Winemaker Notes
An exhilarating mix of berries and a whisper of dark chocolate fill the glass. Exotic spices and currants. Curvaceous and alluring, yet the flirtatious aromatics do not lead you astray. An explosion of berries, spice and tea. Layers of succulent dark fruits are in perfect balance with acidity, spice and minerality. The lengthy and voluptuous finish lingers with perfect elegance.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Pure, rich and direct, almost syrupy, with thick, persistent layers of dark berry fruit.—Kosta Browne non-blind vertical (March 2011). Drink now through 2020. 867 cases made.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Sweetly oaked, scented with a touch of creme brulee and a slight touch softer in overall structure than the family model predicts, this rounded and comparatively open wine seems the most developed of the Kosta Browne bunch. It ends with a bit of last-minute firmness that allays any worry that it might fade away soon, and its appealing mix of well-extracted cherry-like fruit and gentle oak spice easily outdistances its scant finishing tannins.
Founded in 1997, Kosta Browne is one of North America’s most revered wineries, recognized for making some of the world’s finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Located in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, and guided by an acclaimed team that includes renowned Winemaker Julien Howsepian, Kosta Browne makes appellation and single-vineyard wines from the most coveted cool-climate vineyards across the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations. In addition to partnering with the finest growers in California, Kosta Browne has an estate program that features 170 acres of vineyards through ownership or long-term leases that includes the Cerise Vineyard in Anderson Valley, Keefer Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, and a prized section of the Gap’s Crown Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. Kosta Browne has earned a place on Wine Spectator’s annual list of the world’s “Top 100 Wines” seven times since 2005, including “Wine of the Year” in 2011.
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.