Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
AldenAlli wines are produced by Dan Kosta and Alden Lagasse – two self-made names in wine and food brought together through friendship, families and culinary passions. Since 2013, their wines have connected a sense of place with tradition. A story of cool climate winemaking, from the far reaches of Sonoma Coast to the heart of the Russian River Valley appellations.
The flawless collaboration between Dan and winemaker Shane Finley, formerly of Kosta Browne, only seems to improve with time. Each release transcends their shared experience, and pushes the boundary of elegant, New World style.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.