2010 Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch

Kosta-Browne is one of those places that always seems to buzzing with a positive vibe that is hard to fully describe, but that I am sure informs these exuberant, deeply expressive wines. I arrived for my tasting as the winery was completing their move to new, spacious digs at The Barlow, a large facility food/wine industrial park facility in Sebastopol that also houses Pax Mahle's winery plus a number of restaurants, markets, cheese shops, coffee houses and sellers of other local food specialties that will move in shortly. The Barlow is still undergoing its build out, but it will be very interesting to see how the project develops in the coming years. As for the Pinots that have made K-B so famous, the wines keep getting better and more refined with each passing vintage. One big development is the acquisition of Gaps Crown by investor Bill Price, who is also an owner of Kosta-Browne, which means that Gaps Crown now becomes essentially an estate vineyard, although I am told contracts with other growers who purchase fruit will remain in place. It's all part of the constant energy that seems to be an essential part of K-B's DNA.

The heat spikes that hit Sonoma in late August of 2010 caused unprotected grapes to shrivel, especially those with overly thinned canopies and those on the west side of the rows, Michael Browne told me. The good news is that because of a cool growing season, "carefully tended vines gave fruit that was both ripe and fresh, so you got fully developed flavors with good acidity." A reduced fruit set caused by a wet spring produced small clusters and diminished yields but ensured good concentration of flavor as well, he added.