Disagree with prior notes about this getting near the end of its window. This is in its prime and has a way to go. Opened and slowly aired in the glass and bottle - did not have the decanter ready. Great primary flavors which expressed more as it warmed from cellar temp.
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Particularly good because it is "full grown" and at the end of the drinking window. I expanded the drinking range to 2026 from 2023 since I think if cellared it will be good over next couple of years. I like that it did not suffer from the excessive cola finish present in many of the better CA pinots. Nice wine.
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Drank magnum with thanksgiving Cajun Turkeys, Paired well, bright vibrant strawberry raspberry fruit, moderately high acidity which matched well with cranberries
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Deep dark red medium body wine (13.8%). Nice nose that soon left. Smooth plum and blackberry fruit. Pleasant fruit. Better bottle of KB Santa Lucia Highlands than ones in the past.
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Really enjoyed this sexy bottle for our anniversary dinner at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. Really lovely fruity palate (in a California style, but not overwrought) and a bit of spice. Light to medium body. Dark purple in the glass. Flavor that lasts for days. Great job. Would love another bottle!
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Ruby red in color. 13.8% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, cloves and forest floor. Medium body with perfect acidity. Rich and earthy with just enough compelling fruits. Cranberry, pomegranate, cherry and minerals on the palate. The finish is long and supple. I bought this bottle on WineBid as my allocation typically only includes the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. At first glance this wine is more earthy and less opulent than I am accustomed to but there is no questioning the pedigree here. Best over the next several years.
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Good cork pull. Slight bouquet. Cherries and bright flavor from acidity. Tart. Very active on tongue but not from tannins. Really bright. Only opened ten minutes. Seems like it's pulling back, should come forward in about an hour. On second thought, after a swirl, has considerable tannins. Not a detraction, but part of structure. Others also report raspberries. Maybe. Decent and got better with time in glass. Left in bottle for next day and fruit deepened and became more prominent. Different flavor profile from either Sonoma or RRV. Liked this.
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Enjoyed the same night as a 2015, the 2 vintages are almost identical - the 2016 has perhaps a bit more pepper and earthy notes, but still dominated by cherry and raspberry flavors
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It's been 2 years since we last tasted this vintage. Wine is in a nice place with bright juice and hints of light red fruit, spice and a little earth. Drinking very well right now.
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Good wine but definitely not a great value. Raspberries and cherries on the palate. Flavor deepened over three nights of drinking, but the wine never really stepped up its game. I’m thinking maybe another couple of years might help. But only a little in my opinion. High price to pay for a good but not great wine - seems to be the direction KB has moved over the past few years.
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Poured blind. Good for KB in seeming to dial back all of the throttle that I recall in these wines back in previous days. Instead, there is tangy cherry, spice, strawberries, some blueberry and medium weight with a rose color. I'd not have put this wine on KB Pinot Noir but I was very happy to see that they are making a style like this now. Delicious.
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Kosta did not transalate well to Santa Lucia. This mid weight wine favors spice and some bitter/tart notes of orange peel and cranberry. Something lacks in the balance. It does improve with air. I will give my final bottle a number of years to see if something more develops.
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A less complex KB to my palate, and a little lighter, but delicious nevertheless. Good fruit, not overpowering, heavily strawberry to my admittedly not well-trained palate.
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Very different than the KB Russian River Valley from the same vintage that we drank on the same evening. Lighter in the glass, a bit brighter / more acidic, with a slightly spicy, peppery finish. This might do a tad better with food, or perhaps another year or two in the bottle.
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Less extracted than the typical KB, the SLH is light on the its feet with elegant red fruits and supple tannins. Bright and nice acidity while maintaining good body and structure. Excellent offering from KB and drinking well right now.
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Nine months later from my first bottle, this KB Pinot Noir has gained weight and richness with more expressive sour cherry fruit and less active tannins. Fairly significant difference in tastings.
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For a new world Pinot, this was delicious. Not nearly as extracted as Northern Cali Kosta. Bing cherry, much lighter on its feet, vibrant. Paired nicely with seared Ahi Tuna steaks, jasmine rice, and brussel sprouts.
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Much lighter in body than most KB’s. On the nose a floral bouquet with fresh picked strawberries. In the mouth, strawberry is the lead flavor, light and delicious.
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One of of better Pinots fro Kosta Browne. It is drinking well now. Strawberry and cherry with light oak on the nose and palate. Tannins are faint so I don’t think this will age too long. I would drink now or the next two years. Very enjoyable.
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Sweet strawberry on the nose that continues on the palate but balanced by some tart cranberry. Light to medium body with a long finish. A delicious wine.
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Very Burgundian, as in a village Morey St. Denis. Great acidity, medium body, nose of spice and violets. Most restrained of any KB Pinot I have had, but not unwelcome. Drink them over the next 5 years or so IMO.
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The right kind of tart cherry and right kind of warm spice blended together for a luxurious experience. Medium to high acidity, long and lingering finish.
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Sour cherry and spicy on the finish. While good, not the typical KB full bodied wine I have come to expect. Perhaps it needs more time in the bottle to gain some weight.
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Much like others have said, this seems to be moving further and further away from the bold, syrupy pinots of KB past. In fact, I would have never guessed KB if I hadn't opened the bottle myself. It was light both in color and on the palate, however, a beautiful aromatic of cherry, cola, raspberry, vanilla with just hints of earth. But for me the palate was actually where it shines. Light with soft tannins that provided a great balance on the palate between acidity and texture. The aromas found on the nose reinforced on the palate. If you are looking for the Kosta Browne of the past you won't find it here. However, it was a great expression of Pinot Noir. My only negative is I don't believe there is anywhere else this one can evolve to. It is what it is and that is a nice expression of Pinot Noir.
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My wife enjoyed a majority of this bottle as I was focused on some craft beer alternatives but I snuck a glass. This was very smooth and had great clarity. Red fruit predominate with a silky texture. Nothing overt or distinctive in the flavor profile but flawless and integrated. Very solid Pinot.
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Continuing the stylistic shift for KB, this wine is lighter weight and more driven by finesse than power, nuances instead of depth of flavor. This started out almost watered down in nature, as the red fruit came forward in a restrained way. Not too multi-dimensional as it continued to be fairly linear in nature. Good level of acidity to give it brightness and lift. Certainly nothing wrong here, but does not evoke the emotional reaction that historic KB appellation offerings often produced. I have been quite likely spoiled by memory here but while very nice I struggle with the QPR on this bottle.
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Lovely selection for Christmas Eve. A bit lighter in weight and body than historic efforts. Highlighting red fruit with savory notes. A bit linear and not overly complex, but flawless in delivery on the palate.
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To me a much more balance effort from Kosta in the 2016 vintage as compared to SC or RRV. Not quite as fruit forward, it has a nice bouquet on the nose and some modest hints of spice and depth to it.
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5/2/2024 - azwino Likes this wine:
Disagree with prior notes about this getting near the end of its window. This is in its prime and has a way to go. Opened and slowly aired in the glass and bottle - did not have the decanter ready. Great primary flavors which expressed more as it warmed from cellar temp.
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3/3/2024 - davidb18 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Particularly good because it is "full grown" and at the end of the drinking window. I expanded the drinking range to 2026 from 2023 since I think if cellared it will be good over next couple of years. I like that it did not suffer from the excessive cola finish present in many of the better CA pinots. Nice wine.
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2/27/2024 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 89 Points
Starting to show its age. Suggest it’s time to drink up.
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11/28/2023 - mzeiden wrote:
Enjoyed with Chris and Veronica Ashworth. Light, Smooth start and finish. Would definitely drink again
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11/24/2023 - NapaGuy69 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank magnum with thanksgiving Cajun Turkeys, Paired well, bright vibrant strawberry raspberry fruit, moderately high acidity which matched well with cranberries
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10/8/2023 - jmottern Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark red medium body wine (13.8%). Nice nose that soon left. Smooth plum and blackberry fruit. Pleasant fruit. Better bottle of KB Santa Lucia Highlands than ones in the past.
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9/11/2023 - HonorAmerica wrote: 94 Points
Really enjoyed this sexy bottle for our anniversary dinner at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. Really lovely fruity palate (in a California style, but not overwrought) and a bit of spice. Light to medium body. Dark purple in the glass. Flavor that lasts for days. Great job. Would love another bottle!
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9/4/2023 - jmottern Likes this wine: 91 Points
A nice bottle of medium body (13.8%) pinot noir. Some floral nose. Plum and light cherry fruit. OK finish. I prefer KB's bigger wines.
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8/15/2023 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red in color. 13.8% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, cloves and forest floor. Medium body with perfect acidity. Rich and earthy with just enough compelling fruits. Cranberry, pomegranate, cherry and minerals on the palate. The finish is long and supple. I bought this bottle on WineBid as my allocation typically only includes the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. At first glance this wine is more earthy and less opulent than I am accustomed to but there is no questioning the pedigree here. Best over the next several years.
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7/6/2023 - davidb18 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite nice. Reached maturity and drinking well. Soft nose of herbs and flowers. Cranberry/Cherry with a hint of oak, vineyard breeze and stems.
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6/20/2023 - DnL Cellars Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious! Typical SLH Pinot bold flavors and racy. We would probably want to drink our other two within a few years
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5/27/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good cork pull. Slight bouquet. Cherries and bright flavor from acidity. Tart. Very active on tongue but not from tannins. Really bright. Only opened ten minutes. Seems like it's pulling back, should come forward in about an hour. On second thought, after a swirl, has considerable tannins. Not a detraction, but part of structure. Others also report raspberries. Maybe. Decent and got better with time in glass. Left in bottle for next day and fruit deepened and became more prominent. Different flavor profile from either Sonoma or RRV. Liked this.
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1/20/2023 - agsdlswine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Simply delicious-continued to get better after an initial two hour decant. Cherries, spice & a lengthy finish highlight this enjoyable KB Pinot.
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12/30/2022 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with notes of 12/18/2022
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12/18/2022 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed the same night as a 2015, the 2 vintages are almost identical - the 2016 has perhaps a bit more pepper and earthy notes, but still dominated by cherry and raspberry flavors
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10/28/2022 - krhaugh Likes this wine: 92 Points
It's been 2 years since we last tasted this vintage. Wine is in a nice place with bright juice and hints of light red fruit, spice and a little earth. Drinking very well right now.
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10/26/2022 - SCosgrove Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruits of plum and blackberry
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2/13/2022 - joet626 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice baking spice on this. Tasty
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11/30/2021 - Winokdub wrote: 91 Points
Very good but not one of the KB greats.
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10/25/2021 - Hover low 64 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine but definitely not a great value. Raspberries and cherries on the palate. Flavor deepened over three nights of drinking, but the wine never really stepped up its game. I’m thinking maybe another couple of years might help. But only a little in my opinion. High price to pay for a good but not great wine - seems to be the direction KB has moved over the past few years.
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10/23/2021 - joet626 Likes this wine: 90 Points
tasty. Dark berry fruit.
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8/29/2021 - eszencia Likes this wine:
Mellow & sophisticated. Very nice.
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7/31/2021 - yasha Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good !
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6/19/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Poured blind. Good for KB in seeming to dial back all of the throttle that I recall in these wines back in previous days. Instead, there is tangy cherry, spice, strawberries, some blueberry and medium weight with a rose color. I'd not have put this wine on KB Pinot Noir but I was very happy to see that they are making a style like this now. Delicious.
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5/17/2021 - Deepdrop wrote: 90 Points
Kosta did not transalate well to Santa Lucia. This mid weight wine favors spice and some bitter/tart notes of orange peel and cranberry. Something lacks in the balance. It does improve with air. I will give my final bottle a number of years to see if something more develops.
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3/11/2021 - DrLes Likes this wine: 92 Points
A less complex KB to my palate, and a little lighter, but delicious nevertheless. Good fruit, not overpowering, heavily strawberry to my admittedly not well-trained palate.
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2/12/2021 - JayAAllen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very different than the KB Russian River Valley from the same vintage that we drank on the same evening. Lighter in the glass, a bit brighter / more acidic, with a slightly spicy, peppery finish. This might do a tad better with food, or perhaps another year or two in the bottle.
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2/2/2021 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 90 Points
Somewhat disappointing. Possibly flawed.
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2/1/2021 - Hojun-na-Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Less extracted than the typical KB, the SLH is light on the its feet with elegant red fruits and supple tannins. Bright and nice acidity while maintaining good body and structure. Excellent offering from KB and drinking well right now.
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11/20/2020 - jackstraw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full of fruit flavor and amazing g aroma - highly recommend
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11/3/2020 - PJT wrote: 94 Points
Very consistent with my 6/30/20 note. Delicious wine showing strawberry, cherry and hint of oak. Loved this and wish I had more!
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10/5/2020 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nine months later from my first bottle, this KB Pinot Noir has gained weight and richness with more expressive sour cherry fruit and less active tannins. Fairly significant difference in tastings.
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10/4/2020 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
For a new world Pinot, this was delicious. Not nearly as extracted as Northern Cali Kosta. Bing cherry, much lighter on its feet, vibrant. Paired nicely with seared Ahi Tuna steaks, jasmine rice, and brussel sprouts.
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9/27/2020 - Troon wrote: 89 Points
Not my favorite KB bottle. The mouthfeel wasn’t there and the wine seemed a little flabby. Not a bad wine, but I expect a lot from a KB.
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8/19/2020 - Mortgage92 wrote: 92 Points
very nice, flavors of ripe fruit, with balanced acidity. A smooth drinking pinot with a very slight after taste. Matched perfect with our lamb.
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8/7/2020 - krhaugh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much lighter in body than most KB’s. On the nose a floral bouquet with fresh picked strawberries. In the mouth, strawberry is the lead flavor, light and delicious.
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7/20/2020 - The Wine Sherpa Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of of better Pinots fro Kosta Browne. It is drinking well now. Strawberry and cherry with light oak on the nose and palate. Tannins are faint so I don’t think this will age too long. I would drink now or the next two years. Very enjoyable.
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6/30/2020 - PJT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet strawberry on the nose that continues on the palate but balanced by some tart cranberry. Light to medium body with a long finish. A delicious wine.
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6/13/2020 - markydecker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very Burgundian, as in a village Morey St. Denis. Great acidity, medium body, nose of spice and violets. Most restrained of any KB Pinot I have had, but not unwelcome. Drink them over the next 5 years or so IMO.
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5/31/2020 - adon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant as ever. Red fruit. No forward tannins but structured. Long long finish. Good with entre and desert.
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3/29/2020 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great tamed pinot. Finesse but fruity, nice tannins
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3/24/2020 - ELH wrote: 91 Points
Light to medium weight. Aromatic. Cherries and vanilla, with a touch of earthiness. Soft tannins. Nice, but somewhat one dimensional.
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3/20/2020 - juggernt wrote: 93 Points
The right kind of tart cherry and right kind of warm spice blended together for a luxurious experience. Medium to high acidity, long and lingering finish.
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1/16/2020 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sour cherry and spicy on the finish. While good, not the typical KB full bodied wine I have come to expect. Perhaps it needs more time in the bottle to gain some weight.
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9/22/2019 - EM_MB wrote: 89 Points
Subtle and gentle. Too much so in fact.
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9/20/2019 - EM_MB wrote:
Corked!
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8/18/2019 - Jar01015 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much like others have said, this seems to be moving further and further away from the bold, syrupy pinots of KB past. In fact, I would have never guessed KB if I hadn't opened the bottle myself. It was light both in color and on the palate, however, a beautiful aromatic of cherry, cola, raspberry, vanilla with just hints of earth. But for me the palate was actually where it shines. Light with soft tannins that provided a great balance on the palate between acidity and texture. The aromas found on the nose reinforced on the palate. If you are looking for the Kosta Browne of the past you won't find it here. However, it was a great expression of Pinot Noir. My only negative is I don't believe there is anywhere else this one can evolve to. It is what it is and that is a nice expression of Pinot Noir.
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8/8/2019 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A beautiful young KB that should offer more down the road.
A light Pinot in both color, clarity and body. A nose of bright red cherry with hints of cola and oak spices.
The palate is medium - in body, fairly balanced and gives fresh red fruits some oak imparted spices and a decent finish.
Very enjoyable now and will be over the next several years!
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7/10/2019 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 92 Points
My wife enjoyed a majority of this bottle as I was focused on some craft beer alternatives but I snuck a glass. This was very smooth and had great clarity. Red fruit predominate with a silky texture. Nothing overt or distinctive in the flavor profile but flawless and integrated. Very solid Pinot.
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2/24/2019 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 91 Points
Continuing the stylistic shift for KB, this wine is lighter weight and more driven by finesse than power, nuances instead of depth of flavor. This started out almost watered down in nature, as the red fruit came forward in a restrained way. Not too multi-dimensional as it continued to be fairly linear in nature. Good level of acidity to give it brightness and lift. Certainly nothing wrong here, but does not evoke the emotional reaction that historic KB appellation offerings often produced. I have been quite likely spoiled by memory here but while very nice I struggle with the QPR on this bottle.
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2/9/2019 - adipovino wrote: 88 Points
Fine, but not much to write about. Comes across rather hot without much depth.
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12/24/2018 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely selection for Christmas Eve. A bit lighter in weight and body than historic efforts. Highlighting red fruit with savory notes. A bit linear and not overly complex, but flawless in delivery on the palate.
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11/22/2018 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 92 Points
A more subtle Kosta, floral red fruit starts, gentle mid-palate and slightly tannic finish
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7/28/2018 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 93 Points
To me a much more balance effort from Kosta in the 2016 vintage as compared to SC or RRV. Not quite as fruit forward, it has a nice bouquet on the nose and some modest hints of spice and depth to it.
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5/6/2018 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
Still young, but knew that going in. So a little green but lovely.
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