2016 Kosta Browne Bootlegger's Hill

I loved the 2016 Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill. This ripe yet seamless Russian River Pinot Noir gives up rocking notes of black cherries, candied violets, wild strawberries, and exotic flowers. Rounded, supple, and sexy, it glides across the palate with ultra-fine tannin, no sense of weight or heaviness, and remarkable length. This is one of those wines that shines both for its richness as well as elegance. Winemaker Nico Cueva continues to fine tune his approach at Kosta Browne, experimenting with new vinification and aging vessels. While the wines were richer and more upfront in the past, today, they have slightly more freshness and tension while not abandoning the beautiful fruit and texture that defines California wines. As I hope these notes show, these are distinctive, singular wines up there with the crème de la crème of the region.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill is an addition to the range. Dark red stone fruit, mint, lavender, spice and new leather fill out the wine's fleshy, textured core nicely. I would give the 2016 a year or two to open up, as it appears to have quite a bit of nuance lurking in the background, just waiting for the right moment to emerge.