A Dedicated Team

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Christian Seely was born in 1960, educated at Harrow School, Trinity College Cambridge and INSEAD. Since 2001, he manages the AXA Millésimes portfolio of vineyards: Château Pichon Baron Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac, Château Pibran in Pauillac, Château Suduiraut in Sauternes, Domaine de l'Arlot in Nuits-St-Georges, Disznókő in Hungary (Tokaj), Outpost (Napa Valley), Platt Vineyard (West Sonoma Coast), Quinta do Noval and Quinta do Passadouro in Portugal (Douro).

He is a founder Director of Coates and Seely, leading producer of English Sparkling Wines. ​

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Frank was born and raised in Chicago and began his career in manufacturing. What started as a curiosity with wine quickly evolved into a full-fledged passion. In 1997, Frank took his first major step into the wine world by purchasing a 20-acre parcel in Napa Valley—land that would become known as True Vineyard. After selling his manufacturing company, he moved to Napa to focus on the wine business.

In 2003 he purchased the Outpost property, where he developed the vineyard and built a respected client list. AXA Millésimes, acquired Outpost Wines in 2018. Frank remained at the helm, continuing to grow the brand and expand its vineyard holdings.

Today, He continues to lead U.S. operations for AXA Millésimes.​

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Born in 1993, Alexandre studied in Paris at HEC, Ecole Polytechnique and Paris Dauphine. During his time as a student Alexandre was president of HEC Grand Cru, the association of wine enthusiasts and completed internships in the wine industry. After managing various projects in the world of Finance, he decided to orient his career definitively to the world of wine.

After a year of training at Domaine de l’Arlot in Burgundy and Château Pichon Baron in Bordeaux, Alexandre moved to California in 2024 to dedicate his time entirely to the thrilling development of Platt Vineyard.​

Thomas Rivers Brown was born in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated from the University of Virginia.

After graduation he followed his passion for wine to the Napa Valley where he began his career at Turley Wine Cellars in December 1997. From there, he has gone on to become winemaker and consultant for Schrader Cellars, Maybach Family Vineyards, Outpost Wines, Platt Vineyard and Mondavi as well as many other high-profile brands including his own Rivers-Marie, Aston Estate, Caterwaul & Dorsey.

As a winemaker his gift is to make wine that is the purest expression of the site, where the wines are made with minimal intervention.

To date Thomas has made over sixty wines that have received 100 point scores. ​

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Born and raised in Napa Valley, Derek studied biology before moving to Spain and living abroad for much of his 20’s.

After moving to Mendoza, Argentina, his passion for wine became apparent and he returned to the US to study Enology at Fresno State.

Upon completion in 2014, he took a cellar worker position at Outpost wines, where he developed a working relationship with Thomas Rivers Brown. In the following years, he worked alongside renowned winemakers Michel Rolland, Aaron Pott, and Heidi Barrett, and also began crafting wines for himself under the Blaine label.

In 2023, Derek was hired to work alongside Thomas Rivers Brown with the goal of making world-class wines that express the unique terroir of Platt Vineyard.​

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Joy is a seasoned professional with over three years of experience as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Outpost Wines and more than a decade of experience at boutique wineries throughout Napa Valley.

In her role, she drives brand awareness and customer engagement initiatives through thoughtful direct-to-consumer relationships.

While her focus has been on Cabernet Sauvignon for the past ten years, she is now excited to delve into the world of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We are thrilled to have Joy as part of the opening team at Platt Vineyard.​

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Lauren was born in Upstate New York, outside of Albany. She moved to Santa Barbara which sparked a lifelong passion for wine. After completing a wine studies program in Florence, Italy she returned to Santa Barbara to work in production before transitioning to hospitality.

Her career transitioned into working with renowned vineyards and distributors from around the world. It is with extensive knowledge and a profound love for great wines that Lauren decided to join the team for Platt Vineyard and Outpost Wines.​