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winemaking bruster Rotovib destemmer. O'Donnell noted that not only is the Rotovib gentle, it's also very quiet. In the final sorting step, grapes fall onto a Le Trieur sorter. The Le Trieur, conveyor and escalator are all sourced through P&L Specialties. "Our sorting line is crucial to our overall quality," Browne said. Sorted and processed fruit is collected in T-Bins or "gravy boats" made by Burgstahler Machine Works in St. Helena, Calif. The gravy boats are stainless steel sumps with one side shaped like a funnel, which help forklift operators dump the bins cleanly into open-top tanks. Browne said the winery had collected fruit with regular half-ton MacroBins and moved them clear of the sorting line with a pallet jack. Now the winery has a few gravy boats, which are set on wheels and can be quickly moved out of the way when filled. "Any step we can take away to make it more efficient we'll do it," Browne said. Maintaining quality Browne said wine quality has improved and been maintained through better equipment and a flexible approach in the cellar and vineyard. Grower rela- DESIGN P LAN N I N G tions have also been instrumental to the winery's success. "Vineyard management has been crucial," Browne said. "It is very hard to farm Pinot, especially at the high end.…As we have grown, we have put much more effort into the quality of our relationships with our growers as well as the focus and quality of the farming." White grapes are dumped directly into a Willmes Sigma 8 press that can press 5-6 tons of whole-cluster fruit. The juice is pumped directly to 2,000-gallon slim stainless steel tanks for cold settling. After it's clear, the juice is then racked to barrels for primary fermentation in French oak. Browne said he likes some barrel fermentation for the texture and mouthfeel it gives to the wine, but he doesn't like to push it too far. After about 40% of the total lot is done with primary fermentation, it will be transferred back to stainless steel tanks. Browne said the move helps the wine retain its freshness and stay focused. "We're in California; why would you want to make a Burgundy here, or why would you want a Montrachet?" His sentiment is also seen in the fastidious commitment to cleanliness at the new winery. 'A clean, clean winery' Browne said Kosta Browne experienced some Brettanomyces-touched vintages around 2001 and 2002, and he never wants to deal with the yeast again. Any wine with a hint of Brett is outlawed from the winery—as is bacteria-rife kombucha tea. "We are a clean, clean winery," he said. Brettanomyces may have a place in other winemaking programs, but Browne OR said it's too hard to control and doesn't fit the winery's style. "I don't like it," he said. "I like the smells of fruit rather than… other things." CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA Mendocino Sacramento Kosta Browne Wines Pacific Ocean NV Napa San Francisco MANAGEMENT WINERY PRODUCTION HOSPITALITY ESTATES STRATA A P www.STRATAap.com A R C H I T E C T U R E S T R A T E G I C D E S I G N ARCHITECTURE BRAND B R A N D D E V E L O P M E N T S T U D I O DEVELOPMENT www.strataap.com S O N O M A, C A L I F O R N I A 7 0 7. 9 3 5. 7 9 4 4 Win es & Vin es Sept em b er 20 13 47