Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2011
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wine shows focused blueberry, black cherry and ripe currants in the nose, followed by intense blackberry and cassis. In the background there is a dusting of cocoa and black plum.
The 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir exhibits dark black and blue fruits that drive down the center of your palate and slowly melt into all areas of the mouth. There is focused acidity and a tannic grip that carry the rich dark fruit character towards the midpalate, followed by creamy black cherry, dark plum and dried currants. There is intensity to this wine that is followed by a slow release of complex flavors and textures, leading to a long and lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and vibrant, tight and well-balanced, with zesty, snappy raspberry and wild berry notes, this gains richness and depth on the licorice-accented finish.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Very pure, ripe-cherry fruit leads the way here, and, if perhaps a bit less complex and far reaching than Kosta Browne's best, it is a wonderfully sure, well-balanced expression of juicy Pinot Noir all the same. It earns high marks for its liveliness and lasts and lasts at the finish, and, while it is nothing less than thoroughly delicious right now, it has the structure and stuffing to improve for a bit.
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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.
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.