The allure of Kosta Browne wines has been that, though they are very expressive wines, they are subtle. Shunning the in-your-face-Pinot-with-a-dash-of-Syrah, these wines are meant to reflect the place where they are grown, and the proof of this is that they taste like it. To further this point I received five Pinot Noirs to sample and opened one blind and tasted it. My first thought this was Sonoma Coast, and after looking at the label, it was. But perhaps this should not be surprising – knowing the general feel of Sonoma Coast wines, specifically an earthy rusticity as I call it, it seemed obvious. So, KB is making wines distinct to their place of origin, and you can taste it for yourself. The fruit is quiet, but there is noticeable pomegranate, raspberry, wild strawberry and a light rhubarb note. There is also a faint whisper of citrus, cinnamon and floral notes. KB took many steps to craft this wine, using stainless steel, oak and concrete to ferment the four clones used in this bottling (114, 115,667 and Swan). They then used multiple aging programs (new French oak, Austrian oak, stainless steel) so a lot of thought went into this wine. The acidity that drives this seems fairly unremarkable, but it’s not. It is the wines’ backbone. Like everything with this wine if you don’t pay attention, the nuances are lost on you. This is a wine that you need to spend time with. And the joy of KB wines is just that – time: time to craft them, and time to enjoy them. ORIGIN: Sonoma Coast. ALCOHOL: 14.1%

Grade: 
A
Score: 
94
Vintage: 
2021
Current Price: 
$175.00USD