Bottle Notes, Pinot Noir

2012 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – Bottle Notes

Kosta Browne was founded in the late nineties by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne and has always focused on Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The winery has changed hands several times. Most recently Kosta Browne was purchased by Duckhorn Wine Company. The waiting list for the Appellation wines is 18 months long and for the coveted 4 Barrel Pinot Noir there is a 12 year waiting list.

Sourced from a variety of special vineyards including Gap’s Crown, Griffiin’s Lair, Terra de Promissio and Walala.

Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, cloves, sarsaparilla and flowers. Medium body with perfect acidity. Super silky and plush. Black cherry, plums, cola and baking spices on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. I typically don’t have the patience to age the appellation wines this long but this was a recent purchase from a private collector and has left me thinking I need to reconsider my strategy. Breathtaking Pinot Noir at 10 years of age. Best over the next several years.

My rating: 95 points.

The 2020 vintage was released several months ago to the mailing list at a price of $75. I bought this wine along with the Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley. The single vineyard wines will be released this Fall.

I blogged about Kosta Browne recently in Exciting Changes at Kosta Browne and Too Much Being Made of a Change in Style at Kosta Browne.

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