Kosta Browne´s 2014 Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard offers up a super-classic expression of the Russian River. Succulent red cherry, plum, spice, hard candy and new leather all flesh out as this effortless, engaging Pinot shows off its welcoming personality. Drink this juicy Pinot over the next few years, while the fruit retains its radiance.

Score: 91 Antonio Galloni (AG), Vinous Media (VM), August 2016

A pretty, even elegant, Russian River release is the 2014 Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard, which saw around 20% whole clusters and just under a quarter of new oak. Plums, spice box, black cherries and violets all flow to a medium to full-bodied, pure, seamless and silky 2014 that has fine tannin, no hard edges and a great finish. It shows more and more elegance with time in the glass and will impress for at least a decade.

This was another rock star lineup from Kosta Browne and it’s certainly one of the most impressive lineups I tasted all year. And while I generally consider 2013 to be a better vintage than 2014, these 2014s are a step up over last year’s releases, which were no slouches either. The estate continues to use moderate amounts of whole clusters for their reds, and aging occurs in varying amounts of French oak (and recently, some concrete). While these are big, rich wines, they’re in no way over the top and the vast majority have classic, structured and age-worthy profiles. Other producers at this level are few and far between.

Score: 95 Jeb Dunnuck (JD), JebDunnuck.com (JD), September 2016