2009 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch

The 2009 Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard is an unusually restrained wine, a Russian River Pinot. Bright red fruit, cranberries, sweet flowers and spices are some of the many notes that flow across the palate. This is one of the more silky wines in the lineup. All of the elements flow together gracefully in this beautifully balanced Pinot. Bright, lively acidity reappears to frame the elegant finish. The Keefer was made with 100% destemmed fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Kosta Browne is one of the great American success stories of the last decade. The story begins when longtime friends Dan Kosta and Michael Browne discover a shared passion for Pinot Noir while working together at a local restaurant. They start with a tiny amount of homemade Pinot Noir, grow gradually, acquire some financing along the way, work their tails off and one day the mailing list requires a five year wait for the vineyard designated wines. Of course I am simplifying, but Kosta Browne is the type of entrepreneurial success that can only happen in this country. Over the years, as the winemaking approach has developed, the wines have become much more finessed than they used to be. Toast levels have come down. Some lots are fermented in open top wood vats, an approach that seems promising based on the wines I tasted. A number of the wines were fermented with whole clusters, as noted below. The Kosta-Browne Pinots are notable for their exuberant fruit. The wines are incredibly attractive when young, which is when I prefer to drink them. Tel. (707) 823-7430

Bright ruby. Complex, seductive bouquet of raspberry preserves, gingerbread, potpourri, cola and a hint of star anise. Silky and expansive, with serious heft to its red fruit flavors but surprising elegance too. Fresh, precise and sappy on the finish, which echoes the red berry and spice notes.