Kosta Browne Release Tomorrow - I Have Style Questions

Always one of my favorites but going forward I’m not sure. I know they are changing their style and not sure how deep to go this year. I have a friend who tasted with them over the summer and was underwhelmed! Any previous buyers taste their new style?

I don’t know how much the “style change” will be or if it will be reflected in this release’s wines yet.

They do usually provide detailed spec sheets on the wines, so you could see if brix, alc, total acidity and other things have changed that might suggest a stylistic change in the wines.

I know this sounds crazy - but why not give them a call directly and speak to the winemaking staff? Yes, they may try to ‘sell’ you but perhaps it will make you feel better.

The challenge with ‘a friend tried these and was underwhelmed’ is that you were not there, and your experience may have been very different than theirs’.

Just a thought . . .

This. My “thin” might be your “ethereal”
Might be best to have a candid exchange with them.

So, to be fair, I was as skeptical as anyone. I posted online about the “style change” and heard from the KB folks. Went over there and tasted with Nico and Scott. Honestly, I think the newer, upcoming wines, are fantastic. More nerve and excitement in the wines. I liked them an awful lot. Not sure if the 2015 wines are fully reflective of that…but I am excited about what is to come from KB.

Adam Lee
Clarice Wine Company
and Siduri Wines

Thanks Adam!!!

Their style moved significantly towards the middle starting around the 2008 vintage or so, and to me, it was a significant improvement. Their wines at 14.5% or so were better than at 15% (just using ABV as a very rough marker for the sake of brevity), plus I think the oak moderated some too.

So I’m open to seeing where they go from here. Frankly, the way the reasons and motives sounded in the news story wasn’t really a great look, but I’m still interested to see what ends up in the bottle.

Adam, I just bought four bottles of KB today, so I’m going a bit on blind faith. I appreciate your comments above, but can you elaborate a little more on what you mean by “more nerve and excitement”. How does that translate on the nose and palate?

Sure, specifically it seems more use of whole cluster (which gives the wine a bit more vibrancy, IMO). And overall just more liveliness on the palate and more complexity on the nose.

Adam Lee
Clarice Wine Company

I seem to have the habit of signing up for allocations/mailing lists around the time the winery has been sold (Clifton-Brewer) or has had a recent change in winemaker (Williams-Selyem). I’ve only been able to taste these wines here and there and while I like them, they are at very stiff price points for an appellation bottle. Maybe just consider not loading up past 4-6 bottles?

I dont think there ever going to be AFWE! What I took from the last article as that Michael and Dan were stepping down and they don’t want to be the first and main example of over the top CA PN any longer. The style has come way back since 2005, earlier pick dates, less/no water adds, etc. I still by a few to put into blind tastings as they always get loads of comments before and after unvailing.

I agree with Adam. I tasted in Sebastopol on Monday and am nothing but excited about the 2016 releases.

All y’all aren’t helping …

With the talk of style change and the founders’ total departure, I figured this was a good time to move on from KB. I have plenty of Pinot Noir, including KB, in the cellar and I’ve been making a serious attempt to reduce all my purchases and quantity of wine on hand. Hearing about the 2016s is making me rethink skipping this offer, though.

At least I have until the 20th to decide …

Is their a minimum bottle purchase requirement with KB?

No.

Just a long wait list. Not sure how long it is now, but when I got in it was a few years.

I signed up for the waitlist on June 30, 2016 and received this offering. It’s frightening how quickly time passes as you start getting older, as I thought it was less than 1 year from when I signed up!

I haven’t bought from them in years (think 4+), and yet I still get offers for the opportunity to place a wish-list order since, per the e.mail, I probably ‘forgot to’ over the last 5 releases.

So yeah…i would say the KB wait list is more than likely not at all what it used to be. And once they successfully raise production even further (I mean…of course they will after the acquisition), it will probably be even shorter.

They apparently had a huge crop in 2016.

I’m excited based on Adam’s description. I may up my order a bit.

Standby youngster. There’s a time you won’t remember placing the order and shortly there after, you can hide your own Easter eggs.