2016 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard

From Anderson Valley, the 2016 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard has a touch of old-world charm in its savory, complex bouquet of dried earth, forest floor, leafy herbs, and dried red fruits. Complex, weightless, and elegant on the palate, it’s a great example of the style of the 2016 vintage and will continue drinking nicely for at least 7-8 years. 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 2015 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard is another wine that was so impressive as a young barrel sample and that has developed into a very aggressive, unyielding Pinot. There is a good deal of energy driving the red cherry, mint, white pepper and floral notes, but quite a bit less in the way of real charm or appeal. I expected more.

A gorgeous wine of tremendous promise, the 2016 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard is Kosta Browne's first effort from their recently acquired Anderson Valley site. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched in this enticing Pinot Noir. I can't wait to taste the 2016 from bottle.