| Country: | United States |
| Regions: | California California (Sonoma County) |
| Winery: | Kosta Browne |
| Grape Type: | Pinot Noir |
| Organic: | Yes |
| Vintage: | 2021 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Dark cherry, raspberry, and elderberry intertwine with intriguing hints of fresh basil, and pomegranate. Decadent fruit flavors unfold, showcasing remarkable acidity with dynamic structure and an enduring finish.
Our Appellation Series wines embody our unwavering commitment to exploration and the artistry of crafting soulful, thought-provoking wines that pay homage to the world’s extraordinary terroirs.
The Sonoma Coast is the largest appellation in Sonoma County, strongly influenced by its proximity to the ocean and heavy rainfall—producing more than twice the annual amount of its inland neighbors.
Our Sonoma Coast vineyards span the northern true coastal zone and the southern edge of the appellation. This distinctive blend is made from 11 different clones, fermented in predominantly stainless steel, and aged for 16 months in 38% new oak. The resulting wine has an energetic acidity with cascading layers of black cherry and elderberry, followed by a lasting finish.
Fact of Note: This Sonoma Coast blend was the longest to ferment in stainless steel from our Appellation Series.
Review:
-Decanter World Wine Awards 94 Points
Gap's Crown Vineyard has become one of the most iconic Pinot noir vineyards in the Sonoma Coast. It was originally developed by Premier Pacific Vineyards between 2002 and 2005 and later purchased by Price Family Vineyards in 2013. In 2007, Sojourn Cellars became one of the best to make a vineyard-designate wine from Gap's Crown. Our clone 115 block, planted in 2005 on 3309 root stock at 800 feet elevation, has been the foundation for Sojourn since we began making Pinot noir from this vineyard. Our clone 828 block was planted in 2002 on 420A root stock, and two clone 667 blocks round out the blend, both planted in 2004 on 3309 root stock. This hillside vineyard is situated on the western slope of Sonoma Mountain and is cooled by the persistent wind and fog of the Petaluma Gap.
WINEMAKER NOTES: The 2021 growing season offered optimal conditions in the Sonoma Coast to harvest grapes of exceptional quality. The air remained clear with no res in Sonoma and pandemic lock downs ended. Our spirits were lifted and the grape harvest and wine quality benefited. . Brief heat waves in August and September ripened the grapes to ideal maturity as the weather stayed dry until major rains arrived October 22, after our grapes were harvested. Yields were lower than average in 2021, with small berries and loose clusters creating wines of increased depth and concentration. In 2021 we blended destemmed clone 115 and clone 667, while fermenting all the clone 828 100% whole-cluster. The resulting wine, our 15th vintage of Pinot noir from Gap’s Crown Vineyard, offers complex layers of elegant fruit flavors with a bold strength at its core.
Review:
-International Wine Report 97 Points
Zena Crown Vineyard The Sum Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Massed from multiple vineyard blocks and clones, this wine has a timeless beauty that can be inherently understood by innate human nature. Wines of this stature, much like great art, reflect the complex and compelling relationship between humanity and Earth. Expressing Autumn, S (The Sum) leads with Gala
apple, Japanese plum, gun powder, dirt, and garlic power on the nose, with barely ripe cherry on the finish. 60% whole-cluster fermentation bolsters the wine, sustaining the tannic imprint and tension that uncoils like a rattlesnake strike on the finish.
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Ancien Pinot Noir is 100% Pinot Noir.
The Mink Vineyard is located next door to the winery, in the Coombsville Viticultural Area of Napa Valley. Open to the same morning fogs and afternoon breezes that cool Carneros to the west, Coombsville is consistently one of the coolest pockets in Napa. Mink sits inside a small “bowl”, allowing cooler air to settle during the evenings, and making Mink’s mesoclimate a couple degrees cooler, even, than the surrounding hills. But the real secret to Mink’s explosive flavors, smooth, mouth-coating minerality, comes from the soil. Underneath is a layer of compressed volcanic ash, called tufa. The tufa drains the topsoil, storing moisture in its porous structure. The vines are able, with some work, to grow roots into the tufa layer, accessing moisture during the long, dry growing season.
The Mink Pinot Noir exhibits bright and refreshing notes of pomegranate, cherry, and fresh herbs. It gradually opens to deeper and darker berry fruit, blueberry and plum. This vintage is on the more structured side of the spectrum and will continue to evolve over time. Its enchanting mouthwatering minerality invite sip after sip together with bite after bite. A lively wine at release but it will continue to improve over the next 4 - 7 years and can age well beyond a decade as shown by its 20+ year track record.
Review:
"Ripe in flavor and luxurious in texture, this wine is difficult to put down. It is saturated in black cherry, black currant and black fig while staying light on the palate. It's a wonderful indulgence to enjoy by itself or with a roast pheasant or duck breast. — Jim GORDON"
- Wine Enthusiast (April 1st 2024), 95 pts
Review:
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
-Joe Czerwinski (Robert Parker) 92 Points
Argot Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard is made from 100 percent Kanzler.
Pinot Noir finds its nirvana tucked away in the Goldridge soils and rolling topography of the cool and foggy Sebastopol Hills. Kanzler is one of Sonoma’s undisputed Grand Cru sites. This terroir produces deeply fruited wines with dazzling spice-box complexities, wonderful acidity and undeniable focus and freshness. A masterclass in Pinot Noir.
Review:
-Wine Palate 95 Points
Pike Road Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes
Rich and complex, black cherry, confectionary strawberry and dusty rose waft up from the glass. An expressive palate follows with juicy black cherry and pomegranate alongside notes of tropical mango and coconut in a slightly gamey, smoky finish.
About Shea Vineyard
Shea Vineyard sits in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and is farmed by our friends Dick & Deirdre Shea. This is arguably the most famous vineyard for Oregon Pinot Noir because of the many well-known wineries that make a Single Vineyard Shea wine, including our sister brand Elk Cove Vineyards and neighbors Ken Wright, Bergstrom, Penner-Ash and others. It's worth checking out the Shea Vineyard website to learn more about this unique vineyard. Wines from Shea vineyard are earthy with a black cherry kick
Review:
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Kosta Browne Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Sophisticated and enticing with a bouquet of vibrant pomegranate, sage, and a hint of lemon blossom. The sleek texture is balanced by medium acidity, highlighting red fruit flavors and a refreshing trace of herbs—a classic Gap's Crown Vineyard expression.
Review:
So much peach, tangerine and mandarin orange aromas then goes to oyster shell and bark and then follows through to a medium body with lots of tension and fine tannins that take you down deep. Dried orange peel. Delicious and vivid finish. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Founders Dan Kosta and Michael Browne started out with humble beginnings while working together in a local restaurant in 1997. Full of passion but short on capital, Michael developed relationships with key growers in Northern California, while Dan, along with the help of a third partner, Chris Costello, worked to market and sell the wines.
In 2011 we were named Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year with our 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. It was an honor that could only fuel our steadfast dedication and focus on quality. We have remained committed to embracing innovation, pushing boundaries and we welcome unconventional approaches in the cellar to make irresistible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines of elegant intensity.
These varieties reflect their growing conditions and winemaking approaches like no other and we are obsessed with capturing the individual expression of the state’s finest growing regions—the rugged and diverse Sonoma Coast, the foggy Russian River Valley, the chilly Santa Lucia Highlands, the coastal proximity of the Sta. Rita Hills and the wild, untamed Anderson Valley.
Through the artful blending of our vineyards and their individual blocks and rows, we strive to create the purest expression of each appellation’s unique personality.
Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Red Blend is made from 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot.
Robert Mondavi’s vision was to elevate Napa to the world stage. In celebration of his achievement, our Napa Tier wines are sourced from distinctive vineyards throughout the Napa Valley and truly emulate a classic Napa Valley style.
Nearly half of this year’s blend is sourced from the deep, well-drained soils of Oakville, which provides gorgeously dark, supple wines with fine tannins. Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll, Yountville, and Rutherford also find their place in the bottle, with the varying mesoclimates and soils of these vineyards integrating seamlessly into a 100% Napa Valley blend.
Review:
-James Suckling 93 Points
-Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points
Peju Legacy Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is made from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Peju is a family-owned Rutherford estate in the heart of Napa Valley, founded by Tony and Herta Peju. The Legacy Collection Cabernet Sauvignon draws on their benchland fruit for a rich, supple expression of Napa Cabernet — dark-fruited, cedar-edged, and generous.
Review:
Ripe black and blue fruit with spicy, floral perfume and cocoa. The palate is full-bodied with a textural, layered mouthfeel, fine-grained tannins and a luscious, fresh finish. Drink or hold.
James Suckling, 91 points
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points
-James Suckling 91 Points