Kosta Browne released their single vineyards this week and not one post. In the old days, there would have been multiple pages about this. There is still a waiting list to be able to buy these. Are people just not as excited by these wines as they used to be or just tired about talking about them ? I know their big and ripe but still one of my favorites every year for their style of wine.
I was wondering the same thing. Was sitting back waiting on someone to start a thread.
I received the email notice-though I did not check to see if I was actually allocated any- and I have not bought a bottle of K-B in six or seven years. I am reminded of two things. First is the memory of a regular on this Board who once worked at K-B and posted-in the midst of K-B’s heyday, of an unfortunate female offering “oral pleasure” (Pulp Fiction quote) to him in return for access to a bottle or two. Second, it reminded me of my own attempt at wine enthusiast criticism-by which I mean critique of ourselves more than wine itself-when once offered to do an op-ed on GrapeRadio which can be found here; http://www.graperadio.com/downloads/newsletter-2007-03-01.pdf I can honestly say that in all these years I have never gone back to re-read what I had written. I not only received tepid feedback at the time but was never invited to write there again-most certainly rightly so-which prompted me to bathe in self-doubt that my work was indeed a piece of self-indulgent shit. However, this post Mr. Gellman prompted me to see if it was still extant and I was actually delighted to read it all these years later. I mostly stand by it. All.
I think its important to remember the current fashions of WB are not necessarily indicative of the wider market for fine wines.
I’ve been buying the appellation pinots for 6 years and am still on the wait list for the SVD’s (and will probably pass due to price when I am offered). I think over the last few years these have gotten much more balanced. Looking back at past specs it seems like the alcohol has dropped a decent bit (mostly under 14.5%) and acidity has gone up since I started buying. FWIW, my wife, who is usually pretty good at ID’ing stuff from our cellar blind, thought a Rhys Santa Cruz I poured was a KB Sonoma Coast recently.
My experience is just the opposite, at least as it relates to the most recent vintage of KB Sonoma Coast. I had one glass of that stuff and was done for the night, hugely alcoholic, but tasty. In no universe could I mistake this for Rhys.
Mitch,
That’s quite a good read. You’ve got a good way w/ words. Don’t guess I’d read it at the time. You’re in good company…
I wasn’t invited back, either.
Tom
HA! Fitting that your piece and mine appeared at the same time. Yours is better. Luv ya Tom. Thanks.
I had all of the new KB releases in a blind tasting for the California Grapevine Wine Newsletter (Please note shameless plug) All I can say is I am buying EVERY bottle of Gap’s Crown they will sell me. I thought it was a superb glass of wine, with amazingly deep and rich Pinot flavors.
Good to hear. That is all I was offered this time. 3 bottles of Gap’s, and nothing else.
I typically receive larger allocations… this time around I was only offered 7 bottles total of 2 different wines (6 x Gap’s Crown and 1 x Keefer Ranch). They must be bumping people up from the waiting list or just had very small yields.
Mitch - I didn’t see this op-ed piece back in the day and glad I got a chance to read it. Really cannot disagree with anything you said. I also spent way too much on hype, but with all learning curves I have finally figured out what really floats my boat. It is funny how time changes things. I now think in terms of what $80 will buy me from wine regions across the pond or a few very select wineries state side.
Small yields Casey. This will change when the '12’s are offered.
Tom
Good to know, thanks.
I’ve been buying Kosta Browne for 10 vintages now. My usual approach is to complain about the price hikes, and then buy it any way. I just purchased my entire 16 bottle allocation and asked for a couple more.
I think the newsletter a few weeks back warned that Kanzler was particularly limited this year.
Yeah… I didn’t actually read that. 
Perhaps I should go back and peruse it.
Kutch
Dehlinger
Ojai
Calera
Chasseur
Merry Edwards
Sojourn
Zepaltas
Mount Eden
Paul Hobbs
Castalia
Haven’t had one in 2-3 years, but when someone would open them to share, I would be able to detect the heat in the wine as it was being poured into the glass. I was an early fan of the wine, but slowly came to dislike the wine due to the alcoholic heat.
We also had a blind tasting… with the KB sonoma with a Rhys Sonoma, Sojurn, Rivers Marie. The KB was the top wine straight across… Rhys came in 2nd, but it wasn’t close… everyone had the KB as their #1 wine. so i’m gonnna buy everythingi get offered… (which is 0 for the SVD for now) 