http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110419/ARTICLES/110419408&tc=email_newsletter
Maybe the most remarkable part of the article is the mention of a waiting list 15,000 strong. Wow.
Tom
Someone got my spot. The allocations were miniscule and the communications not always up to par so I decided the wines weren’t worth the aggravation and haven’t ordered in several years. I do still have some Kosta Browne wines in my cooler.
I’ve always had good communications from them via E mail. The one time I had to call on the phone to change a delivery date they were terrific. I get a few bottles every year, but that’s all I need.
I’ve had nothing but excellent communications with KB.
My circumstance was that I was moving in the heat of summer and didn’t want to receive any wine shipments until after I had completed the move. Their response was more or less take them now or forget about future purchases (this was back in 2006.)
Well the $40M was for something right?
I’d be willing to bet that number is exaggerated…
+1
Not to mention the ridiculous shipping costs, my reason for saying no thanks.Gotta say I don’t miss em in the least.My money goes to wineries more appreciative of their customers.
+99 Huge syrupy pinot at very high prices in this economy…I don’t think so.
Russ. I gotta ask. Why even comment? We all know how you feel!
Probably the same reason somebody who quit the list five years ago still feels the need to slam the terrible customer service. It’s a hobby on wine boards.
Move along people. Nothing to see here. 
As Senator Kerry would say, “I liked them before I didn’t like them, and now I like them again.” I was done, but a few recent stellar bottles have brought me back to the fold. They’re not as huge and extracted as they used to be. And I like my pinots on the leaner side, but KB is a nice hedonistic diversion every couple of months. I’ve kept buying to keep my place in line, and I’m happy I have.
Like with many California pinots, the style has come back towards the center more the last few years. The 2009 KB and Sea Smoke pinots are in the low 14% range for alcohol, just to use the one most overused yardstick, and I don’t think the last few vintages of KB have been nearly as outlying in ripeness, alcohol and fruit as compared to the 2004 vintage that caused such a big splash with the critics and the buying public.
I think the California pinot boom has shown some learning curve and some mid-course adjustments, and that’s probably a good thing in most cases, including this one. But of course KB bashing will always remain a popular way to earn one’s AFWE street cred on the boards, and that’s all in good fun as far as I’m concerned.
Something about the 15,000 strong mailing list just rubbed me the wrong way and compelled me to call BS.
I agree. And the style has changed so commenting without current firsthand experience is questionable. The 09 SC could be the best most balanced wine yet from KB.
Why would you need to change the style when you have 15K on the waiting list clamoring for huge syrupy pinot?
We saw a case of Kosta Browne on the shelf at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa this past Sunday… Didn’t pay any attention to which one it was or what the price was.
That would mean the SQN waitlist is 50,000 or more. Yeah, I call BS to the KB waitlist number.