2015 Pinot Noir 4-Barrel

I continue to be deeply impressed by what I am seeing at Kosta Browne. Under the leadership of Managing Director Scott Becker and Winemaker Nico Cueva, Kosta Browne has confidently entered the second generation of its life. Becker is the rare entrepreneur who has strategic vision but who understands the practical elements of running a business and also has a huge passion for wine, while Cueva has the imagination and leeway to keep the wines contemporary and relevant. Open top wood fermenters and concrete are increasingly present, as is the practice of using some whole clusters. Perhaps most importantly, Kosta Browne is one of the few California wineries that has the resources and long-term plan to secure fruit sources by continuing to acquire vineyards. As for the 2015 Pinots and Chardonnays, they are solid to terrific across the board. In particular, the 2015 Pinots are concentrated wines that reflect the paltry yields of the year. I also had a chance to taste two highly promising 2016s from sites that are new to the portfolio.