The 2005 Kosta Browne Gary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir was the leading vote getter in the September installment of Pick My Next Bottle.
Kosta Browne began as a dream shared by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne. In the summer of 1997, while working at John Ash & Co. restaurant in Santa Rosa, California, Dan and Michael decided to pool their tips and venture into winemaking. Fifteen years later Kosta Browne is one of the most sought after Pinot Noirs in all of California. At present time they produce three appellation Pinot Noirs, eight single vineyard Pinot Noirs and a Chardonnay.
Gary’s Vineyard was planted in 1997 and is located in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Foggy mornings, breezy afternoons and average summer temperatures in the mid 70’s make this an ideal area for making world class Pinot Noir.
2005 marked the first vintage of Kosta Browne Gary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir. What a debut! Candied raspberries, spice and brown sugar on the nose. Sweet ripe red fruits, strawberries, cherries, pine needles, sassafras, cherry liqueur, root beer and cola on the palate. The finish is remarkably sweet and long. Unfortunately, this was my one and only bottle of ’05 Gary’s but I have little doubt the wine will age well for many more years.
In a previous post, I wrote about how Kosta Browne does not taste like Burgundy – this wine only affirmed that. Fans of this style of Pinot Noir may also want to consider Michael Browne’s new Pinot Noir project, Cirq.
My rating: 94 points
The current vintage is priced at $78 and only available via the mailing list. As I mentioned in the Fab 5 of Mailing Lists, Kosta Browne is one of hardest mailing lists to crack. Maybe so, but you’ve got nothing to lose by putting your name on the waiting list. Good luck!
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to Zinfandel Chronicles updates by email.