Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Gaps Crown comes from a great, great site on the Sonoma Coast and saw 15% whole clusters and 40% new wood. It’s a deep, rich, blacker fruit-driven effort that shows more and more savory, iron, and earthy notes with time in the glass. It’s ripe and opulent on the palate, with building tannin, yet packs a wealth of fruit and texture, while still showing the more elegant, balanced style of the vintage.
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James Suckling
Lots of purple fruit with cherry and raspberry character and hints of violets on the nose. Full body that is very dense with defined layers. Yet, remains agile and fresh. Hints of salt. A little reserved now. Needs two or three years of bottle age. Better in 2021.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Kosta Browne Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir satisfies my palate as few other wines can. TASTING NOTES: This wine is Pinot Noir at its best. Its aromas and flavors deliver outstanding red and black fruits that last and last into its crisp and pleasingly al dente finish. Pair it with a lightly-seasoned crown roast of lamb and enjoy the experience. (Tasted: July 10, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Everything is moving in the right direction, from the snappy wild berry and plum flavors to the crushed rock and savory underbrush notes. Ends with fine-grained tannins that bode well for the future. Drink now through 2024.
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.