2018 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
FRUIT FRUIT, gloriously ripe, FRUUUUUIIITTTTTTT!!
The 2018 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir takes the characteristics of the Sonoma Coast AVA, isolates the high-toned cherry components, and it up to an 11. In the process though, this downs out all of the nuance that I expect from a Sonoma Coast pinot. The notes of rose petals, black pepper, and earth are there, but they are drowned out by the overly ripe fruit.
Kosa Browne is considered as one of the great producers of California pinot noir. Dan Kosta and Michael Browne founded the winery in 1997. The house style quickly became known for producing overly ripe and heavily extracted pinot at the highest quality. Today the winery is owned by Duckhorn and produces over 30 labels of chardonnay and pinot.
I am not usually a fan of overly ripe California pinot, but in the last 6 months I have begun to appreciate some of the better examples including Rochioli, Williams-Selyem, Merry Edwards, Littorai. When Rachel got onto the mailing list for the Spring appellation release, we ordered a couple of everything with the intent of figuring out what we liked.
The 2018 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast is very well done, but the fruit is far too intense for me. At $80, there are a lot better valued vineyard-destinate, let alone appellation-level, wines in Sonoma County.
Next up, the 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir or 2018 One Sixteen Chardonnay.
90 points.
