at
Bryant Estate were rough, but by the mid-1990s, the wines were magnificent,
propelling Bryant Estate into a vaunted position as one of Napa Valley’s first “cult”
wineries. The greatness of the 1997 vintage was recognized at the time. Critic
Stephen Tanzer compared the 1997 Bryant Family Cabernet to “a '47 Pomerol” and
described it as “a monument in the making.” The 1997 wine was instrumental in charting
the course for Napa Valley in the years that followed. Based on my recent
tastings, wines from that era of dramatic change and innovation remain
compelling to this day. They must have really been something when they were
first released.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1742571550073-Vinous_Don+Bryant+Obituary.png">I first met Don Bryant around 2011. At the time, I was just
beginning my career of reviewing Napa Valley wines professionally. I admit I
was a bit nervous. Bryant had a reputation for being difficult. His well-publicized
feud with Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer some years prior painted the picture
of an extremely demanding proprietor. I had seen that before in other parts of
the world, so it did not faze me all that much. Bryant had since been through a
few well-known winemakers, which added to his mystique. 

I found Don Bryant straightforward and down to earth. He
truly loved his vineyard. How could he not? Its spectacular location provides
stunning views of the surrounding areas. The site was clearly capable of
yielding wines of true distinction. Bryant possessed formidable wealth and
highly cultured tastes yet remained relatable and refreshingly candid, always with
a wry sense of humor on display. His precise, pointed questions were evidence
of a strong intellect that had no doubt driven his success. That friendly,
engaging persona was not just an act put on for me, a critic reviewing his
wines. Bryant was active in supporting his communities. “When I started my
winery, Don gave me his entire mailing list and wished me luck,” a fellow
vintner told me recently. I don’t think I need to explain what an exceptionally
rare act of class and generosity that is in the ultra-competitive world of
high-end California wine.

In the years that followed, I saw Bryant at the winery and
around town from time to time, always with his wife, Bettina Sulser Bryant, at
his side during a time when she brought increasing stability and consistency to
the family winery. Don Bryant’s noticeable decline to Alzheimer’s disease was a
reminder of how fragile life can be. It also reinforced my own personal view
that time, health and family are the most precious assets of all, whereas money
and material objects can come and go.

I will cherish the visits I had with Don Bryant when he was
still fully vibrant, the advice he gave me, and the many jokes that peppered our
conversations.© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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