2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The 2009 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is dark, round and totally gorgeous. In 2009 the Sonoma Coast is bigger and richer than the Russian River bottling. It boasts tons of juiciness in its layered, highly expressive fruit. Dark cherries, violets, licorice, spices and mint are given an extra kick of freshness from these cold-climate sites. The Sonoma Coast bottling is made from two vineyards in the Petaluma Gap and a third site on the northern coast near Annapolis. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Kosta Browne is one of the great American success stories of the last decade. The story begins when longtime friends Dan Kosta and Michael Browne discover a shared passion for Pinot Noir while working together at a local restaurant. They start with a tiny amount of homemade Pinot Noir, grow gradually, acquire some financing along the way, work their tails off and one day the mailing list requires a five year wait for the vineyard designated wines. Of course I am simplifying, but Kosta Browne is the type of entrepreneurial success that can only happen in this country. Over the years, as the winemaking approach has developed, the wines have become much more finessed than they used to be. Toast levels have come down. Some lots are fermented in open top wood vats, an approach that seems promising based on the wines I tasted. A number of the wines were fermented with whole clusters, as noted below. The Kosta-Browne Pinots are notable for their exuberant fruit. The wines are incredibly attractive when young, which is when I prefer to drink them. Tel. (707) 823-7430

Bright ruby. An aromatic nose combines raspberry, candied licorice, pepper, violet, herbs and spicy oak. Sweet, chewy, fine-grained and juicy, with good sappy energy intensifying the red berry and cherry flavors. The persistent, gently tannic finish offers very good palate coverage and an echo of licorice.