Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
We have lately come to the conclusion that the Keefer Ranch Vineyard just may be one of the best Pinot sites around, and Kosta Browne's 2012 version goes a long way in confirming our feelings. It is wonderfully rich in very pure and precise fruit with a lovely veneer of rich and wholly sympathetic oak, and its remarkable layering and striking palatal length make it a wine that compels sip after slow sip. Even though young, it is a brilliant wine of great reach and range, and it is an absolute keeper that we can comfortably predict will gain in beauty over the next half-dozen years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Classic in style, with pretty red berry styled fruits, assorted spring flowers, white pepper and loads of baking spices (all-spice, cinnamon, clove), the 2012 Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard comes from the Green Valley appellation in the southwestern part of the Russian River Valley. It has a beautiful core of sweet fruit, medium-bodied richness, and a lively, fresh feel on the palate, with an emphasis on elegance and texture over power and richness. Much more on the pretty end of the spectrum, I don't think this will make old bones, but it's a wonderful drink today. Enjoy bottles over the coming 4-5 years.
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.