2009 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

The 2009 Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard emerges from the glass with black cherries, mint, flowers, licorice and tar. It shows plenty of depth and concentration, if not quite the textural finesse of tannin as some of the other 2009s. A soft, lush finish rounds things out. The Kanzler was made with 10-15% whole clusters. 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

Glass-staining lurid ruby. Fresh red berries and potpourri on the nose, with sexy Asian spice and vanilla notes adding complexity. Lively and precise in the mouth, offering sweet strawberry and raspberry flavors and strong spicy lift. Fine-grained tannins come up late on the finish, which is impressively focused, juicy and extremely long. This is flat-out delicious now.