Visiting Kosta Browne at The Barlow

Kosta Browne Winery at The Barlow in Sebastapol

When I visited Kosta Browne a couple years ago they were in the process of building a new winery. Their space at the time was in an old apple processing facility and it was functional but not much to look at. "No stone gardens here!" was one of their favorite lines.

The no-frills approach worked fine in their formative years. They didn't have a need for a public tasting room since most of their wines are sold out via mailing list and to restaurants. But as the winery has grown they needed more space.

Functionally and aesthetically I think they hit a home run with their new spot in The Barlow - a very cool collection of artisinal food and drink producers in Sebastapol along Highway 12.

We enjoyed lunch at newly opened Vignette - a trendy Neapolitan-style pizza place. Michael Browne happened to be having lunch there too, as were many other Barlow tenants and visitors. Other wineries include MacPhail, and La Follette (just tasting rooms) as well as Wind Gap (which along with Kosta Browne produces wine on-site).

We met with Tony Lombardi, Director of Brand Management & Public Relations. He's really come into his own in this role and fits the Kosta Browne style perfectly. Easy going about the product, confident about the quality, and enthusiastic about sharing the story with fans of the brand.

Courtyard within Kosta Browne's space at The Barlow
Tony Lombari (left) and me (Robert Dwyer) on the right

They've got a very cool outdoor space with seating areas and fire pits that's already serving them well for gatherings. Benefits and events for mailing list members will be ideal here.

Their space at The Barlow includes winemaking facilities with room to grow. Separate areas for cellaring and offices are in adjoining buildings.

They're producing some volume these days but there's
room to grow into this new space

With a number of successful harvests behind them they knew exactly what they wanted in the new facility. I got a sense they took note of every thing they didn't like about their prior place, remedied it, and made this the perfect winemaking facility for their current and future needs.

I don't know much about grape presses but I'm guessing these Buchers are the bomb

The interior looks like a Restoration Hardware catalog and the space is divided up brilliantly. Clubby leather chairs for gathering around a fireplace in one alcove, long tables for sit down tastings in another. Although there's not necessarily a "tasting room" in the typical sense there are plenty of ideal areas in the winery to taste wine.

We tasted through their 2012s in their kitchen which features a wall of glass looking into the cellar and is set up for cooking events and informal tastings. Spacious and elegant but comfortable. It's like tasting wine at your rich friends' house. Kosta Browne feels like a group of guys who enjoy the good life and enjoy sharing it with their friends.

Me (Robert Dwyer) on the left, Tony Lombardi on the right

Their 2012s are gorgeous, like most vintages of Kosta Browne I've tasted. Each time I think "I've got too much KB clogging up my cellar waiting for a special occasion" I'm reminded why I like their wines so much. I popped a 2010 RRV the other night and it was so totally satisfying. They're right on the corner of high quality and delicious.

One wine that's truly amazed me each time I've tasted it is their Chardonnay. They've only been making it a few years and they don't make a ton of it but the nose on this wine is magical. Lemon curd and sunshine for days before getting serious on the palate. They've got the Chard on sale at Zachy's at the moment at a nice price considering how hard it is to crack their mailing list and how much fully loaded costs can be. I'd hardly ever consider paying $50 for a California Chardonnay but I'm thinking of getting a couple bottles.

The Pinots were terrific. The Russian River Valley is always a favorite and this vintage didn't disappoint. My first time trying the Santa Lucia Highlands (I've never been allocated any) and it was nice too. But the Sonoma Coast was probably my favorite of the appellation bottlings. Just absolutely classic California Pinot Noir.

For single vineyard Pinots, we tried the Keefer and Kanzler. Both were a bit darker in style overall than the appellation wines but the single vineyards were satisfyingly serious with a ton of complexity and undenyable site-specific markings. They were both great but the Keefer was probably a bit more to my liking that day. I'd love to go back and spend more time focusing on the wines but it's always such a fun relaxing time at KB I try to just take it all in.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Kosta Browne's new facility at The Barlow is an amazing place. They're not open to the public but if you're on their mailing list it's absolutely worth dropping them a line to ask for a visit - even if you've recently visited them at their old location.

You can join their mailing list here. It took me 2 or 3 years to get an allocation but that was a few years ago. That was before they won Wine Spectator Wine of the Year (for their 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir) but production levels have increased gradually over time so there's hope!

This visit reminded me I should keep buying their wines in moderation and giving myself permission to open them without needing a special occasion. They're pricey but I think relative to the quality they're a value. With shipping to MA hopefully opening next year fully loaded costs and ease of shipment should improve the equation further.

At the end of our visit the guys from Michael Browne's new project CIRQ stopped by to take us on a vineyard tour. Can't wait to tell you about it. I'd love it if you subscribed to the WWP for future updates.

Climate controlled large-format "trophy" room at Kosta Browne
Me, Ken and Damon from CIRQ, Tony from KB and my childhood pal Nick

Photos by the amazing John Corcoran

Question of the Day: What's been your experience with Kosta Browne wines lately? On their list? Still waiting for an allocation? How long does the wait list take to crack these days?

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Wine Spectator: 2012 California Pinot Noir Falls Short of Expectations

Chenoweth Clone Pinot Noir clusters at CIRQ Estate's Treehouse Vineyard

After challenging California Pinot Noir vintages in 2010 and 2011, there was hope that 2012 would be one of those vintages where every wine you taste exceeds expectations. But in my experience with 2012s over the past year I've been disappointed. There have been very few new exciting new discoveries and wines I've tried from favorite producers seem a notch below where they usually are.

Wine Spectator's latest issue covers the vintage (subscription required) and their take is that it was a vintage with high yields that led to many thin, tannic wines and uneven quality.

See: Free Alphabetic Listing of Wine Spectator's 2012 CA Pinot Ratings

Perfect weather. Imperfect results. How can that be?

Well, unless vineyard managers dropped fruit at the right times during the growing season clusters were too large, the grapes themselves were too large, and the grapes that remained on the vine were competing for scarce nutrients and the result was plump grapes that lacked concentration.

In talking with winemakers about green harvesting I'm told it's a dicey proposition. You don't want to do it too soon because you don't know how the last months of the growing season are going to shake out. And you don't want to do it too late because once verasion has completed it's ineffective.

Further, there's resistance to it throughout the production chain even with per-acre contracts in place. Nobody wants to take potentially viable fruit and toss it on the ground. But the best producers do and along with thousands of other decisions are able to deliver a product that meets or exceeds expectations.

For me the key thing the 2012s have lacked that the amazing 2009 vintage had was luscious vibrance. Too many of the 2012s just seem to be asleep whereas the 2009s jumped out of the glass and invited another sip. Time will tell whether the 2012s just need time to develop. For now, I'm going to let the remaining 2012s I have rest while exploring prior vintages.

Tasting Report: 25 2009 California Pinot Noirs

So 2010 had a massive heat spike right after many winemakers pruned leaves to help grapes ripen. 2011 had rains (in California!) during harvest season. And 2012 was perfect. But imperfect. You've gotta love it when things don't work out the way you thought they would.

It reminds me my stock picking acumen. Even after reading an earnings report I swear I guess wrong 90% of the time on the way the market is going to react to the news. With 2012 I thought it was time to go all in. Turns out we need to every bit as selective - if not more- than in 2010 and 2011.

2013 looks to be a bumper crop as well, and not necessarily in a good way. Beware of early hype and keep an eye on yields. It looks like it's going to be another vintage where selective purchases from trusted producers while seeking out a few new producers is the way to go for building a balanced cellar.

Photo Credit: John Corcoran

I'll be following up with a report of the 2012 California Pinot Noirs I've tasted along with a trip report to some amazing Sonoma Pinot Noir producers. I recently visited Kosta Browne at their new location in The Barlow, CIRQ Estate, and Radio-Coteau. I'd love it if you subscribed to the WWP for updates.

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How to Cancel Wine.com StewardShip (before you forget)

I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about how to maximize the savings associated with Wine.com's $30 off $100 AmEx Sync deal. But it wasn't until this follow-up post that showed tangible examples of the savings that I got a bunch of emails from eagle-eyed deal hounds asking for clarification on whether it was 30% off or $30 off.

In talking to friends face to face about this the past couple weeks I can see there's some confusion on this deal. And a sense that there's a "this is too complicated" feeling about the deal. That's okay. Because out of confusion and complication comes amazing deals if you're willing to do the work. :)

But the deals can be amazingly compelling if you optimize this opportunity. For example, 2012 Caymus for an effective price of $38.99 if you buy it along with a $40 wine like the 2012 MacPhail Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($42.99 is effectively dropped down to around $27.84 with discounts) to get an order at just over $100 and take advantage of all the savings opportunities.

Again, it takes some sleuthing but I think it's worth it. By the way, those links are affiliate links so if you use them I get a commission. You'd be better off shopping through a portal for an additional 5%+ savings (be your own affiliate!) but if you don't want to hassle with portals it would be great if you used these links.

One aspect of the deal that's important is that you avoid being automatically subscribed to their $49/year StewardShip program. It's a fine program but deal hounds know to avoid subscriptions of all kinds if they can avoid it. So be sure to cancel your StewardShip free trial before 30 days are up.

Here's how...

Step 1: Log into your Wine.com account

Step 2: On the left hand side of the page, click "StewardShip Settings"

Step 3: Click "Do Not Renew"

The default setting is for StewardShip to auto-renew. But if you opted *not* to save your credit card on file when you placed your order they, kindly, won't be able to charge it to renew StewardShip.

But to remove all uncertainty click "Do Not Renew" (even though it's greyed out).

Step 4: Turn off Auto-Renewal

Yes, Renewal is spelled incorrectly

Step 5: Confirm membership end date

You can do this as soon as you'd like after placing your first order with them.

If you signed up for multiple Wine.com accounts, be sure to do this for each of them.

Let me know if you have any questions: wellesleywinepress@gmail.com or @RobertDwyer on Twitter.

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The Capital Grille Generous Pour 2014

I was in and around Boston a ton yesterday and was reminded once again what a great city we live near. When the Red Sox are playing at home it sets the tempo for the entire city and it's a joy to be a part of.

They were playing the Yankees yesterday which always takes things to the next level - even though the Red Sox have thrown in the towel on the season by trading away their pitching staff.

I wanted to meet up with a friend to exchange wines we'd purchased with each other over the past few months and The Capital Grille's Boylston Street location provided an appealing central location. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the country.

See: 10 Places to Wine & Dine in Boston

What started off as "drinks and appetizers" evolved into quite a feast thanks in part to their awesome service and The Generous Pour event which runs through August 31st. For $25 with dinner you can enjoy 7 different wines, this year from California and Oregon.

Pro Tip: Valet parking is just $16 even on game day and you can easily walk to Fenway from the restauarant.

We started off a with a bottle of 2012 Juan Gil Monastrell, which was easy to discover with their new iPad-based wine list. No more massive wine list to scan. I just tapped "Region" then "Spain"and voila - there was the Juan Gil. It was my first time tasting the 2012 and it seemed a little less fruit forward than prior vintages for better or worse. I'll have to buy some for closer analysis on my home court but for $40-some dollars on their list (and available south of $15 at retail) I think it's a great buy.

See also: Value Wine Discovered...at a Steakhouse!

We started off with some Chilled Seared Sushi Grade Tuna and Lollipop Lamb Chops paired with a taste of the 2011 Arrowood "Catchwire" Sonoma Bordeaux Blend. I don't know if it was the power of suggestion of the word on the label or what but it definitely was reminiscent of Bordeaux - a bit green and quite tannic but otherwise a pleasant red wine. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot.

Pro Tip: Sit in the bar area and ask for the Bar Menu

From there we switched things up a bit with a taste of Alaskan King Crab Legs paired with the 2012 Atalon Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. What a terrific pairing! The interplay of the crab legs and drawn butter with the crisp Atalon with soft edges was tremendous. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks but sees a bit of time in neutral oak barrels to give it kiss of sunshine. Really well done. I've been enjoying quite a bit of California Sauvignon Blanc this summer and this wine is an example of why I like it.

See also: Lifetime White Wine QPR Achievement Award goes to...

Next was a taste of New York Strip Steak, simply prepared medium rare with a trio of sauces on the side: Bernaise, Au Poivre, and the Shallot Butter their famous Kona preparation is paired with. Terrific stuff obviously.

And don't forget the sides: Lobster Mac & Cheese (always a table-favorite), Au Gratin Potatoes, Creamed Corn with Smoked Bacon, and Truffle Fries. It's amazing how well they do sides. Everything really.

This was paired with the 2012 La Crema Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. La Crema has been making terrific California Pinot Noir for years. This is their first forray into Oregon and it comes together nicely. It tastes pretty much exactly like what I'd think a La Crema Pinot produced in Oregon would taste like: Appealing soft red fruit aromatics, tea, a hint of Oregon twang in the background. It carried itself just fine with the steak. Nice wine.

Finally for dessert we had their amazing Coconut Cream Pie and Flourless Espresso cake. This was paired with a 2007 Kendall Jackson Late Harvest Chardonnay.

This year's Generous Pour lineup includes a few other wines we didn't taste: a Byron Charonnay, a Freemark Abbey Merlot, and a Caramel Road Riesling.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The Capital Grille's Generous Pour event continues to be one of the best steakhouse wine experiences you'll find. This year's wines are more domestic than ever before, but there are some curve balls: Riesling from Caramel Road rather than Pinot Noir. La Crema from Oregon rather than California for example.

Especially when your server customizes the service of the wine to go with the food you're tasting it can be a really special experience. Definitely check out their Boylston Street location in Boston if you're ever in the area. Especially if you can catch it before, during, or after a Red Sox game. It's a fantastic way to get a feel for the great city of Boston.

Go here for more information about their Generous Pour Event.

Check 'em out:
The Capital Grill

Locations around the country

On Twitter: @CapitalGrille

And Facebook: http://facebook.com/thecapitalgrille

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