2016 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Observations Free James

Another wine only released at the estate, the 2016 Pinot Noir Free James offers a singular bouquet of spiced black cherries, violets, peppery herbs, and ample damp earth/mineral characteristics. It’s tannic, concentrated, and layered as well as beautifully balanced. It’s a blockbuster Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that’s going to benefit from a year or two in bottle and keep for a decade or more. 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 Free James is the clear highlight in this set of new releases from Kosta Browne. Exquisitely beautiful and vivid in the glass, the 2016 is captivating from the very first taste. Soaring aromatics give the Freestone a distinctly exotic feel that resonates on the palate, where the wine is deep, layered and endowed with serious intensity. Hints of rose petal, lavender and spice linger in this superb Pinot Noir from Kosta Browne.