Cellared since release - Drunk with very wine savvy owners of local wine bar. Truly fabulous Russian River Pinot. Flawless appearance, dark purple core with dense color to the rim. Unmistakable, characteristic nose of rich pinot fruit, snappy ripe stems, forest floor & cola. Delicious, luxurious tastes of ripe black & blue fruits. This developed exactly as one would hope, and shed a lot of it's baby fat from the early years. Could last 2-3 more years in a good cellar but... why wait?
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Initially, very ripe red fruit on the nose, but over time that faded away and this Pinot I did not expect to last this long was very enjoyable and balanced.
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Opened and served.... dark and thin is. Hefty abv and secondary notes of plum, braised prune, cola, tast, cola, blackberry, hoisin. Still some confected sweetness along with the secondaries. Day two fleshed out a bit, smoother. Still very solid, just not electric like it’s youth.
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A really nice Pinot in the PRIME of its window as we speak. This wine was ALIVE. Lots of black cherry, dirty raspberry. Hint of orange peel. Still quite a bit of sweet character on the finish combined with an herbal character. Still with more acidity on the finish than I thought it was going to have. Really impressive Pinot. If you have any of these, I'd have ZERO discipline to hold them any longer (in all honesty I don't think I would even HAVE any due to the lack OF...).
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I thought I drank my last one of these a number of these in 2016 when it was still enjoyable although long in the tooth. Now VA dominates. Light black cherry and pomegranate on the nose. Sweetness on the front palate. Silky texture. The finish is a blob of heat and tar. This was one to be enjoyed in its youth.
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Opened and poured with lamb chops. Medium to light body initially. Somewhat thin for a KB, with dense tea, concentrated strawberry, cola, red fruits. Lacking the power of a typical KB, but with air gaining traction and fleshing out. With air, fleshed out a bit and darker fruits emerged...plum, toasty reds. A bit better with air.
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Mother's Day dinner with grilled ribeyes, corn on the cob, baked potato and portabello mushrooms. This bottle was even close to being over the hill or even on the downslide. Two more left, and i look forward to each of them
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Had it w chicken tagging and moroccan couscous. Still had plenty of depth and length. Closer to a french merlot than US pinot. Probably another 3 years of good drinking.
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Probably not a wine meant to wait 11 years on but I still had a bottle bouncing around in my locker. Popped and poured. Big juicy aromatics. Cherry liqueur and pineapple stand out. The aromas were fun in small doses. The fruit was still fairly fresh but some stewed elements. Absent of any noticeable tannin. Drink um if you got um.
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Christmas wine! Some bricking starting on the outer rim of this but KB always makes darker Pinot's. Nose of brown sugar, rose petal, dried cherry, herb and pomegranate. This is definitely different from the last time I had it showing more mature notes. Still some cola there dried cherry and dried strawberry but hints of mushroom and herb as well. Preferred the Sonoma Coast bottling in this vintage but still a very nice showing.
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Agree with Senso-Beak: dark, brooding, cola, hoisin. In addition, wild berry, earth, unripe cherry skins. Quite heavy and viscous, and noticeably high in alcohol. Tastes at least partially whole-cluster fermented - some stemminess. Powerful, but not elegant.
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Second bottle of the night. Opened for a bonfire and poured into paper cups lol. Thick, dark and brooding, a carpet of sweet bitter fruit, showing dark cola, hoisin and sassafrass secondaries. Potent and dense. Hard to get an exact read due to the lack of stemware and environment, but the two bottles were quickly quaffed.
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Opened for a bonfire and poured into paper cups lol. Thick, dark and brooding, a carpet of sweet bitter fruit, showing dark cola, hoisin and sassafrass secondaries. Potent and dense. Hard to get an exact read due to the lack of stemware and environment, but the two bottles were quickly quaffed.
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Dark crimson color turning rust at the rim with an funky nose of Russian River earth and dried herbs. The palate is rich with a smooth, meaty texture highlighted by notes of red currants, leather, sage and tobacco. Finishes long with gritty tannins. Good balance and food-friendly. Drink now with a 30-minute decant until 2025.
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Very good pinot. Darker cherry fruit profile compared to the Sonoma. Dark fruit and spice on the nose are carried through the palate with black cherry supported by cinnamon, mace, sassafras and nutmeg spice (mulling spices?). The cinnamon on the finish is slightly complicated by a little alcohol (heat). At peak for me.
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Color has faded to garnet. Aromas and flavors of raspberry, baking spices, oak, pepper, candied strawberry. Medium+ body, high acidity, medium tannin, medium+ finish. Typical KB extracted style - very ripe fruit, high alcohol, lots of body and oak (cedar, vanilla, smoke). Benefits from lots of air time. Not my favorite style, but this is a nice wine. I can see why many people prefer KBs a little younger - the style really wants lots of fruit, and this is fading a bit at this point. But I think the age has helped this mellow a bit and lighten up some.
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Drink up. Always impressed by level of sweet dark fruit that kb manages to provide. Unique. Big mouthfeel despite light color, touch of heat but weighter than expected. Cola present.
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Pleasantly surprised by this. Have had a couple 2006s over the past few months including one a few weeks back and really didn't enjoy as they were too big, heavy and a bit hot.
This is In a real nice place, coming across as way more elegant and balanced than I've experienced. I think it must be at least in part due to the 05 vintage. Nice cherry strawberry baking spice nose. Surprising fresh on the palate with red fruit spice and some funk, decent acid on the finish. Just a little sappy or glossy on the palate is the only quibble I have.
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Purple center with ruby rim. The nose was very expressive with lovely orange blossom, cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, and root beer notes. The palate provided hedonistic cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate flavors wrapped in a delicate cloak of chocolate. The balanced acidity highlighted the plush mouthfeel of this medium-bodied wine. The finish was long and packed with great fruit. Overall, this wine still displays great fruit that is a Kosta Browne hallmark, but the acidity maintains control over this hedonistic pleasure.
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Young, dark ruby in color. Perfumed aromas of dark berries, including black cherry and blackberry. The palate shows a solid core of ripe plum and wild berry fruit, with flowers, spice, and a fresh mineral note. The finish has a sweet edge, with firm tannins and bright, lively acidity.
Still drinking young at 7 years. Delicious with Thanksgiving turkey.
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I am a big fan of KB and usually cannot keep them in the cellar long but this was my attempt at aging for the 7 year mark. It paid of indeed as I read my old tasting note from 2008 this wine definitely improved with time as I scored it 3 points higher. Wonderful nose of red fruit and spices but the oak was fully integrated and any heat was gone. Velvet smoot tannins with a 20+ finish. Shared with my wife and friends for my 55th birthday. Will try to hold some of my single vineyard bottles for the ten year mark.
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Spectacular showing at our anniversary dinner tonight at Two Chefs. It went especially well with Cathy's boneless short ribs, barley risotto and dried cherries. This tasting reinforces in my mind that KB is clearly a top-tier PN winery in California.
Medium-plus color. Jammy nose of raspberry, plum and blackberry. Velvety in the mouth. Good weight, acidity and tannin structure, held up nicely through a long dinner.
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Very good. Not my favorite style, but my husband really likes it. 88 for me, 92 for him. Lots of cola and spices, followed by red cherries, raspberries, and then bell pepper. A bit of acidity and alcohol on the finish. A good food wine. Not worth the current $50 fee. Drink now or over next 12 months for best flavors as fruit seems to be fading.
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Best after long period to open. Very rich style, not light on its feet. Aromas of cola, brambles, rose with similar flavors. Light on acidity and high on alcohol. Overall very good, but not classic.
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Enjoyed my next to last 2005 Kosta Browne Russian River blend tonight with a couple of wine buddies. What a great Pinot!!! Big full bodied with lots of fruit and spices dazzling the palate. It actually needed a little time fully to open up. Guess I'm not in a rush to open the last bottle.
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Excellent pinot of the California style. Medium bodied with a nose of baking spices, bramble and dark cherries. Wonderful palate with silky tannins, red cherry, raspberry and spice flavors, enough acidity to stand up to food and a nicely rounded finish with a touch of cola. This wine is drinking at its peak right now but may have a couple more years at that peak.
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One of the reasons, I don't buy hype-wine is because they fail to deliver most of the time. This is not the case for this wine. This wine is simply gorgeous. Simply sublime.
Gorgeous fruit on the nose. Mulled Morello cherry, with a touch of spice. The tannin that was present upon bottling is totally gone. Even a nice note of creme chocolate. On the palate, the wine retains KB density and follows the aromatics with a savory tone with not one acidic edge. The acid is well balanced and the mouth feel does not show 6 years of age, but rather vinous and silky. A wonderful drink.Very nice finish, but not as long as it was in its youth. Second bottle that I have had. Enjoyed with Crab Louie. Well done. Cellared from Day 1 Lots of life left.
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Consistent with last bottle consumed om 12/12/11. Big fruit and spice with decent finish. Just a tad big and in need of acidity for my liking. Not over the top though!
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- Crimsom color and aromas of bell pepper, raspberry, strawberry, black pepper and mushroom and has flavours of bell pepper, raspberry and mushroom - Much better and more balanced two days later. I'd still pay 38, or even 48, for this, but it isn't worth over 50.
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This was garnet color and reddish pink on the edge. This wine was aromatically open and smelled of cherry, floral notes, and spices. This was a medium bodied wine which tasted of cherry, cinnamon, earthy and spicy notes. The tannins are smooth, sheer, and silky. This wine is mouth watering and complex. There is a little heat and the finish is long.
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Tasted non blind at a wine tasting. Opened and served immediately.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thistle, birch, black cherries and black berries. Flavors of black cherries, black berries and a bit of grapefruit. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. This was my last bottle so I guess I'm leaning towards drink.
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Good for the style. I agree with Dr. Dietz, it is big but not over the top. Good fruit, spice and acidity. Will try the Sonoma Coast from the same vintage soon.
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Still on the big side of Pinot, with lots of baking spice, cinnamon on the nose. Red cherry fruit with a hint of cola. I liked it better than LC did, who felt the fruit was still too big. Good acidity, making it a nice food wine. With vegetabl soup, turkey, and, later, with tamales. No problem holding on to these a couple more years if desired.
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Nose of raspberry, wild berry, baking spice, mineral, and chalk. Classic RRV palate -- wild berry, black cherry, cola and nutmeg. Still a healthy amount of tannin, with counterbalacing acidty. Youthful. Very good.
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Pinot isn't my thing, but this wine was outstanding. Popped and poured. There was clarity and precision in the wine with clearly defined flavors focusing on a cherry base that was neither tart nor sweet, but somewhere in the middle. There was only a bit of Cali pinot cola funk. There was acidity without bitterness. The finish was on the long side. Color was a bit light compared to my usual Saxums, about what you would expect from a pinot. I do not know if it was the patience of waiting 6 years or just the wine itself. I drank this same wine over 3 years ago and my note said that everyone agreed that it was "stong flavored" for a pinot noir. Maybe that's true compared to a Burg, but it's a lot lighter than the Aubert pinot we had last month.
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Gonna have to agree with Jimmy before me. Lots of spice for sure. Lots of fruit, extracted, lush, quite floral on the nose, and the purity of the wine was exquisite. Well made.
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Drank my last 05 rrv kb and it did not disappoint. Orange rind, baking spice, red fruit, cola and some earthiness. Wine kept at a cool temp so no problem with heat. Finish to match nose. This wine is singing now but has some life ahead.
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Intense aromas of dark berry fruit, some red fruit, baking spices and loamy earth, but you can also smell the heat on the nose. Big, ripe -- almost jammy -- flavors come rushing in with a velvety texture. There is still a little bit of tannic grip to this but I would have to say that acidity seems quite low, and thus somewhat accentuates the denseness of the wine. Drank alongside the 2005 Sonoma Coast, one could say that this wine was more masculine while the Sonoma Coast was more feminine, even though they are both rich and ripe fruit bombs. Long finish, but dominated by alcoholic heat. I can understand why people love these wines, but it's really not my preferred style.
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It's been a while since I checked in with this wine and all things are system go. Round, dark and brooding, this prodigious and heady sauce molts through differing aromatic layers upon open through fully open. There's plenty of toasted oak, cola, baking spice, overripe strawberry and chocolate raspberry, graham and soy with a resonating beam of brandied morello cherries...ETOH tweaks the nostrils as well. On the palate shows a wide transformation from layered graining of the tannins to a smooth back end. The aromas meld into the mid-palate and moreso the finish, where the ripe fruit extracts warm the tongue. Ambles down the fine line between hot and heavy. An unmistakable KB offering, that should continue to age and hold for another 5+ years.
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Much better than the bottle we had a couple of years ago. The alcoholic notes are largely gone, and the typical pinot aromatics (cinnamon, nutmeg) were very much present. I wouldn't have thought this wine could recover from the high toned alcoholic notes, so this was a pleasant surprise.
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Brought in for a dinner at Levain in So. Mpls. Paired with hangar steak frites and that was right on the money. We drank this bottle in no time. Smooth, satisfying red fruits and bramble/spice. Silky mouthfeel and bright. Wears it well. This why I used to buy KB - too bad a wine like this can't be marketed for under $50 anymore. Still have the '05 Sonoma Coast, will sit on that a little longer...but not too much, temptation draws near.
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Nice nose of cake spice with dark red brambly berry. Also nice silky mouthfeel, with more of the same, cake spice, a bit of cola, and for me this wasn't overblown at all, but then again, I did choose to open a KB tonite. I popped this bottle and left it to breath for 2 hours before serving. A bit of a one trick pony, not complex, no thinking about anything beyond the berries and spice (probably a fair amount of barrel toast). Very easy to drink and Hard to put down, but the heat on the finish was a definite detractor for me.
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Delicious, with bright cranberry, cherry, cola, sandalwood and spice flavors that end savory. Nice length, with just enough grip on the finish to frame the flavors.
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Medium, ruby color. On the nose, there is an explosion of dark cherry, raspberry, musk, and spice. This is all about hedonistic fruit and balance. The palate is hugely flavorful with dark fruits, raspberry, cola, and spice. There is vibrant acidity to balance the deep fruit, making the entire wine alive. The finish is long and fruit-packed with a spicy spine. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine for its huge fruit, yet it is balanced because of its acidity.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and glass decanted 30 minutes before serving. Followed over about 90 minutes.
Garnet, slightly dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of birch, black berries and black cherries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries on the medium finish. Bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink over the next 2-3 years plus or minus.
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Just tremendous. Nose is a melange of cherry, black cherry, and strawberry, with notes of clove and Asian spice. As good as the nose is, this wine is all about the palate and mouthfeel. Cherry, cola, spice, mineral, and wet rock. Well balanced. No hint of age. A "wow" wine.
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I found this to be a little too hot but it still had some nice attributes including a delicious finish. Nose is hot with some cherry and oak and then the palate was sweet and sour, kind of jolly rancher cherry like. Vanilla, creamy oak, cranberries, cherry.
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I found this to be a little too hot but it still had some nice attributes including a delicious finish. Nose is hot with some cherry and oak and then the palate was sweet and sour, kind of jolly rancher cherry like. Vanilla, creamy oak, cranberries, cherry.
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Just a beautiful pinot that is drinking great as usual. I purchased 20 bottles of wine and have loved very bottle and have just one bottle left. This is one of my favorite KB county pinots of all time.
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I know I am in the minority when it comes to Kosta Browne pinots. I read the glowing 90+ scores and it makes one want to get on their mailing list - that is what happened to me - although the wines are well made to me this is not what pinot should be - I think the Eyrie Reserve, Wesmar, Williams Selyem and others in that vein show the delicacy and feminine side of the grape and don't strive for a Rhone wanabee Parkerized wine. This 2005 RRV is a good example - the alcohol is front and center and I am willing to wager that many wine drinkers could not identify this as a pinot without reading the label. Well made wine, round in texture in the mouth with a core of spice and a medium length finish. Not my idea of pinot!!!!
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Light color, I was expecting it to be far more dense. Very apparent nose of cherry, sage and forest floor. Light to medium body and a 25 second finish. Thoroughly enjoyable.
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COLOR: Purplish light garnet NOTE: Nice, typical Cali PN from start to finish. Holding up well and seems to have the stuffing to survive a few more years. Great with the food.
Wonderful nose of cherry, spice and the deep forest woods. In the mouth, a sweetness of cherry and berries. It is a full pinot, with a nice balance between bright acidity and the sweet fruit. Opened up more on the second day to show more of the spice and forest floor elements. Tasty juice.
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Big expressive full-fruit pinot. Dark garnet color, ripe & flowery nose, sweet black cherries. Surprisingly well balanced, given the intensity. almost zin-like, but without the syrup and heat. loved it.
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Another great bottle, these have been my fav KB so far (but I only get this and the SC). Nicely balanced, no heat. Maybe cool vintage KB is the way to go?
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Post cellar disaster. WOW. None of the heat described by previous tasters. Wild berries, loads of fruit on the aroma and flavor. Did not get a chance to taste over long period of time ... but it opened up and was fairly soft.
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This was put together nicely and got even better as we drank it. Had some nice black cherry and cola flavors that just went over your palate like a wave. This was much better than the Russian River Valley bottle I had two years ago and I think the additional age did it some good.
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Oh my! My best bottle of this wine, by far. Indescribable nose -- wave after wave of wild berry, strawberry, sage, smoke, clove, chocolate, flowers, and wet earth. Palate has a core of wild berry and black cherry, with notes of anise, smoke, cola, bittersweet chocolate, and minerals. Finish lasts 45-60 seconds. Tannins resolved, acidity still present. None of the heat detected in prior bottles. Prior creamy notes have disappeared. Superb.
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My last bottle and the best of my 6. No noticeable heat, but it was consumed with BBQ chicken pizza which may have muzzled it a bit. The fruit just went on an on, some cola. Based upon this bottle I can't see it improving beyond this. But I can't say I'm glad I don't have more. I enjoyed the ride while it lasted.
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For whatever reason, I was in the mood for a big pinot after a long week. Big+pinot means grab a Kosta. Even while in the mood, I still just do not feel the love... The alcohol simply stands out too much, and dominates the nose and the finish. A year ago, I got some good fruit, mixed with the KB cola. This year I get cola mixed with alcohol. Drink up before it turns to rubbing alcohol. I have too much KB in my cellar, not buying any more. Occasionally good, once in a while very good (I have a soft spot for the Kanzler), often average or downright hard to drink.....even taking into account a mismatch with my preferred style, these have too short of a lifespan, and even within that span, I get way too much variation.
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This was drinking well upon popping the cork. Nice red fruits on the nose and palate. This was nice, but nowhere near as good as the '04 August West Rosella I had also opened.
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A bit heavy handed directly after opening, but settled into a balanced presentation of quality CA pinot after a bit of air. Stayed consistanty good while open on the first night and only lost a small step on the 2nd. No alc. burn, rich red fruit aromas matched the palate. Did not expect this to taste as good as it did. Ready to enjoy now w/o regret.
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Not bad, not mind blowing. Not super over the top (in a good way so its not trying too hard), but just not that complex and interesting. Nicely made, pretty well balanced, ripe but not a super fruit bomb. Strawberry and dark cherry fruit, some cola and sandalwood, a bit of earth, orange peel zest. Holding together well for 5 years old. Probably not going to get "better", but should hold in this stage for another 1.5, maybe 2 years.
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Much better than the 2005 SC, but should have decanted. This really opened up after 45 minutes and a half bottle to rock the black cherry fruit, cola and spice. Very powerful, smoky nose. Started out too oaky but resolved.
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Order has been restored. After an atrocious bottle of 1999 Sassicaia and two bad bottles of Alcina Pinot Noirs thanks to Neocork, this was definitely a welcome bottle. Even though my palate is more into Burgundy, this is still enjoyable. It is a powerful Cali PN but it isn't bordering on Syrah like some others. Whether you like powerful pinots or not, this does possess a silk like texture. Lots of dark cherry fruit. Not extremely nuanced, but with its nice fruit and lovely texture this wine is very enjoyable.
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San Antonio Wine Geeks (sorry Dave) (Barbaresco): Much better. Mild reduction on the nose, but with a little pinot funk and black cherry. Mild heat on the palate but retains freshness and plenty of cherry cola, and a lengthy fruity vanilla finish. Nice.
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Kosta Brown: 2005 RRV vs. Sonoma Coast: Remains bold, intense, and enjoyable enough. But the heavy, too-ripe berries bumble through this wine with nothing to catch their fall.
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decided to pop my penultimate 05 RR since i'm going to Zin fest in Paso this weekend.
Cork was almost perfect. A slight crack in the bottom, almost like a 1 cm fault line. Color was a clear deep red all the way to the edge (no bricking). Explosive Russian River nose of cherry, raspberry, cola and a bit of sandle wood/spice. Ripe black cherry mixed with a little Dr Pepper... very well intergrated and smooth. A trace of heat is the only negative with this wine (unless you don't like ripe CA pinot). Very well made and in it's sweet spot now. Probably can go 2-3 more years.
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See previous note. This has settled down and still has plenty of life to it. I still believe that it is over extracted and a little over the top. I really like the purity of fruit in Kosta Browne Pinot's, but this is a bit much for me. The 04 and 07 are much better from RR bottlings.
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92-93 points. Decanted for about 15 minutes. Slight heat at beginning which mostly blew off after another 30 minutes. Delicious, rich pinot with beautiful mouthfeel. Dark cherry, dr. pepper and baking spice notes are seamlessly woven and balanced with just enough acidity right now.
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Nose of caramel and toasted oak with vanilla. On the palate notes of intesnse cherries, raspberries and vanilla and than finishes with notes of cloves and cinamman, which lasts for more than 45 seconds. Drink now.
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Needed ½ to 1 hour of air. Bright black cherry and blackberry on the nose with hints of cola. Nice creamy cherry on the rich juicy finish. Great mouth-feel. Enjoyed with grilled pancetta wrapped fallow deer tenderloins marinated over 8 hours in an Asian inspired marinade.
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Sweet cherry, cola and oak aromas dominate here. With big, rich black cherry, oak and mineral flavors. Full bodied and very accessible, but surprisingly shows nice balance for a big modern style pinot. Enjoyable now and should be drunk soon as it doesn't posses the depth or complexity to support longer aging. Drink now. 88 pts.
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Lots of cola, brown spice, raspberry and fruity. We drank this close to room and I don't have a heat issue with this wine. We did decide to put some chill on the bottle to firm it up, as the palate weight is heavy. Suggest drink now, as thew acidity in the wine is fairly low. Drinks fine.
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Alcohol and deep red fruit on the nose. Another big Cali Pinot that needs time to settle down. It has a ton of red fruit to go with the still hot alcohol background. Would recommend decanting for an hour or so to give the alcohol some time to burn off. As usual, Kosta Browne, is dancing a very thin line between a rich and velvety Pinot and a shot of cherry brandy. Enjoy!!!
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Not drinking to the level I would have hoped....some heat, fairly pedestrian Cali Pinot nose and palate. However, 4 days later having forgot about the remainder, the alcohol blew off and the palate integrated....lush, ripe red fruits. Good Stuff
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from magnum. nice bright fruit profile. red cherry and raspberry. some cola profile as well. a little bit of heat, chill this down a bit and it will drink much better.
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Still not my favorite of the KB lineup but was a pleasant bottle with Thanksgiving dinner and had a brighter fruit nose than what I remember from the last time we had one of these.
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Wow, this bottle was so much better than my last bottle. Thank goodness since I've got 8 bottles left. KB at it's best with lots of Cherry flavors that I love in RR wines. No sign of decline at all.
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Brought this to a dinner and was the WOTN. Lots of fruit and excellent acid balance. Most people had never had a KB, and everyone wanted to try some. Drinking well at this time.
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Big style California pinot. Deep nose of black cherry and spice. Lots of cherry, cola, and pepper on the palate. Acid seems high on the finish and it comes off a little hot. Revisit tomorrow.
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Rich, effusive nose of sweet black cherries, cherry pie and baking spices. Palate is richly fruited but well balanced with zingy acidity. There are suave tannins that provide grip and texture. Medium to full bodied. Delicious from start to medium-long finish.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cocoa, black cherries, black berries and white pepper. Flavors of rich black cherries, black berries and a bit of plum. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink over the medium term.
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Decanted for one hour. In the glass, clear dark ruby red. On the nose, equal parts pinot spice and alcohol. On the palate, a core of dark cherries, a touch of sweet vanilla and stone fruit, and a somewhat hot, somewhat alcoholic finish. The fruit is here, with a nice bit of complexity, but the alcoholic notes on the nose and palate drag this one down from what it could have been.
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Pop and poured, showed great after 15 minutes, nose of cherry, slight vanilla, strawberry pie and dried mushroom. palate was big yet under control, luscious and hedonistic, but still had some layers of flavor to give it some complexity.still ok on 2nd night, not so good on the 3rd. I suggest consuming this on the first day as it showed best at that time. served at 60F so alcohol was not an issue (but on 3rd day it was hot).
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Hot summer dinner paired w/roast pork tenderloin, heirloom potatoes, onion, purple carrots, roast beet chips. Blood red w/moderate glyceric legs. Dark brooding nose of cola, black cherry, cumin and rhubarb. Exotic flavor profile pummels the senses with a burst of lively jammy corpuscles. There is cherry, cola, grapefruit, raspberry compote, sassafras spice to be sure. This is the first bottle I've had since tasting it with Dan and Michael in the barrel room years ago. This is more refined now looking back at my TN, brooding yet sleek with explosive flavor. Heavy but not hot at all.
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Perfectly paired with duck breast in a red currant sauce, some couscous and garlic, thyme green beans. This wine is in a great spot right now. Lots of black fruit, some cola, asian spices, nutmeg. Smooth drinking, tannins soft, acidity there but not over whelming. Great sipping before dinner, and drinking with dinner. Seems to start declining after 2 hours, so drink within next couple years.
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Very enjoyable. Rich RRV nose, with notes of black cherry, cola, Asian spice, and a touch of cream. Palate is a melange of raspberry, pie crust, black tea, and cream soda (!). Lots of grip on the finish, and the acidity has backed off a bit from the last bottle. To me, this made the alcohol a little too prominent.
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Drank this one with the IrishRover. Let the wine decant for 1.5 hours before diving into it. Similar notes to my previous notes. Fantastic bottle of Pinot. Cherry aromas flowed from the glass followed by a hint of cobbler and a touch of something that took me somewhere tropical. The palate was opulent and teeming with cherries and red rasberries. Was great with our steaks but also just to sit around and enjoy.
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Nose of caramel with red and black fruit. Tastes like caramel and cherries with very mild acidity. Enjoyable but one dimensional. I will drink up my last bottle sooner than latter.
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Nice Pinot, Ping cherries--maybe a little much for my taste--very sweet which I found kinda odd being that it a RRV and not a Coast or Anderson valley. Too sweet for me tonight.
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14.7% Good deep red color. Upon opening, the nose was just a wonderful explosion of fruit (and some spice). In the short term, a little heat on the finish, but that blew off in an hour. Cherry, macerated raspberry and a tiny bit of spice. A very good wine, but a little difficult to finish a bottle by myself:)
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Enjoyable enough wine - went pretty well with tuna steaks on the grill. There are better pinots out there for less money. Not shedding any tears after dropping off their mailing list.
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Decanted 1.25 hours. Served with rib eye, caesar salad and parmasean bread. This was my first KB and I was expecting more. This is a good wine, but I was expecting a 'wow' moment. Good body, but a little lighter than I expected from reading other reviews. Aromas at first had hints of red berries and an earthy aromoa. As time went buy the earthiness blew off and the fruit remained with more of a black cherry aroma. Good mouth feel, smooth, velvety.Was a little 'hot' at first but again settled nicely. A good wine, glad I had it, but not worth the price I paid for it, but would be worth the release price.
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Pretty straight forward big drinker -- we got cherry, caramel and butter this time. Big and brawny - you have to like this style which was just what I was after to pair with a hangar steak.
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Worth the wait. Nicely balanced, no alcoholic heat maybe a little light on the nose but floral, seems to be mid way (and mid weight) between a dark fruit RRV and a bright red strawberry, cherry pinot from further south. First KB that really impressed me.
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This ended up getting paired with some Chinese food at a dinner party we attended. I fought hard to clear my palate of the spiciness of the dish and get a good taste of the wine. Very nice spicy nose. The wine seems to be in a good place now. Very familiar and enjoyable wine. Love that characteristic cinnamon and spice box that compliments the lush dark and red fruit.
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This has been one of my favorite KBs in the past but it now seems to be in a decline. Perfectly stored since release I how wish I had consumed my remaining bottles last year. I will drink my remaining bottles over the next 6 months. Joan liked this wine more than I did. Hope this was just an off bottle but I don't think so.
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Just ain't my style. Tried on a couple of occasions to "get" this, but there's no nuance. The Marquis Philiips of Pinot Noir. Hot, syrupy and just flat over the top. Can't score this, can't keep whatever's left.
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Better than last time. Decanted for an hour. Medium bodied, heavy nose of nothing in particular -- I suppose some spice and dark fruit predominately, a bit of heat. On the palate, a good burst of fruit, cola, root beer, cherry and dark fruit...not classic by any means by tastes good, especially on front and mid palate. The finish is marred by a bit of heat and is not particularly long. I would call this a fun bottle and a decent effort.
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Now a tinge of red brick showing but still with the bright black cherry and vanilla coke the nose. Strawberry cotton candy with spritzy maraschino cherries on the palate, nicely acidic but a bit hot, and a short finish. Not improved from the last bottle I had.
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This wine was 3rd of 5 in a blind Pinot Noir tasting which included Williams Selyem 2004 Flax (W0TN) , Domain Serene 2003 Evenstad (a very close 2nd), 1999 Clos de Lambrays (4th) and 2005 Penner Ash (5th). The high alcohol level in the Kosta Browne was evident when tasted blind with the other 4 wines although there was a good balance of fruit and acidity making this a very enjoyable wine.
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Opened and splash decanted before serving. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of potpourri, black cherries and black berries. Fairly rich flavors of black cherries and black berries. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink with a decant or continue to hold over the short to medium term.
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Very nice nose of strawberry and cherry. Flavors of spice, cola and cherry. The finish is solid, but a bit sweet and syrupy. This was hot earlier and now has settled down, but is still a little big for a pinot.
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Terrific. Brought to a tasting after double-decanting. Poured about 2 hours later, and was really nicely concentrated, with some great spice and a really big nose. Sexy, long finish. Not for the faint of heart. Very new world.
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Enjoyable bottle of wine. Dark appearance and a nice aroma of cherries and strawberries. This was a bold wine and very well integrated with spicy, fruity characteristics. This was a smooth wine from start to finish.
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A wonderful lunch at Bistro Bisou with Bob, Luis and Tsitsi. Decanted only about 10 minutes beforehand. Showed great. Silky and rich on the palate; cola nose. This will only get better, and fortunately I have 8 more. FWIW, we all thought the KB clearly bested the 1997 Dominus that Bob brought -- and that was no sluch of a wine either
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14.7% alcohol. Lovely, peak showing for this wine. Opened two hours before serving. Pretty red color. The nose reminded me of why I enjoy Kosta Browne wines on their own terms. Ripe bouquet of black cherry, sour cherry jam, baking spice, and still a touch of oak. In the mouth, plush, ripe, and appealing. Beautiful black cherry and jammy cherry fruit, good acidity, and a long, smooth finish. Excellent balance. Thoroughly enjoyable. A-
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decanted for well over an hour and consumed over another hour or two. The nose is pretty classic RRV Pinot. lot's of cherry cola with nice hits of baking spice and flinty slight hints of earth tones. This wine hits your palate like a silk roller coaster which just happens to be riding through Willy Wonka land. Delicious fruit attack of strawberry and raspberry. Big but more balanced than i though it would be given the amount of alcohol. The finish which is long and the mouth feel which is explosive make this a very fun wine. Not a classic Pinot Noir but a delicious one nonetheless. at it's retail price point a HUGE QPR. Very nice acidic backbone tells me this will age pretty well.
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Season Ending Sunday at Chateau du Clayton (shane's): nose: rich, candied nose filled with cola, cherries, strawberries, spice tones, and a good dose of baking vanilla. A lot of depth on the nose and very plush that leaps from the glass. Pure, quintessential california styled nose
taste: Extremely rich and lots of candied fruits. Medium body with a lot of polish that smoothly caresses the palate with tones of candied cherries, spices, raspberries, and cola notes. Again, the word plush comes to my mind with this along with being rich, while still having a pinot feel to it
overall: an interesting change of pace from what I normally drink. Extremely enjoyable and an outstanding wine, its fun to change things up every now and then. There was a slight bit of heat on the palate, but it wasn't overbearing and it was nice to be able to fully experience a KB that was properly decanted and having the chance to spend some time with it
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As before, but perhaps a bit more developed. Big cherry nose: a bit brighter than the 2005 Sonoma Coast; however, more earthy on the finish. Excellent....
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not decanted. taken to and served at a christmas eve dinner. one thing, it held up to a very spicey gumbo/stew kind of main course. the recipients loved it, so that's all that is important. i'm not on board this train. VERY consistent notes from pervious tatses.
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Mr. Hash had it right... very New World, with a more interesting nose than taste at this point. The alcohol is still a more obvious than I would prefer, but this clearly has some upside potential with more time.
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Not at all over the top. Wonderful acidic backbone, with strong, extracted cherry and raspberry notes. Classic RRV cola with just a hint of loam and strong forest floor aromas. This is drinking very well right now.
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I took two of these to my in-laws for a family Rosh Hanah dinner. One of my niece's friends said it was the first PN she had ever liked. Lots of black cherry and raspberry fruits, with a definite edge of caramel or cola. Underlying note of nutmeg and allspice. Nice acidity without being hot, creamy midpalate with a long finish.
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Deep color. Nose is sweet kirsch, red cherry and cola. Palate is unmistakeable KB with red cherry, raspberry and mild earth. A bit of glycerin. Finish is medium with moderate tannin. Yum-o.
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There seems to be a love-hate relationship with Kosta Browne's Pinot Noir wines out here in the pinot loving world. Some purists who are stuck in the old worth can't stand it and even refer to it as Syrah. I'm not making that up, someone actually said that to me. However, there are a lot more people on the "love" side of the fence who really appreciate what Dan and Michael have done with these wines. They are big wines with a lot of ripe fruit, a healthy dose of oak, and high alcohol which, if not managed carefully in the wine making process, could end up being disastrous. Here, in the RRV blend, everything is in the right place and in perfect balance and harmony. Don't be afraid to match this wine with a big steak dinner as it definitely has the stuffing for it and it might even overpower more delicate dishes.
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OC Wine Dinner (Nesai - Newport Beach, CA): A bigger wine in terms of ripeness but one that seemed to stand up better to the sweet teriyaki-like glaze on the salmon. Sweet notes of dark cherry, hard spices, and baked bread. An interesting contrast to the other RRV Pinots in this flight.
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9/6/08 OC Wine Dinner (Nesai In Newport Beach, CA): Plum, blackberry and dark fruited edge that was leaning towards thick. Hint of kiwi, as well. Lots of density and forward flavor so as expected, a big wine.
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Nice medium to dark color, nose of cherry and strawberry. Medium weight, slight viscosity. Moderate fruit and spice on the palate. Fairly short finish. This wine did seem balanced and was pleasantly tamer than many other KB offerings. A wine to put a smile on your face. Enjoyed al fresca with grilled chicken and green salad.
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Enjoyed with first course at Coles Steak house in Napa. Arguably one of the best Pinot Noirs in the United States. Aromas of flowers and perfume jumping from the glass. Floral, plumb, and raspberry flavors everywhere. No alcoholic heat or funky tannins...just an incredibly well made wine. So wonderful, we felt guilty when the bottle was empty. Kudos to Kosta Browne....wish we were on their allocation list.
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This pinot is drinking great. After seeing the effort that Michael Browne puts into this creating this wine by tasting though the numerous different barrels along side him it's no wonder this wine is so great. One of my favorite pinots from the 2005 vintage.
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Very similar to the 2006 KB RRV with just a little more integration that comes from the extra year in the bottle. Wonderful fruit, texture and depth. This is most certainly not a wimpy wine.
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Lighter color, much lighter than the Sonoma Coast bottling, nice see through hue well beyond pink but short of red. The nose is subtle but I pick up cherry and spice. The flavors include cherry, light rasberry, has a sweet edge, nice tannins and nice acidity. Drinking well right now.
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This is a delicious Pinot Noir that is all hedonistic pleasure. Filled with raspberry, cherry and a hint of cinammon. Do not expect to find aromatic complexity, but if you like fruit, you'll like it. Sweet, medium bodied and with low acidity for a Pinot Noir. My group is very euro centric, so it wasn't a big hit with them, but in my opinion, it blew away the red Burgundy.
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Captivating nose with rich red cherry and dark berry flavors with hint of earthy and spice notes. Wonderful mouth feel and long finish. Another tasty pinot from KB!
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No notes. Decanted maybe an hour or so before serving. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of berries and cherries that carries through to the palate. Also a bit of candied fruit on the nose. Medium acidity, tannins and body.. I'd lean towards drinking over the short term myself.
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Nose: Very profound nose of raspberries, cherries, forest floor, sage, and wet stone (and a little rhubarb initially after opening). Palate: Cherry and soft raspberry front end with the forest floor on the finish. The palate was not nearly as compelling as the nose, and very noticable alcohol heat showed which dissipated only marginally with aeration. If the palate matched the nose this would be an unreal wine probably garnering a mid nineties score. Given the palate it is only a very nice wine. Good to finally try a Kosta Browne wine.
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Wow, this is huge, albeit not over the top. A scintillating nose dominated by sassafras, raspberry, and hint of soy immediately hits the nose. The palate is a powerhouse mixture of ripe plum, rhubarb, and black cherry. The balance is superb, but the finish is only medium in length. Should get better over the next 18 months?
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This wowed us tonight...nice elegant pinot with pencil shavings on the nose...really paired well with various and sundry seafood courses at Easy Bistro
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A really, really solid wine. Enticing complex nose with earth and red fruit and dark fruits and spices. Full mouthfeel and a long, 25+ second finish. Held up very nicely on day 2 also.
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Small Califonian tasting (Kenneths place): Dark red color with a purple rim. Warm, new world style red fruit, stewed rhubarb and strawberry, and bit of cough sirup. Powerful red fruit on the palate, and butterscotch on the midpalate. Aparent oak on the finish, drying out the finish a bit, but the super velvety butterscotch and licorise dominates, making the finish very delicious. A powerful wine, that is nice example of how good new world pinot can taste.
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Garnet color. Decanted 2 hours. Terrific nose with cranberry, raspberry, pommegranante, cherry,brown sugar and a stemminess that was very attractive. This, the SC and a Joseph Swan PN have been my favorite, knock your socks off wines this year. Great red berry flavor that matches the nose. A fantastic silky texture, beautiful balance of fruit and acidity. Just a little bit of heat on finish, but it didn't bother me because this tastes so darn good.
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Black and red cherries on the nose and palate, hints of oak, ripe but not overblown. Excellent balance and this is absolutely delicious. More complexity would give it a higher score, but this is a solid performer now.
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Notes consistent with last bottle but I am sure this time that the wine needs an hour to open. If you try and drink it pop and pour, you'll miss some of the delineation it shows after a decant. Brown sugar notes and some sweet edge early on but after air, dried raspberry, red apple and some tannin. We finished this bottle outside in 68 degree weather under a canopy and perhaps a bit warm for drinking pinot but even at that ambient temp, the heat was minimal for me. Some life ahead so enjoy now with a decant or age 2 more years.
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Wine 2 What a sumptuous, hedonistic, pleasure filled nose this wine has! Much better than its Sonoma Coast sibling. Crammed with raspberry and red cherries and beautifully complicated by a cinammon note. In the mouth this is utterly delicious. Packed with flavor and offering mouthwatering juiciness. Best New World Pinot I have ever had (Caveat: I haven't had that many).
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This was not my style at first -- hot, jammy cherry fruit tasted a little stewed -- but after about 60-90 minutes it really opened up and was much more subtle with more secondary vanilla, sasparilla, and cola (unfortunately most of the bottle was gone) -- still needs time, or an hour decant.
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pinetop blowout. not much to add to previous notes. the wine is certainly too candied and absolutely will not age past an adolescent. just not in my wheelhouse.
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Popped this at a restaurant and unforunately did not have anough time to decant.
Not much on the nose besides heavy alcohol at first. Not verry appealing until it opened up at the end. I also suspect that it needed to be cooled down below cellar temp and decanted to perform its best.
My least favorite Kosta Browne to date. The major weakness in these wines continues to be the high noticeable alcohol.
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Cranberry in color and perfumed nose of dark cherry, mint and licorice. On the palate a complex blend of blueberry pie, cinnamon, cloves, slightly under ripe bing cherries, earth, vanilla/oak and juicy acidity. Velvety mouth feel and well balanced, although the oak and alcohol are a bit noticeable on the finish. Overall, very impressive. Good length, and drinking well now. Definitely has that delicious factor. My first Kosta Browne, and I can see what all the fuss is about. The wine was so interesting, I had trouble trying to figure out a suitable food pairing. Grilled skirt steak was NOT the answer, and not the fault of the wine.
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Immediately on the open a very dense and spicy nose, could be Syrah .. or Pinot. After 10 to 15 min it becomes clear that its Pinot on the nose, but still has dense and concentrated dark fruits on the finish. Gets better with time although slightly hot at times. Perhaps a bit young but still enjoyable.
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93/94 Really nice wine. Had it during the wine spectator grand tasting. This is some of the wines I drank and did not spit out cause it was really good. The owner Dan Kostas is super cool guy.
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Unlike the 2005 Sonoma we drank a couple of weeks ago, I found this very enjoyable and much more balanced. This went quick, but I managed to grab a bit so a short note. Bing Cherry, almost a cherry pie palate, slight heat that may disapate with a bit more time, but drinking very well.
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Tasted side by side within the flight against the 05 Keefer. Have to say I preferred the RRV. Wet rock, raspberry, apple and sense of balance and finesse. I really liked the wine, starred it but notes are short.
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2005 Kosta Browne Wine Dinner (Antonello Ristorante - Costa Mesa, CA): Aromas of sweet raspberries and cola are followed by notes of black cherries, ripe strawberries, wet soil, and sassafras. A touch of caramel on the finish. Surprisingly, this wine seemed to work a little better with food than on its own.
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The first of our Passover wines. Popped and poured. Moderate red color. Not thin but not inky. Flavor is classic CA pinot noir but with more stuffing to it. Red fruit, especially cherry, a bit of cola, some toasty background. We had 7 CA pinots on Thursday at Walkers and I would rate this better than any of them. The flavor profile is solid but balanced. Does not appear to have suffered from infanticide. Others also agreed that it was strong-flavored for a pinot noir.
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Not as elegant as the Sonoma Coast but still an excellent wine. Cherry cola, spice and everything nice. This wine had bright acidity and the fruit masked the alcohol. Good balance with a spicy long finish.
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14.7% alcohol. you know, this isn't a bad wine. it has much to recommend it even though i feel it is a little too much in the extraction department, a little too candied and thick on the finish. i don't know where i stand with this producer in the long term. it seems to be a work in progress.
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Drank with Jimmy. Opened and let this bottle breath for almost 2 hours, based on prior experience with KB wines. Worth the wait! The nose was as rich and lush as the mouth. Dark red stone fruits of plums and black cherries with a little cola. Also had some black tea notes on the nose. This wine has the fruit and acidity to last.
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Drank over 2 nights. At first noticed that typical cherry-cola nose and I detected a bit of soy or teryaki as well. The finish was a bit hot and you can detect some oak. By the 2nd night, the heat had disappated leaving fresh red fruit. Will hold my other bottle 2-3 years like I did with my 2003 KB.
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This is a fabulous wine that is still an infant. Nose of blueberry, plum and black cherry, with a hint of menthol and tea. After 3 hours in the decanter, the nose is so intriguing that you could spend an hour just sniffing and not drinking. The palate features classic RRV cola, black cherry, and raspberry. Some spice. Nice acidity balances a creamy finish. Very hard to stop drinking this.
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Dark red color concentration. This one was decanted. Nose was amazing. Cherries, raspberries, cinnamon and citrus galore. New car smell. Mouth was watering. Finish and acidity were balanced. Just delicious from start to finish.
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Popped and poured at storage. A nose of cherry and raspberry and other red fruits that jumped from the glass. This wine is young, but shows hints of its potential. Tasted against an '04, which showed more polish...This one needs some time to better integrate...a short-ish finish. But still, very very good.
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Nice nose of red fruits, flowers, and cherries. Medium body with big ripe cherry and cherry cola. The heat is noticable on this finish which is a bummer. I would hold off on this for a bit longer. First experience with KB.
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4th Street Pinot Noir Showdown (4th St. Wine Shop- Greenville, NC): Decanted for 1.5 hours. This wine exhibited a dark ruby/garnet color. On the nose, aromas of black cherries, raspberries and cranberries were joined by notes of cola, licorice, and hints of earthiness and floral elements. On the palate, more cherry cola action with raspberries and notes of mocha, vanilla, and spice. At first, the alcohol was a bit prominent but over time it would blow off and this wine became a more balanced creature that would bode well with more downtime. Definitely looking on the up and up... HS91+
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Massively overextracted with a lot of heat. About as elegant as a bull in a china shop. Not for me at all. I find it intriguing that WS continues to throw huge scores at these wines.
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My first K-B and it was pure cherry fruit bomb, very one dimensional, lacking any depth or complexity. Very easy to drink with moderate EtOH levels, I can see how this is a real crowd pleaser for a lot of New World PN lovers..
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Like all KB wines require, I opened the bottle an hour before enjoying.
Enjoyed half the bottle with deep pit beef from Glick's and the second half the next day. Nice red fruit nose. Nice mouth feel with tastes of cherry coke and spice.
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I had been afraid to open this wine, having read so many notes saying that it wasn't ready, that it needed time. I expected something monolithic, unyielding, in need of a serious decant. I have but a couple of bottles of this from my first allocation and want them to be worth all the coveting, but this was New Year's Eve and we were sitting down to dinner soon and so I went for it.
Even at the cooler cellar temp, the wine had a bouquet that jumped out of the bottle. Cherry cola, all spice, California PN for sure, if not RRV. But it was on the first taste that I had to smile--the wine delivered exactly what I was hoping for: pure fruit, spice, mocha, vanilla, wrapped in a silky velvet blanket that knit it all together. Finish was lingering like a sweet kiss. Not a profound or complex wine, but really beautifully balanced. I look forward to drinking my last two over the next couple of years as I don't expect it to get much better, but it should hold nicely as my Single Vineyard KBs mature.
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Sweet verging on confectionary aromas of cherry, baking spice, oak and rspberry. Same flavors carry over onto the palate along with orange zest and mineral. Full throttle and supper-ripe, but manages to stay some what balanced. This is more noticable oaky that the Rosella's. Drink now-2012. 92 Pts.
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I really enjoyed this wine. Decanted for 1/2 hour then it started to open up very nice. A lot of pure fruit. A nose of fresh raspberry with a touch of cherry. Elegant mouthfeel, with pure raspberry fruit evolving to cherry. Almost tasted a little like Cherry Coke on the finish. Great!
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Blind California Pinot Noir Tasting (Gary's House in Lisle, IL): Sight: Dark Purple color Smell: Cherries with a little wet bandaid/latex smell. Big alcohol nose. Taste: Hot and tannic. Notes: Far too young to drink now. Another one that needs to wait and see on. Can't tell yet.
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taste: real big mouth with dark cherry, herbs, and green pepper
overall: real good firm tannins and structure. Real nice finish to this one and some serious polish too. Lacking a slight bit now, but has some serious wiggle room for improvement with age
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Tasted as part of a group Pinot tasting - tasting we performed blind with capsules removed and the bags taped around the neck. Wines were not revealed until after ALL of the wines set for the evening were tasted. During the Pinot tasting, I used Waterford "Connoisseur Gold" Pinot Noir glasses. Sight: Clear, but darker than your average Pinot. SMELL: Earthy, Stewed fruits, Little heat with some slight band-aid smells. TASTE: Nice fruit! Good concentration and well balanced. Oak and tannin there and in check. Overall 91-92 points, think it will improve with age.
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Popped for a friend who'd never had a Kosta Browne. This wine needs some serious time as it was very tight and angular in the first hour or so it was open. It opened beautifully however after about an hour and a half showing a nice, rich dark cherry and baking spices. There's a hint of heat, but overall a pleasant experience if you give it time in the decanter or cellar.
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Share Our Wine Charity Event In the OC (Irvine, CA): Brown spice, some candied cherry and a touch of heat on the nose. Clove, cola and fruit forward. As it sat with some air, became a bit better balanced. Make sure you add some decant time if you drink now.
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Didn't take notes...started out a little grapey, but opened to beautiful florals/spice, wild berry fruit. Not as big as '03-'04, but should do well with a few years on it. A more subtle KB, still quite tasty! No problem downing the whole bottle.+pts
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Double decanted and poured, and then consumed over 6 hours. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, dark cherries, herbs, and smoke. On the palate, cherries, cola, and spice on an extremely long 40+ second finish. Supple mouthfeel and sweet tannings with an alcohol level that does not intrude. Another lovely KB offering...bravo!
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Chery, cola, clove/spice on the nose and palate. Perhaps adding a little strawberry. Lush but balanced with ample acidity. Finish was nice but not long. No doubt this was RRV pinot.
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Very concentrated berry and cola, oak still sticking out a bit, but the concentration of fruit is very appealing (not OTT in my opinion). More approachable than the 04 RRV at this stage of its life.
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Enjoyed @ Shaw's with the Fam. Definitely one of my favorite Pinot Noirs to date! Lovely garnet color in the glass. Vibrant notes of black currant, sweet allspice, white pepper, casis and vanilla. Impeccablyh smooth. Pure and clean after taste. Beautiful mouthfeel displaying silky tannins. Luring acidity finish out this winner from the Cali PN king.
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Not as good as last year, and not as good as the sonoma coast, this was a bit hot, with delicate strawberry and cherry fruit, but a muted midapate, and the finish was nice, but not what I came to expect from KB. Maybe next year...
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From a half bottle on the Stonehill Tavern wine list. Nose was slightly hot with tons of crushed strawberries. This is an obvious “new-world” pinot with all heat and in your face fruit that comes with it. Mouthfeel was silky, with more strawberry and some cherry. Finish was long and lingering. Well made wine no doubt, but one-dimensional and similar to other CA pinots I’ve had recently that have way less hype.
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Vibrant dark red color. The nose gives off some alcohol. Ripe fruits of raspberry, strawberry. Even a little leather and vanilla. The palate is smooth and good acidity. Has kind of a fake candy taste though. Tannin feels much softer and more restrained than the last time I tasted it. Heavy and a little clumsy. It smells good and has some nice complexity. The palate though is a little too much. Maybe it just needs to age a little longer. 50 + 5 + 12 + 14 + 7 = 88
Finishing off the rest of this a day later. I've chilled it down a lot. It was too warm yesterday. Somewhere around 60 F to 65 F seems about right. The nose is still the best part of this wine. Everything from yesterday and I think I'm starting to pick up some subtle hints of barnyard or something a little funky. The palate is still very candied and there's something weird about the acidity but the cooler temperature helps make the wine seem more balanced. 50 + 5 + 12 + 15 + 7
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Served at 53 degrees, though warming in the glass...on the nose are huge expressions of fresh strawberry jam filling the nasal passages, very floral, some nice tea notes...medium-weight on the palate, balanced, Pinot Noir through and through, you can't identify this as anything else, never going Syrah on the user, juicy, long and very present on the finish - and all I can think of is strawberry, strawberry, strawberry, some interesting tea notes on the finish, but the strawberry essence is the strongest factor in the flavor profile. Never hot. Serving temperature has to be key here. I don't drink any PN at more than 58 degrees or so, just a personal preference. If heat shows at that temp, it's truly not for me. Drink 'em cool. More than happy with my sub $50 purchase.
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Beautiful dark red semi-transparent color. 5/5 Big aromas of cherry, with a floral hint and a fair amount of alcohol. 8/10 Delicious big fruit on the palate, lots of cherry, but not as complex as I expected. 16/20 Balance is dead on. The high alcohol is matched by the big fruit and just enough tannin to give the wine structure. 10/10. Finish is medium long and smooth. 4/5.
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Bought off the list at G. danko ($180). I had wanted to try a wine from KB for a while and this was as good a time as any; as the burgundy prices were too rich, this became a "relative bargain". Popped and poured to murmurs of praise from the sommelier, I had high hopes... However, reality was something else. This seemed to be a simple raspberry fruit bomb. The wine lacked depth, character and interest and while there were no fundamental flaws, there wasn't anything remarkable that would lead me to chase the producer. I am wondering if the soils and heat are only capable of producing really fruit forward one dimensional wines. Others may take a different stance.
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Had after exellent Papapietro for comparision. More complex with earthy nose, cherry and rasberry and long pencil lead tanins on relatively long finish. Could use another year or two to mellow but very enjoyable now.
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Very hot on the nose. Jammy and simple with candied red fruit and cough syrup. Zero subtlety and zero interest, this is no where near "fine wine." I've never seen the fuss with KB and still don't. A friend preferred a horribly corked bottle of Chianti to this... for me it's a toss up.
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Alot of debate on this wine and I hadn't opened any '05's yet, so I picked this one to try out. On the nose, cherry and raspberry with some roses and spice. On the palate, cherries again with some raspberry and a subtle bit of spice and earthiness. Nice smooth finish. Not near as much heat on the nose or the palate as I had thought would be there.
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Decanted about 4 hours. The nose had cherry cola, mixed with forest floor, plus a bit of nutmeg and rose petals. The palate was smooth, with cola and brown spice, along with cherry, dirt, and floral notes. The finish was very good.
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Needs 2 hours of air....Great light fruit. Kiwi, strawberry, rhubarb, cranberry....sea water, a little spice. Great blend. 6-12 months in the bottle will be nice.
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Dark color for a pinot. On the nose crisp cherry, rasberry and tabacco. on the palate nice cherry and slight flab. Finish was moderate with slight ETOH taste. Enjoyed this very much but not as good as the 2004 which was a 95+ wine. This was a very fruit forward pinot and would be difficult to diferentiate from a well structured california merlot.
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Impression only from a restaurant dinner - Very rich, showed well at cellar temperature and got even better a couple degrees warmer - though as it got even warmer, I noticed a touch of flab. Nose not very expressive but palate more than made up for it. Very rich fruit and spice flavors, with long finish. It's still early for this wine, tannins on the finish were prominent. My palate found it fairly low acid, would have preferred a bit more for food matching.
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Not quite as open, flavorful, this evening. Had with in-laws, nephew, for my daughter's third birthday party (present opening phase). Good nose, rich, chocolaty, but not terribly deep.
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decanted for an hour...this must be going thru a dumb phase...or at least i hope it is...muted nose, thin on palate, next to nothing on finish...86 now...wait another 6-12 months for next bottle...86+(?)
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One of the less memorable Pinots of the year. Nice, typical nose and I would like the initial depth of the wine if it finished with more grace. There was a little heat around the edges. There's some good fruit in the bottle but this didn't show so well for me.
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Opened (and not decanted) for about 30 minutes. Nice fruit and cherry nose--maybe some cola. Wonderfully big and soft in the mouth with a sweet fruit finish. Not at its peak yet.
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2nd Annual NYC Blind 2005 Pinot Shootout (Taste): Not bad, but I don't get the sense this one has come together yet. Fairly complex nose of red cherries, brown sugar and lots of cola. Not exactly disjointed, but not exactly showing much balance. Nice fruit and some lively acidity, but they don't seem to be playing off one another. It may just need time to unwind and have the pieces fall into place. The jury is still out on this one.
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Brought this to a tasting we organized at work. I know I should have waited longer before dipping into the '05 KBs, but i couldn't do it. Wine was very fragrant and a little spicier than expected upon first taste. Rich flavors of black cherry and cola. Opened up after about 45 minutes, and got a little more balanced. Obviously needs more time in the cellar, but this is a wine not to be missed. Was the hit of the tasting, and I'll be counting the days until I open another one.
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The hit of the July 4th BBQ. Opened and decanted for about one hour. Great fruit, great mouthfeel, great balance. This was my first KB and now I know why there is a lot of fuss over them.
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Very good new world style pinot. I opened and served without decanting. Started with some pinot funk on the nose. That blew off in about 45 minutes to an hour, after which the wine came into its own. I am not usually a fan of new world pinots, but KB has it right! Beautiful flavors of cherries and strawberry. Hint of cola. Only one bottle left ... too bad.
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Not as good as the Sonoma one. Hot with a lot of volatility. Some good fruit to start and a good backbone with acids, but the heat and volatiles made this not unenjoyable very quickly.
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Drank over two days. Lifted and bright black cherry and cola dominate the nose. Berry fruit, cherry, vanilla coke, and nice acidity, rather short finish. About 30 minutes is all the wine needs to be ready to drink. Seems to hold up well, but I can't get from this wine that any substantial improvement is left in the bottle.
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We decanted for 7 hours before we tasted it. Even then the nose was subdued and hot. On the palate it was flavorful but pretty monolithic. About an hour later (after 8 hours in the decanter) it opened up in a big way -- strawberry and cherry, with a hint of cola, and increased sweetness. We never would have expected how good it would become when we first tasted it. Either leave it in the decanter all day or wait a year or two to open it.
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Aromas of cherries, spice and sweet tobacco were present on the nose. The palate was consistent with cola and licorice nuances adding to the fun. Medium to full bodied Pinot that had a long finish. Really enjoyable RRV Pinot.
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This was was outstanding. Do not have any specific tasting notes, but I just wish I could have bought more from the winery upon release. I will be buying my complete allocation each year from now on - that is for sure.
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Opened based on IWC and curiosity. Disjointed on opening, but some nice elements. I was surprised to find that over 4 hours this wine really developed and integrated beautifully. It was rich and delineated and a real treat. Would not serve without a 2 hour decant with lots of air
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I'm of two minds about this one. The nose is so hot initially that it's reminiscent of nail polish. The funny thing is that KB's '04 RRV has more alcohol yet seems (at least to me) less overt about it. With some air time, though, this integrates a little bit, bringing to the fore all manner of fruit. Jolly-Rancher-style cherry, tangy raspberry, cola, brown sugar, and vanilla really burst forth. It's not particularly subtle stuff, and it lacks that elusive, feminine, spicy violet note that I really like in a Pinot. And I'm not even certain that a few years of cellar time will cure the balance issue altogether. With all of that said, though, I still very much enjoyed this (though not as much as the '04 RRV or '05 SC).
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Didn't take formal notes, but was somewhat underwhelmed by this - no doubt partially due to high expectations. Seemed like very good RRV pinot with primary flavors well pronounced. Little in the way of secondary complexity, though. It's funny there are people who detest Martinelli pinots, but fawn all over this stuff. To my tastes this RRV bottling is very much in the Martinelli style and of similar caliber. Definitely impressive for it's conentrated fruit and the clarity of flavors. Theres a fairly tight acidic core that my undwind a bit, so it may be a little early to make a fair assessment. Alcohol's high too, which isn't a big deal to me, but it's probably masking anything delicate or subtle this wine has to offer.
18 hours later after sitting the vaccuum decanter there are two glasses of this left and it's vastly improved. It's now singing 4 or 5 notes and they're in harmony. Cherry, cola, vanilla, citrus. A lot of fun and the mid-palatte acidity is down a notch. Last night it had a couple of hours in the decanter, but now I see it needed more.
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New Pinot at 35th St. Bistro (Seattle, WA): Nice expressive nose with black cherries, strawberry, cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar, and a little oak. Well balanced on the palate with lively acidity and firm tannin. Nice finish but shows some alcohol.
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(Tasted blind at Pinot tasting - 35th Street Bistro)
RRV for sure. Big, sweet bing cherries on the nose with toasty gingerbread cookies. Bright acid, great lift, nice finish with a little heat. Some lemon zest, cinnamon, clove, cola, and vanilla. Probably KB (Ketcham?). Clean, rich, and still very pretty.
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Wonderful punch of lush strawberry and black cherry. Perfectly balanced with vibrant acidity and a long smooth finish - showing tobacco and tar after some time in the glass. Singing and approachable right now.
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Wine tasted from bottle at cave temperature. This was a pop and pour selection from a 375. Little sweet in nature, with cola, raspberry, strawberry and some dark tones.
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A fine pinot, spicy, rich, lush, plenty of alcohol. We followed a 1999 Veuve Clicquot Rose champagne with the Kosta pinot, followed by a Hansel '05 RRV pinot. It could be that there is enough alcohol in this wine to be unpleasant to some, but after the champagne, it did not intrude in the least. Went well with smoke-roasted bone-in rib-eyes, roasted herb-garlic potatoes, and a salad. My brother and his wife, though not wine enthusiasts, enjoyed this wine very much with us on our deck, celebrating my birthday.
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What a difference a vintage makes. This wine still is deep ruby in the glass, but much less in your face than the 2003 or 2004. The brown spice is still there, but the wine needs 2 or more years to show you what it is alll about. Even though this wine will improve with 2 or more years in bottle, it still drinks great right now with 2 hours in the decanter. For those who think KB have a big house syle, try this wine to see that they are committed to letting the vintage speak even with a fruit forward style.
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Wow! This was opened by my wife an hour or two prior to me trying it. I'm surprised by the brelative balance for such a young wine. The body is very impressive, silky, almost velvety, but with a lightness and a brightness. All the usual RRV flavors, although maybe a little less spice and a little more cranberry/pomegranate than usual. Finish is pleasant, and evolves nicely if not yet profound. Out of the gate this is my favorite KB RRV yet, which is saying a lot!
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GreenDrazi comes to NC! (Sullivan's- Raleigh, NC): Decanted for 2.5 hr. This wine exhibited a dark ruby color with a nose filled with aromas of black cherry, strawberry, and hints of pomegranate, earth and spice. There was a little bit of heat on the nose. The palate was a bit disjointed, but the flavors that I could extract included black cherries and earth. At this point in time I would rate this an 88... but there is a lot of room for improvement and I think time will tell how much better this wine will get. HS88
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K-B Spring ’07 Allocation Pick-up in Raleigh (Sullivan’s, Raleigh, NC): Decanted 2+ hr’s. Nose of pomegranate, cherry and light cinnamon. Very tight flavors of dark cherry with cinnamon spice and some heat. Surprisingly lighter body than the SC, with supple texture and a consistent palate. But this wine is not ready. NS
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Lots of primary fruit, cherry mostly with some strawberry. Well-balanced. Someone in the group described it as "bright." We very much enjoyed it but I won't touch this again for a couple of years in hopes it will develop more complexity.
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Just superb. Essentially what you would expect in a KB RRV, though the one thing that struck me was the incredible balance despite the 14.7% EtOH. Previous vintages seemed a little heavy to drink. However, the 05 version is just so incredibly well balanced, there was no heaviness or heat...bright cherries, cola, strawberries, flowers and a touch of earth. Perhaps more acidity? If you bought, just be glad you have this. I am going to give my remaining 3 bottles a couple years to sleep. This is the best RRV to date, at least for me.
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No formal notes as this was tasted as part of a winemaker dinner and was just recently bottled. I remember the wine being tight on the nose, but quite expressive on the palate showing a very rich cherry pie filling. Wonderful wine.
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OC Kosta Browne Pay It Forward Offline (Sage in Newport Beach, CA): What an honor to try this wine now. Another beauty and with the SC, as well, really a show stopper, even just having been bottled just 10 days ago. The nose is full of cola, dark stone fruit, rose petal and just fragrant as hell. The palate is fleshy, dark with a cola, plum, spice cake feel. Much like the 2003 Koplen in style but with a higher level of perecevied acidity. A huge winner for me and a wine I will go deep on.
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8/5/2022 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 97 Points
Cellared since release - Drunk with very wine savvy owners of local wine bar. Truly fabulous Russian River Pinot. Flawless appearance, dark purple core with dense color to the rim. Unmistakable, characteristic nose of rich pinot fruit, snappy ripe stems, forest floor & cola. Delicious, luxurious tastes of ripe black & blue fruits. This developed exactly as one would hope, and shed a lot of it's baby fat from the early years. Could last 2-3 more years in a good cellar but... why wait?
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1/28/2022 - dlduchon wrote: 75 Points
Tastes like overcropped grenache from a hot vintage. Not one Pinot quality. Terrible.
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2/19/2021 - EPounds Likes this wine:
Initially, very ripe red fruit on the nose, but over time that faded away and this Pinot I did not expect to last this long was very enjoyable and balanced.
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12/30/2019 - Senso-beak wrote: 90 Points
Opened and served.... dark and thin is. Hefty abv and secondary notes of plum, braised prune, cola, tast, cola, blackberry, hoisin. Still some confected sweetness along with the secondaries. Day two fleshed out a bit, smoother. Still very solid, just not electric like it’s youth.
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8/9/2019 - Dasbird Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning!
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2/24/2019 - mflesh wrote: 94 Points
A really nice Pinot in the PRIME of its window as we speak. This wine was ALIVE. Lots of black cherry, dirty raspberry. Hint of orange peel. Still quite a bit of sweet character on the finish combined with an herbal character. Still with more acidity on the finish than I thought it was going to have. Really impressive Pinot. If you have any of these, I'd have ZERO discipline to hold them any longer (in all honesty I don't think I would even HAVE any due to the lack OF...).
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6/20/2018 - jasonh Does not like this wine: 82 Points
I thought I drank my last one of these a number of these in 2016 when it was still enjoyable although long in the tooth. Now VA dominates. Light black cherry and pomegranate on the nose.
Sweetness on the front palate. Silky texture. The finish is a blob of heat and tar. This was one to be enjoyed in its youth.
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3/6/2018 - Senso-beak wrote: 88 Points
Opened and poured with lamb chops. Medium to light body initially. Somewhat thin for a KB, with dense tea, concentrated strawberry, cola, red fruits. Lacking the power of a typical KB, but with air gaining traction and fleshing out. With air, fleshed out a bit and darker fruits emerged...plum, toasty reds. A bit better with air.
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5/14/2017 - mouton45 wrote: 93 Points
Mother's Day dinner with grilled ribeyes, corn on the cob, baked potato and portabello mushrooms. This bottle was even close to being over the hill or even on the downslide. Two more left, and i look forward to each of them
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2/27/2017 - Cheny Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had it w chicken tagging and moroccan couscous. Still had plenty of depth and length. Closer to a french merlot than US pinot. Probably another 3 years of good drinking.
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9/16/2016 - jasonh wrote: 86 Points
Probably not a wine meant to wait 11 years on but I still had a bottle bouncing around in my locker. Popped and poured. Big juicy aromatics. Cherry liqueur and pineapple stand out. The aromas were fun in small doses. The fruit was still fairly fresh but some stewed elements. Absent of any noticeable tannin. Drink um if you got um.
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4/19/2016 - VillaSprezzatura wrote:
wish we would have drank this 2 years ago
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3/15/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking fine, but a tad more muted on the fruit spectrum then in the past. Seems just past prime. Suggest drinking this up, sooner rather than later.
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10/4/2015 - KenK wrote: 93 Points
Sweet red strawberries and milk chocolate. Not serious wine, but well made and delish!
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5/24/2015 - Andrew H wrote: 88 Points
Passing its prime - deep red fruit, tasting a touch stewed (possibly heat damage not age), nice spice and hint of heat on finish.
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3/29/2015 - Paul Lin wrote: 83 Points
Much better on the second day, but still a bit stewy and overdone.
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12/25/2014 - slywka7 wrote: 92 Points
Christmas wine! Some bricking starting on the outer rim of this but KB always makes darker Pinot's. Nose of brown sugar, rose petal, dried cherry, herb and pomegranate. This is definitely different from the last time I had it showing more mature notes. Still some cola there dried cherry and dried strawberry but hints of mushroom and herb as well. Preferred the Sonoma Coast bottling in this vintage but still a very nice showing.
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11/27/2014 - dmcella wrote:
Agree with Senso-Beak: dark, brooding, cola, hoisin. In addition, wild berry, earth, unripe cherry skins. Quite heavy and viscous, and noticeably high in alcohol. Tastes at least partially whole-cluster fermented - some stemminess. Powerful, but not elegant.
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11/8/2014 - Senso-beak wrote: 90 Points
Second bottle of the night. Opened for a bonfire and poured into paper cups lol. Thick, dark and brooding, a carpet of sweet bitter fruit, showing dark cola, hoisin and sassafrass secondaries. Potent and dense. Hard to get an exact read due to the lack of stemware and environment, but the two bottles were quickly quaffed.
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11/8/2014 - Senso-beak wrote: 90 Points
Opened for a bonfire and poured into paper cups lol. Thick, dark and brooding, a carpet of sweet bitter fruit, showing dark cola, hoisin and sassafrass secondaries. Potent and dense. Hard to get an exact read due to the lack of stemware and environment, but the two bottles were quickly quaffed.
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12/16/2013 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 93 Points
Dark crimson color turning rust at the rim with an funky nose of Russian River earth and dried herbs. The palate is rich with a smooth, meaty texture highlighted by notes of red currants, leather, sage and tobacco. Finishes long with gritty tannins. Good balance and food-friendly. Drink now with a 30-minute decant until 2025.
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12/6/2013 - jnanz wrote:
Very good pinot. Darker cherry fruit profile compared to the Sonoma. Dark fruit and spice on the nose are carried through the palate with black cherry supported by cinnamon, mace, sassafras and nutmeg spice (mulling spices?). The cinnamon on the finish is slightly complicated by a little alcohol (heat). At peak for me.
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10/13/2013 - budh wrote: 90 Points
Color has faded to garnet. Aromas and flavors of raspberry, baking spices, oak, pepper, candied strawberry. Medium+ body, high acidity, medium tannin, medium+ finish. Typical KB extracted style - very ripe fruit, high alcohol, lots of body and oak (cedar, vanilla, smoke). Benefits from lots of air time. Not my favorite style, but this is a nice wine. I can see why many people prefer KBs a little younger - the style really wants lots of fruit, and this is fading a bit at this point. But I think the age has helped this mellow a bit and lighten up some.
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9/12/2013 - texaswinelover wrote: 91 Points
Drink up. Always impressed by level of sweet dark fruit that kb manages to provide. Unique. Big mouthfeel despite light color, touch of heat but weighter than expected. Cola present.
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5/23/2013 - oski wrote: 95 Points
Stellar bottle, notes of cherry cola, spice and depth. Seems to be at a peak, enjoyed over 3 hours with no drop off.
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4/12/2013 - jfkwines wrote: 91 Points
Drink now if you haven't
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3/29/2013 - Grape_ape wrote: 91 Points
Pleasantly surprised by this. Have had a couple 2006s over the past few months including one a few weeks back and really didn't enjoy as they were too big, heavy and a bit hot.
This is In a real nice place, coming across as way more elegant and balanced than I've experienced. I think it must be at least in part due to the 05 vintage. Nice cherry strawberry baking spice nose. Surprising fresh on the palate with red fruit spice and some funk, decent acid on the finish. Just a little sappy or glossy on the palate is the only quibble I have.
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2/16/2013 - MillerRoad Likes this wine:
Go ahead and drink. Still doing well, but would not hold much longer.
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1/20/2013 - hkfoebee wrote:
I'm starting to believe the prime drinking window of all KBs is around 3 -5 yearr. This one seemed a bit out of sync... Last bottle at that.
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12/29/2012 - Meerlust wrote: 92 Points
Purple center with ruby rim. The nose was very expressive with lovely orange blossom, cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, and root beer notes. The palate provided hedonistic cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate flavors wrapped in a delicate cloak of chocolate. The balanced acidity highlighted the plush mouthfeel of this medium-bodied wine. The finish was long and packed with great fruit. Overall, this wine still displays great fruit that is a Kosta Browne hallmark, but the acidity maintains control over this hedonistic pleasure.
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11/22/2012 - scott davis wrote: 92 Points
Young, dark ruby in color. Perfumed aromas of dark berries, including black cherry and blackberry. The palate shows a solid core of ripe plum and wild berry fruit, with flowers, spice, and a fresh mineral note. The finish has a sweet edge, with firm tannins and bright, lively acidity.
Still drinking young at 7 years. Delicious with Thanksgiving turkey.
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11/10/2012 - Arch57 wrote: 94 Points
I am a big fan of KB and usually cannot keep them in the cellar long but this was my attempt at aging for the 7 year mark. It paid of indeed as I read my old tasting note from 2008 this wine definitely improved with time as I scored it 3 points higher. Wonderful nose of red fruit and spices but the oak was fully integrated and any heat was gone. Velvet smoot tannins with a 20+ finish. Shared with my wife and friends for my 55th birthday. Will try to hold some of my single vineyard bottles for the ten year mark.
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9/2/2012 - homerfan33 wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Fantastic wine, and I don't even like pinots that much. Chocolate, nice pepper and fruit. Really lovely.
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8/14/2012 - mouton45 wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular showing at our anniversary dinner tonight at Two Chefs. It went especially well with Cathy's boneless short ribs, barley risotto and dried cherries. This tasting reinforces in my mind that KB is clearly a top-tier PN winery in California.
Medium-plus color. Jammy nose of raspberry, plum and blackberry. Velvety in the mouth. Good weight, acidity and tannin structure, held up nicely through a long dinner.
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6/28/2012 - wine4ever wrote: 90 Points
Very good. Not my favorite style, but my husband really likes it. 88 for me, 92 for him. Lots of cola and spices, followed by red cherries, raspberries, and then bell pepper. A bit of acidity and alcohol on the finish. A good food wine. Not worth the current $50 fee. Drink now or over next 12 months for best flavors as fruit seems to be fading.
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5/26/2012 - nvandyk wrote: flawed
Corked!
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5/26/2012 - zheem wrote:
Best after long period to open. Very rich style, not light on its feet. Aromas of cola, brambles, rose with similar flavors. Light on acidity and high on alcohol. Overall very good, but not classic.
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5/8/2012 - RAMwines wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed my next to last 2005 Kosta Browne Russian River blend tonight with a couple of wine buddies. What a great Pinot!!! Big full bodied with lots of fruit and spices dazzling the palate. It actually needed a little time fully to open up. Guess I'm not in a rush to open the last bottle.
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4/8/2012 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent pinot of the California style. Medium bodied with a nose of baking spices, bramble and dark cherries. Wonderful palate with silky tannins, red cherry, raspberry and spice flavors, enough acidity to stand up to food and a nicely rounded finish with a touch of cola. This wine is drinking at its peak right now but may have a couple more years at that peak.
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4/4/2012 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 97 Points
One of the reasons, I don't buy hype-wine is because they fail to deliver most of the time. This is not the case for this wine. This wine is simply gorgeous. Simply sublime.
Gorgeous fruit on the nose. Mulled Morello cherry, with a touch of spice. The tannin that was present upon bottling is totally gone. Even a nice note of creme chocolate. On the palate, the wine retains KB density and follows the aromatics with a savory tone with not one acidic edge. The acid is well balanced and the mouth feel does not show 6 years of age, but rather vinous and silky. A wonderful drink.Very nice finish, but not as long as it was in its youth. Second bottle that I have had. Enjoyed with Crab Louie. Well done. Cellared from Day 1
Lots of life left.
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3/31/2012 - Jdubb wrote: 90 Points
Smooth, good balance, right time to drink.
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3/28/2012 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Consistent with last bottle consumed om 12/12/11. Big fruit and spice with decent finish. Just a tad big and in need of acidity for my liking. Not over the top though!
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3/18/2012 - MJTed wrote: 88 Points
Good but not great for the price. Fairly monolithic black cherry fruit, with oak still prominent. A touch of cola on the finish.
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2/12/2012 - marka wrote: 88 Points
- Crimsom color and aromas of bell pepper, raspberry, strawberry, black pepper and mushroom and has flavours of bell pepper, raspberry and mushroom - Much better and more balanced two days later. I'd still pay 38, or even 48, for this, but it isn't worth over 50.
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2/8/2012 - kleinahoe wrote: 92 Points
Like silk. Subdued fruit. Good balance.
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1/28/2012 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was garnet color and reddish pink on the edge. This wine was aromatically open and smelled of cherry, floral notes, and spices. This was a medium bodied wine which tasted of cherry, cinnamon, earthy and spicy notes. The tannins are smooth, sheer, and silky. This wine is mouth watering and complex. There is a little heat and the finish is long.
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1/28/2012 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 91 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 63 (Glenn's house in Southlake, TX): WIML91
Tasted non blind at a wine tasting. Opened and served immediately.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thistle, birch, black cherries and black berries. Flavors of black cherries, black berries and a bit of grapefruit. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. This was my last bottle so I guess I'm leaning towards drink.
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12/12/2011 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Good for the style. I agree with Dr. Dietz, it is big but not over the top. Good fruit, spice and acidity. Will try the Sonoma Coast from the same vintage soon.
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11/26/2011 - Colima74 wrote: 90 Points
Still on the big side of Pinot, with lots of baking spice, cinnamon on the nose. Red cherry fruit with a hint of cola. I liked it better than LC did, who felt the fruit was still too big. Good acidity, making it a nice food wine. With vegetabl soup, turkey, and, later, with tamales. No problem holding on to these a couple more years if desired.
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11/5/2011 - winepog wrote: 92 Points
Edged out a 1998 CdP and a really nice Amorone - very nice wine....smooth and balanced, after decanting for 1.5 hours...
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10/15/2011 - JOJ wrote: 93 Points
Nose of raspberry, wild berry, baking spice, mineral, and chalk. Classic RRV palate -- wild berry, black cherry, cola and nutmeg. Still a healthy amount of tannin, with counterbalacing acidty. Youthful. Very good.
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9/16/2011 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 92 Points
Pinot isn't my thing, but this wine was outstanding. Popped and poured. There was clarity and precision in the wine with clearly defined flavors focusing on a cherry base that was neither tart nor sweet, but somewhere in the middle. There was only a bit of Cali pinot cola funk. There was acidity without bitterness. The finish was on the long side. Color was a bit light compared to my usual Saxums, about what you would expect from a pinot. I do not know if it was the patience of waiting 6 years or just the wine itself. I drank this same wine over 3 years ago and my note said that everyone agreed that it was "stong flavored" for a pinot noir. Maybe that's true compared to a Burg, but it's a lot lighter than the Aubert pinot we had last month.
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8/21/2011 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Gonna have to agree with Jimmy before me. Lots of spice for sure. Lots of fruit, extracted, lush, quite floral on the nose, and the purity of the wine was exquisite. Well made.
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7/29/2011 - Tel007 wrote:
Jimmy's review below is spot on
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7/12/2011 - jimmythesaint wrote:
Drank my last 05 rrv kb and it did not disappoint. Orange rind, baking spice, red fruit, cola and some earthiness. Wine kept at a cool temp so no problem with heat. Finish to match nose. This wine is singing now but has some life ahead.
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7/4/2011 - wickedwax wrote:
Intense aromas of dark berry fruit, some red fruit, baking spices and loamy earth, but you can also smell the heat on the nose. Big, ripe -- almost jammy -- flavors come rushing in with a velvety texture. There is still a little bit of tannic grip to this but I would have to say that acidity seems quite low, and thus somewhat accentuates the denseness of the wine. Drank alongside the 2005 Sonoma Coast, one could say that this wine was more masculine while the Sonoma Coast was more feminine, even though they are both rich and ripe fruit bombs. Long finish, but dominated by alcoholic heat. I can understand why people love these wines, but it's really not my preferred style.
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6/9/2011 - Senso-beak wrote: 93 Points
It's been a while since I checked in with this wine and all things are system go. Round, dark and brooding, this prodigious and heady sauce molts through differing aromatic layers upon open through fully open. There's plenty of toasted oak, cola, baking spice, overripe strawberry and chocolate raspberry, graham and soy with a resonating beam of brandied morello cherries...ETOH tweaks the nostrils as well. On the palate shows a wide transformation from layered graining of the tannins to a smooth back end. The aromas meld into the mid-palate and moreso the finish, where the ripe fruit extracts warm the tongue. Ambles down the fine line between hot and heavy. An unmistakable KB offering, that should continue to age and hold for another 5+ years.
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5/30/2011 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Much better than the bottle we had a couple of years ago. The alcoholic notes are largely gone, and the typical pinot aromatics (cinnamon, nutmeg) were very much present. I wouldn't have thought this wine could recover from the high toned alcoholic notes, so this was a pleasant surprise.
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5/6/2011 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, poached salmon and steamed artichokes and melted butter!
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4/23/2011 - btock wrote: 93 Points
Brought in for a dinner at Levain in So. Mpls. Paired with hangar steak frites and that was right on the money. We drank this bottle in no time. Smooth, satisfying red fruits and bramble/spice. Silky mouthfeel and bright. Wears it well. This why I used to buy KB - too bad a wine like this can't be marketed for under $50 anymore. Still have the '05 Sonoma Coast, will sit on that a little longer...but not too much, temptation draws near.
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4/16/2011 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose of cake spice with dark red brambly berry. Also nice silky mouthfeel, with more of the same, cake spice, a bit of cola, and for me this wasn't overblown at all, but then again, I did choose to open a KB tonite. I popped this bottle and left it to breath for 2 hours before serving. A bit of a one trick pony, not complex, no thinking about anything beyond the berries and spice (probably a fair amount of barrel toast). Very easy to drink and Hard to put down, but the heat on the finish was a definite detractor for me.
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3/27/2011 - Li6 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, with bright cranberry, cherry, cola, sandalwood and spice flavors that end savory. Nice length, with just enough grip on the finish to frame the flavors.
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3/24/2011 - MLwine wrote: 92 Points
Really impressive. Medium bodied, but rich, smooth, andwith vibrant fruits while maintaining balance. Delightful.
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3/13/2011 - Meerlust wrote: 92 Points
Medium, ruby color. On the nose, there is an explosion of dark cherry, raspberry, musk, and spice. This is all about hedonistic fruit and balance. The palate is hugely flavorful with dark fruits, raspberry, cola, and spice. There is vibrant acidity to balance the deep fruit, making the entire wine alive. The finish is long and fruit-packed with a spicy spine. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine for its huge fruit, yet it is balanced because of its acidity.
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3/13/2011 - budman wrote: 93 Points
WOTN... by far!!!
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2/20/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 92 Points
Powerful red fruit - classic KB
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2/6/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind. Opened and glass decanted 30 minutes before serving. Followed over about 90 minutes.
Garnet, slightly dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of birch, black berries and black cherries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries on the medium finish. Bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink over the next 2-3 years plus or minus.
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1/23/2011 - Jadiii wrote: 90 Points
Drinking very nice, big wine, silky dark fruit.
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1/8/2011 - JOJ wrote: 94 Points
Just tremendous. Nose is a melange of cherry, black cherry, and strawberry, with notes of clove and Asian spice. As good as the nose is, this wine is all about the palate and mouthfeel. Cherry, cola, spice, mineral, and wet rock. Well balanced. No hint of age. A "wow" wine.
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1/2/2011 - shakedown wrote: 87 Points
I found this to be a little too hot but it still had some nice attributes including a delicious finish. Nose is hot with some cherry and oak and then the palate was sweet and sour, kind of jolly rancher cherry like. Vanilla, creamy oak, cranberries, cherry.
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1/2/2011 - shakedown wrote: 88 Points
I found this to be a little too hot but it still had some nice attributes including a delicious finish. Nose is hot with some cherry and oak and then the palate was sweet and sour, kind of jolly rancher cherry like. Vanilla, creamy oak, cranberries, cherry.
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12/25/2010 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
Just a beautiful pinot that is drinking great as usual. I purchased 20 bottles of wine and have loved very bottle and have just one bottle left. This is one of my favorite KB county pinots of all time.
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12/22/2010 - jfont123 wrote: 93 Points
Terrific wine.
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12/9/2010 - elliotgl wrote: 85 Points
I know I am in the minority when it comes to Kosta Browne pinots. I read the glowing 90+ scores and it makes one want to get on their mailing list - that is what happened to me - although the wines are well made to me this is not what pinot should be - I think the Eyrie Reserve, Wesmar, Williams Selyem and others in that vein show the delicacy and feminine side of the grape and don't strive for a Rhone wanabee Parkerized wine. This 2005 RRV is a good example - the alcohol is front and center and I am willing to wager that many wine drinkers could not identify this as a pinot without reading the label. Well made wine, round in texture in the mouth with a core of spice and a medium length finish. Not my idea of pinot!!!!
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12/5/2010 - pjhr wrote: 94 Points
Continues to drink well. Another tasty pinot from KB!
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11/28/2010 - brian przyzycki wrote: 92 Points
Well structured with a ong finish. Lots of Rasberry and cola flavors. Nice and spicy. Excellent.
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11/26/2010 - subir wrote: 90 Points
Light color, I was expecting it to be far more dense. Very apparent nose of cherry, sage and forest floor. Light to medium body and a 25 second finish. Thoroughly enjoyable.
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11/21/2010 - tp096255 wrote: 92 Points
COLOR: Purplish light garnet
NOTE: Nice, typical Cali PN from start to finish. Holding up well and seems to have the stuffing to survive a few more years. Great with the food.
DECANT: 1 hr
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.2+
COST: 49
VALUE: 6.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: n/a
PAIRING: Pork with port-fig reduction
---
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11/18/2010 - budman wrote: 93 Points
WOTN - Cherry, vanilla, and spice. Complex with a long finish.
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11/11/2010 - cookie7 wrote:
Drinking from awful commercial stemware - sigh. Bright strawberries on the nose. Ripe berries on the palate. No heat on the finish. Ready to drink now
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10/28/2010 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful nose of cherry, spice and the deep forest woods. In the mouth, a sweetness of cherry and berries. It is a full pinot, with a nice balance between bright acidity and the sweet fruit. Opened up more on the second day to show more of the spice and forest floor elements. Tasty juice.
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10/21/2010 - brian przyzycki wrote: 89 Points
Bottle had cork taint. Ruined the night.
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10/21/2010 - mebydef wrote: 85 Points
This was a hot mess... Perhaps these are meant to be consumed young.
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9/12/2010 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:
tasty
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9/5/2010 - cabber wrote: 94 Points
Big expressive full-fruit pinot. Dark garnet color, ripe & flowery nose, sweet black cherries. Surprisingly well balanced, given the intensity. almost zin-like, but without the syrup and heat. loved it.
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8/21/2010 - imbibe wrote: 90 Points
Smells almost like a zin. Brambly red raspberrys yum
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8/10/2010 - blaine wrote:
Another great bottle, these have been my fav KB so far (but I only get this and the SC). Nicely balanced, no heat. Maybe cool vintage KB is the way to go?
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8/8/2010 - BonnieM wrote:
No heat, really nice wine even when drunk out of a plastic cup. Can't wait to try it in nice stemware.
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7/25/2010 - azwino wrote: 90 Points
Post cellar disaster. WOW. None of the heat described by previous tasters. Wild berries, loads of fruit on the aroma and flavor. Did not get a chance to taste over long period of time ... but it opened up and was fairly soft.
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7/18/2010 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was put together nicely and got even better as we drank it. Had some nice black cherry and cola flavors that just went over your palate like a wave. This was much better than the Russian River Valley bottle I had two years ago and I think the additional age did it some good.
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7/18/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
No decant.
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7/17/2010 - JOJ wrote: 96 Points
Oh my! My best bottle of this wine, by far. Indescribable nose -- wave after wave of wild berry, strawberry, sage, smoke, clove, chocolate, flowers, and wet earth. Palate has a core of wild berry and black cherry, with notes of anise, smoke, cola, bittersweet chocolate, and minerals. Finish lasts 45-60 seconds. Tannins resolved, acidity still present. None of the heat detected in prior bottles. Prior creamy notes have disappeared. Superb.
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7/2/2010 - JFish wrote:
My last bottle and the best of my 6. No noticeable heat, but it was consumed with BBQ chicken pizza which may have muzzled it a bit. The fruit just went on an on, some cola. Based upon this bottle I can't see it improving beyond this. But I can't say I'm glad I don't have more. I enjoyed the ride while it lasted.
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6/11/2010 - cadamson wrote: 78 Points
For whatever reason, I was in the mood for a big pinot after a long week. Big+pinot means grab a Kosta. Even while in the mood, I still just do not feel the love... The alcohol simply stands out too much, and dominates the nose and the finish. A year ago, I got some good fruit, mixed with the KB cola. This year I get cola mixed with alcohol. Drink up before it turns to rubbing alcohol. I have too much KB in my cellar, not buying any more. Occasionally good, once in a while very good (I have a soft spot for the Kanzler), often average or downright hard to drink.....even taking into account a mismatch with my preferred style, these have too short of a lifespan, and even within that span, I get way too much variation.
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6/5/2010 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
This was drinking well upon popping the cork. Nice red fruits on the nose and palate. This was nice, but nowhere near as good as the '04 August West Rosella I had also opened.
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6/2/2010 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
A bit heavy handed directly after opening, but settled into a balanced presentation of quality CA pinot after a bit of air. Stayed consistanty good while open on the first night and only lost a small step on the 2nd. No alc. burn, rich red fruit aromas matched the palate. Did not expect this to taste as good as it did. Ready to enjoy now w/o regret.
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5/20/2010 - tkoby11 wrote: 89 Points
Not bad, not mind blowing. Not super over the top (in a good way so its not trying too hard), but just not that complex and interesting. Nicely made, pretty well balanced, ripe but not a super fruit bomb. Strawberry and dark cherry fruit, some cola and sandalwood, a bit of earth, orange peel zest. Holding together well for 5 years old. Probably not going to get "better", but should hold in this stage for another 1.5, maybe 2 years.
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5/10/2010 - MJTed wrote: 90 Points
Much better than the 2005 SC, but should have decanted. This really opened up after 45 minutes and a half bottle to rock the black cherry fruit, cola and spice. Very powerful, smoky nose. Started out too oaky but resolved.
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5/7/2010 - Jay A wrote: 90 Points
Order has been restored. After an atrocious bottle of 1999 Sassicaia and two bad bottles of Alcina Pinot Noirs thanks to Neocork, this was definitely a welcome bottle. Even though my palate is more into Burgundy, this is still enjoyable. It is a powerful Cali PN but it isn't bordering on Syrah like some others. Whether you like powerful pinots or not, this does possess a silk like texture. Lots of dark cherry fruit. Not extremely nuanced, but with its nice fruit and lovely texture this wine is very enjoyable.
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5/3/2010 - brianofthevine wrote: 93 Points
Red/black cherry, plum, rich flavor, full bodied, long finish.
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4/16/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks (sorry Dave) (Barbaresco): Much better. Mild reduction on the nose, but with a little pinot funk and black cherry. Mild heat on the palate but retains freshness and plenty of cherry cola, and a lengthy fruity vanilla finish. Nice.
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4/4/2010 - pjhr wrote: 94 Points
As delicious as the last bottle.
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3/29/2010 - jfkwines Likes this wine:
This was more subdued than the 06 Sc we had first. A great choice as the follow up to our brisket wine we had first.
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3/26/2010 - Rollerball wrote: 88 Points
Kosta Brown: 2005 RRV vs. Sonoma Coast: Remains bold, intense, and enjoyable enough. But the heavy, too-ripe berries bumble through this wine with nothing to catch their fall.
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3/18/2010 - LikeABC wrote: 91 Points
decided to pop my penultimate 05 RR since i'm going to Zin fest in Paso this weekend.
Cork was almost perfect. A slight crack in the bottom, almost like a 1 cm fault line.
Color was a clear deep red all the way to the edge (no bricking). Explosive Russian River nose of cherry, raspberry, cola and a bit of sandle wood/spice. Ripe black cherry mixed with a little Dr Pepper... very well intergrated and smooth. A trace of heat is the only negative with this wine (unless you don't like ripe CA pinot). Very well made and in it's sweet spot now. Probably can go 2-3 more years.
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3/5/2010 - matthen wrote: 90 Points
See previous note. This has settled down and still has plenty of life to it. I still believe that it is over extracted and a little over the top. I really like the purity of fruit in Kosta Browne Pinot's, but this is a bit much for me. The 04 and 07 are much better from RR bottlings.
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3/2/2010 - Drewine wrote: 92 Points
92-93 points. Decanted for about 15 minutes. Slight heat at beginning which mostly blew off after another 30 minutes. Delicious, rich pinot with beautiful mouthfeel. Dark cherry, dr. pepper and baking spice notes are seamlessly woven and balanced with just enough acidity right now.
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2/28/2010 - rben_mvp wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, nice cherry, strawberry, and raspberry fruits. A little vanilla and spices. It drank very nicely.
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2/15/2010 - hkfoebee wrote:
Drank over a span of 2 days. Tasty stuff!
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2/1/2010 - blaine wrote:
Enjoyed this very much, much more than the 05 SC we had a couple of weeks ago. Great balance, not over the top.
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1/30/2010 - MCUBEB wrote: 90 Points
Nose of caramel and toasted oak with vanilla. On the palate notes of intesnse cherries, raspberries and vanilla and than finishes with notes of cloves and cinamman, which lasts for more than 45 seconds. Drink now.
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1/28/2010 - CRAUBER4242 wrote: 92 Points
Needed ½ to 1 hour of air. Bright black cherry and blackberry on the nose with hints of cola. Nice creamy cherry on the rich juicy finish. Great mouth-feel. Enjoyed with grilled pancetta wrapped fallow deer tenderloins marinated over 8 hours in an Asian inspired marinade.
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1/27/2010 - JFish wrote:
Quick TN: dark cherries and cola. Fairly monolithic. A touch of heat showing on the finish. Decent pairing with chicken masala.
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1/23/2010 - riccodog13 wrote: 88 Points
Sweet cherry, cola and oak aromas dominate here. With big, rich black cherry, oak and mineral flavors. Full bodied and very accessible, but surprisingly shows nice balance for a big modern style pinot. Enjoyable now and should be drunk soon as it doesn't posses the depth or complexity to support longer aging. Drink now. 88 pts.
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1/21/2010 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
This bottle more rustic than the last. I'd say start drinking these up.
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1/16/2010 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with my prior note. Delicious flavor profile with a forward but balanced profile. Okay QPR at the ~$50 off of the list.
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12/14/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Brash and delightful – a very good vintage for this drinking well now. (91)
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12/13/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Lots of cola, brown spice, raspberry and fruity. We drank this close to room and I don't have a heat issue with this wine. We did decide to put some chill on the bottle to firm it up, as the palate weight is heavy. Suggest drink now, as thew acidity in the wine is fairly low. Drinks fine.
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11/29/2009 - eSchrag wrote: 90 Points
Alcohol and deep red fruit on the nose. Another big Cali Pinot that needs time to settle down. It has a ton of red fruit to go with the still hot alcohol background. Would recommend decanting for an hour or so to give the alcohol some time to burn off. As usual, Kosta Browne, is dancing a very thin line between a rich and velvety Pinot and a shot of cherry brandy. Enjoy!!!
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11/28/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 92 Points
Feeling the heat, but this was just delicious. Perfect to drink over the winter months with some hearty dishes!
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11/28/2009 - numcwrt2 wrote: 91 Points
Not drinking to the level I would have hoped....some heat, fairly pedestrian Cali Pinot nose and palate. However, 4 days later having forgot about the remainder, the alcohol blew off and the palate integrated....lush, ripe red fruits. Good Stuff
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11/26/2009 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
from magnum. nice bright fruit profile. red cherry and raspberry. some cola profile as well. a little bit of heat, chill this down a bit and it will drink much better.
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11/16/2009 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Just a bit of alcoholic heat but otherwise pretty nicely balanced, red fruits dominate...the rest needs to wait another year or more.
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11/12/2009 - JFish wrote:
Similar to last bottle. A burst in the midpalate, predominant cherry flavors and a hint of cola, then showing some heat through the finish.
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11/12/2009 - ruddy wrote: 91 Points
Big and bold cherry cola but laced with bracing acidity, with a cooling menthol thing on the finish.
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11/2/2009 - PVJC wrote:
Still not my favorite of the KB lineup but was a pleasant bottle with Thanksgiving dinner and had a brighter fruit nose than what I remember from the last time we had one of these.
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10/18/2009 - rockyrd wrote: 90 Points
Shared with friends at dinner and they all commented on how much they liked it. None had heard of it. A very delightful PN.
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10/15/2009 - Screameagle wrote: 93 Points
Wow, this bottle was so much better than my last bottle. Thank goodness since I've got 8 bottles left. KB at it's best with lots of Cherry flavors that I love in RR wines. No sign of decline at all.
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10/14/2009 - Mr Cabernet wrote: 92 Points
I wish I had the vocabulary to describe this wine. Great balance, loads of fruit, firm tannins, a little to much wood.
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10/10/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:
Brought this to a dinner and was the WOTN. Lots of fruit and excellent acid balance. Most people had never had a KB, and everyone wanted to try some. Drinking well at this time.
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10/7/2009 - PatLee wrote:
Big style California pinot. Deep nose of black cherry and spice. Lots of cherry, cola, and pepper on the palate. Acid seems high on the finish and it comes off a little hot. Revisit tomorrow.
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9/27/2009 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Rich, effusive nose of sweet black cherries, cherry pie and baking spices. Palate is richly fruited but well balanced with zingy acidity. There are suave tannins that provide grip and texture. Medium to full bodied. Delicious from start to medium-long finish.
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9/25/2009 - khmark7 wrote:
Very hot and completely fell apart, even with time in a decanter. Any flavors were dominated by alcohol.
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9/23/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90
Tasted September 23, 2009 at an offline.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cocoa, black cherries, black berries and white pepper. Flavors of rich black cherries, black berries and a bit of plum. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink over the medium term.
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9/12/2009 - jshufelt wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for one hour. In the glass, clear dark ruby red. On the nose, equal parts pinot spice and alcohol. On the palate, a core of dark cherries, a touch of sweet vanilla and stone fruit, and a somewhat hot, somewhat alcoholic finish. The fruit is here, with a nice bit of complexity, but the alcoholic notes on the nose and palate drag this one down from what it could have been.
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9/5/2009 - angryphoton wrote: 92 Points
Pop and poured, showed great after 15 minutes, nose of cherry, slight vanilla, strawberry pie and dried mushroom. palate was big yet under control, luscious and hedonistic, but still had some layers of flavor to give it some complexity.still ok on 2nd night, not so good on the 3rd. I suggest consuming this on the first day as it showed best at that time. served at 60F so alcohol was not an issue (but on 3rd day it was hot).
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8/27/2009 - GZ3 wrote: 95 Points
must decant. Syrah notes developed after 30 minutes in decanter.
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8/26/2009 - Pool Boy wrote: 86 Points
General impression only. Not a fan of the style, but is an easy crowd pleaser. 86points for me, probably 90+ for those who like the style.
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8/20/2009 - mreinitz wrote: 92 Points
A bit hot upon opening. Black cherry flavor doiminates -- still very fresh tasting -- with a streak of cola and some asian spice. Very enjoyable.
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8/17/2009 - Senso-beak wrote: 94 Points
Hot summer dinner paired w/roast pork tenderloin, heirloom potatoes, onion, purple carrots, roast beet chips. Blood red w/moderate glyceric legs. Dark brooding nose of cola, black cherry, cumin and rhubarb. Exotic flavor profile pummels the senses with a burst of lively jammy corpuscles. There is cherry, cola, grapefruit, raspberry compote, sassafras spice to be sure. This is the first bottle I've had since tasting it with Dan and Michael in the barrel room years ago. This is more refined now looking back at my TN, brooding yet sleek with explosive flavor. Heavy but not hot at all.
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8/16/2009 - Colima74 wrote: 91 Points
That tell-tale cola/cherry nose. Follows thru on the palate. Balanced with sweet/tart restrained fruit. Very nice.
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8/12/2009 - wine4ever wrote: 92 Points
Perfectly paired with duck breast in a red currant sauce, some couscous and garlic, thyme green beans. This wine is in a great spot right now. Lots of black fruit, some cola, asian spices, nutmeg. Smooth drinking, tannins soft, acidity there but not over whelming. Great sipping before dinner, and drinking with dinner. Seems to start declining after 2 hours, so drink within next couple years.
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8/8/2009 - JOJ wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable. Rich RRV nose, with notes of black cherry, cola, Asian spice, and a touch of cream. Palate is a melange of raspberry, pie crust, black tea, and cream soda (!). Lots of grip on the finish, and the acidity has backed off a bit from the last bottle. To me, this made the alcohol a little too prominent.
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8/7/2009 - keithgg wrote: 88 Points
Bold, earthy and spicy at first but the palate tires of the high alcohol.
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8/3/2009 - tthorn wrote: 92 Points
Lives up to the hype - raspberry, cola, spice, and acidity. Hearty for a Pinot. Loved it.
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7/30/2009 - CADomer wrote: 93 Points
Drank this one with the IrishRover. Let the wine decant for 1.5 hours before diving into it. Similar notes to my previous notes. Fantastic bottle of Pinot. Cherry aromas flowed from the glass followed by a hint of cobbler and a touch of something that took me somewhere tropical. The palate was opulent and teeming with cherries and red rasberries. Was great with our steaks but also just to sit around and enjoy.
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6/27/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 93 Points
As before.
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6/23/2009 - MCUBEB wrote: 86 Points
Nose of caramel with red and black fruit. Tastes like caramel and cherries with very mild acidity. Enjoyable but one dimensional. I will drink up my last bottle sooner than latter.
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6/21/2009 - briankushner wrote: 89 Points
Nice Pinot, Ping cherries--maybe a little much for my taste--very sweet which I found kinda odd being that it a RRV and not a Coast or Anderson valley. Too sweet for me tonight.
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6/17/2009 - pjhr wrote: 94 Points
As wonderful as the last bottle!!
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6/2/2009 - LikeABC wrote: 89 Points
14.7% Good deep red color. Upon opening, the nose was just a wonderful explosion of fruit (and some spice). In the short term, a little heat on the finish, but that blew off in an hour. Cherry, macerated raspberry and a tiny bit of spice. A very good wine, but a little difficult to finish a bottle by myself:)
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5/22/2009 - bound4er wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyable enough wine - went pretty well with tuna steaks on the grill. There are better pinots out there for less money. Not shedding any tears after dropping off their mailing list.
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5/17/2009 - msinger wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 1.25 hours. Served with rib eye, caesar salad and parmasean bread. This was my first KB and I was expecting more. This is a good wine, but I was expecting a 'wow' moment. Good body, but a little lighter than I expected from reading other reviews. Aromas at first had hints of red berries and an earthy aromoa. As time went buy the earthiness blew off and the fruit remained with more of a black cherry aroma. Good mouth feel, smooth, velvety.Was a little 'hot' at first but again settled nicely. A good wine, glad I had it, but not worth the price I paid for it, but would be worth the release price.
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5/16/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Really BIG cherry, rasberry fruit with some spice and nice acidity at the end to make the finish last for 15-20 seconds.
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5/16/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 91 Points
Pretty straight forward big drinker -- we got cherry, caramel and butter this time. Big and brawny - you have to like this style which was just what I was after to pair with a hangar steak.
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5/8/2009 - zheem wrote:
Deep dark nose with flavors that move into the black range. Silky texture, very good.
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5/3/2009 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Worth the wait. Nicely balanced, no alcoholic heat maybe a little light on the nose but floral, seems to be mid way (and mid weight) between a dark fruit RRV and a bright red strawberry, cherry pinot from further south. First KB that really impressed me.
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5/3/2009 - dmatley wrote: 92 Points
This ended up getting paired with some Chinese food at a dinner party we attended. I fought hard to clear my palate of the spiciness of the dish and get a good taste of the wine. Very nice spicy nose. The wine seems to be in a good place now. Very familiar and enjoyable wine. Love that characteristic cinnamon and spice box that compliments the lush dark and red fruit.
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4/28/2009 - jtsherman wrote: 92 Points
Elegant. Drinking nicely. Had at Studio in Laguna.
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4/19/2009 - lorenzo wrote:
Wow. This came out to the gates crazy hot. Scary hot. Never circled back... but a bit concerned at this point
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4/14/2009 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote:
Light, dull red. Black cherry nore. Mediu bodied, rich candied red fruit, more sturdy than sweet. Full flavor long finsh bigger wine than the Foley.
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4/11/2009 - Screameagle wrote: 89 Points
This has been one of my favorite KBs in the past but it now seems to be in a decline. Perfectly stored since release I how wish I had consumed my remaining bottles last year. I will drink my remaining bottles over the next 6 months. Joan liked this wine more than I did. Hope this was just an off bottle but I don't think so.
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4/10/2009 - JFish wrote:
This bottle showed much better than the last. RRV typicity in a full throttle style, showing a bit of heat. Chilling the wine a bit helped.
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3/24/2009 - JScott wrote:
Just ain't my style. Tried on a couple of occasions to "get" this, but there's no nuance. The Marquis Philiips of Pinot Noir. Hot, syrupy and just flat over the top. Can't score this, can't keep whatever's left.
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3/2/2009 - jameswm13 wrote: 91 Points
Pop-n-pour. started hot and a bit disjointed. after 3 hrs was singing very nicely.
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3/2/2009 - CTSV157 wrote: 90 Points
Balanced with light tannin and cherry notes. Very nice and flavorful almost too sweet
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2/21/2009 - Ekoostik wrote: 90 Points
A pretty straight ahead, big styled pinot. Well made and tasty, but ultimately not insanely interesting. Feels like Ive done this before. Still nice.
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2/15/2009 - cadamson wrote: 90 Points
Better than last time. Decanted for an hour. Medium bodied, heavy nose of nothing in particular -- I suppose some spice and dark fruit predominately, a bit of heat. On the palate, a good burst of fruit, cola, root beer, cherry and dark fruit...not classic by any means by tastes good, especially on front and mid palate. The finish is marred by a bit of heat and is not particularly long. I would call this a fun bottle and a decent effort.
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2/14/2009 - jim_crane wrote:
Extremely fragrant nose showing fruits and floral elements. Solid palate with balance and precision. Just an overall fantastic wine.
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2/13/2009 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Bright red fruit. Typical BIG Kosta Browne style.
It was everybody's favorite.
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2/8/2009 - JFish wrote:
Cherry kool-aid and vodka/diluted pure grain. Not good and didn't improve with air.
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2/8/2009 - N2Vin wrote: 89 Points
Now a tinge of red brick showing but still with the bright black cherry and vanilla coke the nose.
Strawberry cotton candy with spritzy maraschino cherries on the palate, nicely acidic but a bit hot, and a short finish. Not improved from the last bottle I had.
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2/2/2009 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Wonderful cherry fruit.
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2/1/2009 - Gfritzh wrote: 88 Points
This wine was 3rd of 5 in a blind Pinot Noir tasting which included Williams Selyem 2004 Flax (W0TN) , Domain Serene 2003 Evenstad (a very close 2nd), 1999 Clos de Lambrays (4th) and 2005 Penner Ash (5th). The high alcohol level in the Kosta Browne was evident when tasted blind with the other 4 wines although there was a good balance of fruit and acidity making this a very enjoyable wine.
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1/27/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90
Tasted January 27, 2009.
Opened and splash decanted before serving. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of potpourri, black cherries and black berries. Fairly rich flavors of black cherries and black berries. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink with a decant or continue to hold over the short to medium term.
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1/24/2009 - matthen wrote: 92 Points
Very nice nose of strawberry and cherry. Flavors of spice, cola and cherry. The finish is solid, but a bit sweet and syrupy. This was hot earlier and now has settled down, but is still a little big for a pinot.
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1/20/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 93 Points
Terrific. Brought to a tasting after double-decanting. Poured about 2 hours later, and was really nicely concentrated, with some great spice and a really big nose. Sexy, long finish. Not for the faint of heart. Very new world.
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1/17/2009 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Dark cherry and strawberry on the nose and palate and spice on the finish. A bit of cola...sweetness is a bit over the top.
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1/13/2009 - brynmair wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyable bottle of wine. Dark appearance and a nice aroma of cherries and strawberries. This was a bold wine and very well integrated with spicy, fruity characteristics. This was a smooth wine from start to finish.
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1/13/2009 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
A wonderful lunch at Bistro Bisou with Bob, Luis and Tsitsi. Decanted only about 10 minutes beforehand. Showed great. Silky and rich on the palate; cola nose. This will only get better, and fortunately I have 8 more. FWIW, we all thought the KB clearly bested the 1997 Dominus that Bob brought -- and that was no sluch of a wine either
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1/12/2009 - yui wrote: 91 Points
Fulll throttle pinot. I like this style as well.
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1/8/2009 - caboychuck wrote:
Dark color, Red berries and pine needles on nose. Cranberry, raspberry and a stemminess. Not quite as memorable as the last tasting, but nice.
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1/6/2009 - Mr Cabernet wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous. Very well balanced. Enormous fruit balancing the alcohol. Tamed tannins. I could chew this all day.
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1/4/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
14.7% alcohol. Lovely, peak showing for this wine. Opened two hours before serving. Pretty red color. The nose reminded me of why I enjoy Kosta Browne wines on their own terms. Ripe bouquet of black cherry, sour cherry jam, baking spice, and still a touch of oak. In the mouth, plush, ripe, and appealing. Beautiful black cherry and jammy cherry fruit, good acidity, and a long, smooth finish. Excellent balance. Thoroughly enjoyable. A-
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1/3/2009 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous cherry nose. No heat. Lots of fruit on the palate. Glad I have a few more.
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12/29/2008 - LeatherPalate wrote: 93 Points
decanted for well over an hour and consumed over another hour or two.
The nose is pretty classic RRV Pinot. lot's of cherry cola with nice hits of baking spice and
flinty slight hints of earth tones.
This wine hits your palate like a silk roller coaster which just happens to be riding
through Willy Wonka land. Delicious fruit attack of strawberry and raspberry.
Big but more balanced than i though it would be given the amount of alcohol.
The finish which is long and the mouth feel which is explosive make this a very fun wine.
Not a classic Pinot Noir but a delicious one nonetheless.
at it's retail price point a HUGE QPR.
Very nice acidic backbone tells me this will age pretty well.
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12/28/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Season Ending Sunday at Chateau du Clayton (shane's): nose: rich, candied nose filled with cola, cherries, strawberries, spice tones, and a good dose of baking vanilla. A lot of depth on the nose and very plush that leaps from the glass. Pure, quintessential california styled nose
taste: Extremely rich and lots of candied fruits. Medium body with a lot of polish that smoothly caresses the palate with tones of candied cherries, spices, raspberries, and cola notes. Again, the word plush comes to my mind with this along with being rich, while still having a pinot feel to it
overall: an interesting change of pace from what I normally drink. Extremely enjoyable and an outstanding wine, its fun to change things up every now and then. There was a slight bit of heat on the palate, but it wasn't overbearing and it was nice to be able to fully experience a KB that was properly decanted and having the chance to spend some time with it
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12/27/2008 - ecnemergut wrote: 93 Points
As before, but perhaps a bit more developed. Big cherry nose: a bit brighter than the 2005 Sonoma Coast; however, more earthy on the finish. Excellent....
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12/24/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
not decanted. taken to and served at a christmas eve dinner. one thing, it held up to a very spicey gumbo/stew kind of main course. the recipients loved it, so that's all that is important. i'm not on board this train. VERY consistent notes from pervious tatses.
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12/11/2008 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Popped and poured with grilled sirloin on a work night. Spicy and dark fruity! I like these with a little cellar chill. Cherry and funk on the palate.
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11/27/2008 - fjv3 wrote: 89 Points
Loads of red fruit (cherries, rasberries, etc.). Noticeable oak. Viscous. Enjoyable, but perhaps a little early.
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11/16/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 90 Points
Mr. Hash had it right... very New World, with a more interesting nose than taste at this point. The alcohol is still a more obvious than I would prefer, but this clearly has some upside potential with more time.
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10/14/2008 - carlwhat wrote:
not a fan. simple pound me over the head type of wine. lacking nuance. not for me...
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10/12/2008 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced. Cherries and spice.
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10/9/2008 - bpj87 wrote: 93 Points
Not at all over the top. Wonderful acidic backbone, with strong, extracted cherry and raspberry notes. Classic RRV cola with just a hint of loam and strong forest floor aromas. This is drinking very well right now.
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9/28/2008 - dinwiddie wrote: 92 Points
I took two of these to my in-laws for a family Rosh Hanah dinner. One of my niece's friends said it was the first PN she had ever liked. Lots of black cherry and raspberry fruits, with a definite edge of caramel or cola. Underlying note of nutmeg and allspice. Nice acidity without being hot, creamy midpalate with a long finish.
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9/28/2008 - Mr.Hashimoto wrote:
Good but not great. The nose was the most interesting part of this wine. sweet cherry-cola. This bottle was stylized -very new world. 90
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9/25/2008 - Rayburn wrote: 91 Points
Deep color. Nose is sweet kirsch, red cherry and cola. Palate is unmistakeable KB with red cherry, raspberry and mild earth. A bit of glycerin. Finish is medium with moderate tannin. Yum-o.
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9/23/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
There seems to be a love-hate relationship with Kosta Browne's Pinot Noir wines out here in the pinot loving world. Some purists who are stuck in the old worth can't stand it and even refer to it as Syrah. I'm not making that up, someone actually said that to me. However, there are a lot more people on the "love" side of the fence who really appreciate what Dan and Michael have done with these wines. They are big wines with a lot of ripe fruit, a healthy dose of oak, and high alcohol which, if not managed carefully in the wine making process, could end up being disastrous. Here, in the RRV blend, everything is in the right place and in perfect balance and harmony. Don't be afraid to match this wine with a big steak dinner as it definitely has the stuffing for it and it might even overpower more delicate dishes.
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9/6/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
OC Wine Dinner (Nesai - Newport Beach, CA): A bigger wine in terms of ripeness but one that seemed to stand up better to the sweet teriyaki-like glaze on the salmon. Sweet notes of dark cherry, hard spices, and baked bread. An interesting contrast to the other RRV Pinots in this flight.
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9/6/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
9/6/08 OC Wine Dinner (Nesai In Newport Beach, CA): Plum, blackberry and dark fruited edge that was leaning towards thick. Hint of kiwi, as well. Lots of density and forward flavor so as expected, a big wine.
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8/30/2008 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Nice medium to dark color, nose of cherry and strawberry. Medium weight, slight viscosity. Moderate fruit and spice on the palate. Fairly short finish. This wine did seem balanced and was pleasantly tamer than many other KB offerings. A wine to put a smile on your face. Enjoyed al fresca with grilled chicken and green salad.
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8/25/2008 - brian przyzycki wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed with first course at Coles Steak house in Napa. Arguably one of the best Pinot Noirs in the United States. Aromas of flowers and perfume jumping from the glass. Floral, plumb, and raspberry flavors everywhere. No alcoholic heat or funky tannins...just an incredibly well made wine. So wonderful, we felt guilty when the bottle was empty. Kudos to Kosta Browne....wish we were on their allocation list.
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8/23/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
Cali Winemakers Offline - Barrett, Browne, Kurtzman, Melka and Masyczek (Brentwood, CA): Ripe raspberry and cherry fruit. Creamy and bold on the palate.
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8/11/2008 - Screameagle wrote: 94 Points
This pinot is drinking great. After seeing the effort that Michael Browne puts into this creating this wine by tasting though the numerous different barrels along side him it's no wonder this wine is so great. One of my favorite pinots from the 2005 vintage.
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8/11/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
Very similar to the 2006 KB RRV with just a little more integration that comes from the extra year in the bottle. Wonderful fruit, texture and depth. This is most certainly not a wimpy wine.
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8/10/2008 - darrel_f wrote: 93 Points
Lighter color, much lighter than the Sonoma Coast bottling, nice see through hue well beyond pink but short of red. The nose is subtle but I pick up cherry and spice. The flavors include cherry, light rasberry, has a sweet edge, nice tannins and nice acidity. Drinking well right now.
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8/7/2008 - Tel007 wrote:
Drinking very well right now. Lots of sweet fruit and a silky texture.
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7/30/2008 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
This is a delicious Pinot Noir that is all hedonistic pleasure. Filled with raspberry, cherry and a hint of cinammon. Do not expect to find aromatic complexity, but if you like fruit, you'll like it. Sweet, medium bodied and with low acidity for a Pinot Noir. My group is very euro centric, so it wasn't a big hit with them, but in my opinion, it blew away the red Burgundy.
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7/27/2008 - assaf wrote: 90 Points
No notes taken. Very good.
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7/22/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 92 Points
Wish I had more...
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7/20/2008 - pjhr wrote: 94 Points
Captivating nose with rich red cherry and dark berry flavors with hint of earthy and spice notes. Wonderful mouth feel and long finish. Another tasty pinot from KB!
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7/19/2008 - shaneajohnson wrote: 93 Points
Dirnking very nicely now. Better with 1 hour of air and a bit cooler than normal.
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7/12/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90
No notes. Decanted maybe an hour or so before serving. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of berries and cherries that carries through to the palate. Also a bit of candied fruit on the nose. Medium acidity, tannins and body.. I'd lean towards drinking over the short term myself.
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7/11/2008 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Very profound nose of raspberries, cherries, forest floor, sage, and wet stone (and a little rhubarb initially after opening). Palate: Cherry and soft raspberry front end with the forest floor on the finish. The palate was not nearly as compelling as the nose, and very noticable alcohol heat showed which dissipated only marginally with aeration. If the palate matched the nose this would be an unreal wine probably garnering a mid nineties score. Given the palate it is only a very nice wine. Good to finally try a Kosta Browne wine.
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7/8/2008 - PatLee wrote:
A bit hot and disjointed in first hour open. Will revisit tomorrow!
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7/5/2008 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Everyone's WOTN!
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7/2/2008 - Schudog wrote: 91 Points
Wow, this is huge, albeit not over the top. A scintillating nose dominated by sassafras, raspberry, and hint of soy immediately hits the nose. The palate is a powerhouse mixture of ripe plum, rhubarb, and black cherry. The balance is superb, but the finish is only medium in length. Should get better over the next 18 months?
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6/28/2008 - puterdewd wrote: 89 Points
Usually a big fan of Kosta Browne, but this one was a bit on the strong end. Maybe could wait a year but I'm not sure that will help.
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6/26/2008 - JoshuaG wrote: 88 Points
Could use more time. Will wait a year before I open another.
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6/26/2008 - E wrote: 91 Points
This wowed us tonight...nice elegant pinot with pencil shavings on the nose...really paired well with various and sundry seafood courses at Easy Bistro
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6/24/2008 - jmd60611 wrote: 91 Points
Very big, very chewy and remember it being yummy but too much wine to remember much after the 3 bottles that proceeded this
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6/23/2008 - glg wrote: 93 Points
A really, really solid wine. Enticing complex nose with earth and red fruit and dark fruits and spices. Full mouthfeel and a long, 25+ second finish. Held up very nicely on day 2 also.
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6/22/2008 - shudave wrote: 94 Points
spectacular as usual..this wine is hitting on all cylinders. Keep it on the cooler side, around ~55-60. Bravo!
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6/19/2008 - Terkel wrote: 93 Points
Small Califonian tasting (Kenneths place): Dark red color with a purple rim. Warm, new world style red fruit, stewed rhubarb and strawberry, and bit of cough sirup. Powerful red fruit on the palate, and butterscotch on the midpalate. Aparent oak on the finish, drying out the finish a bit, but the super velvety butterscotch and licorise dominates, making the finish very delicious. A powerful wine, that is nice example of how good new world pinot can taste.
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6/9/2008 - caboychuck wrote: 95 Points
Garnet color. Decanted 2 hours. Terrific nose with cranberry, raspberry, pommegranante, cherry,brown sugar and a stemminess that was very attractive. This, the SC and a Joseph Swan PN have been my favorite, knock your socks off wines this year. Great red berry flavor that matches the nose. A fantastic silky texture, beautiful balance of fruit and acidity. Just a little bit of heat on finish, but it didn't bother me because this tastes so darn good.
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6/8/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 92 Points
Black and red cherries on the nose and palate, hints of oak, ripe but not overblown. Excellent balance and this is absolutely delicious. More complexity would give it a higher score, but this is a solid performer now.
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6/8/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Notes consistent with last bottle but I am sure this time that the wine needs an hour to open. If you try and drink it pop and pour, you'll miss some of the delineation it shows after a decant. Brown sugar notes and some sweet edge early on but after air, dried raspberry, red apple and some tannin. We finished this bottle outside in 68 degree weather under a canopy and perhaps a bit warm for drinking pinot but even at that ambient temp, the heat was minimal for me. Some life ahead so enjoy now with a decant or age 2 more years.
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6/7/2008 - hcampana wrote: 94 Points
Wine 2
What a sumptuous, hedonistic, pleasure filled nose this wine has! Much better than its Sonoma Coast sibling. Crammed with raspberry and red cherries and beautifully complicated by a cinammon note. In the mouth this is utterly delicious. Packed with flavor and offering mouthwatering juiciness. Best New World Pinot I have ever had (Caveat: I haven't had that many).
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6/6/2008 - ews3 wrote: 89 Points
This was not my style at first -- hot, jammy cherry fruit tasted a little stewed -- but after about 60-90 minutes it really opened up and was much more subtle with more secondary vanilla, sasparilla, and cola (unfortunately most of the bottle was gone) -- still needs time, or an hour decant.
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5/25/2008 - jeff nowak wrote:
pinetop blowout. second bottle opened in order to give more people a chance to try it. reactions were mixed.
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5/25/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 87 Points
pinetop blowout. not much to add to previous notes. the wine is certainly too candied and absolutely will not age past an adolescent. just not in my wheelhouse.
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5/18/2008 - popquizkid wrote:
Popped this at a restaurant and unforunately did not have anough time to decant.
Not much on the nose besides heavy alcohol at first. Not verry appealing until it opened up at the end. I also suspect that it needed to be cooled down below cellar temp and decanted to perform its best.
My least favorite Kosta Browne to date. The major weakness in these wines continues to be the high noticeable alcohol.
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5/13/2008 - Deb293 wrote: 91 Points
Cranberry in color and perfumed nose of dark cherry, mint and licorice. On the palate a complex blend of blueberry pie, cinnamon, cloves, slightly under ripe bing cherries, earth, vanilla/oak and juicy acidity. Velvety mouth feel and well balanced, although the oak and alcohol are a bit noticeable on the finish. Overall, very impressive. Good length, and drinking well now. Definitely has that delicious factor. My first Kosta Browne, and I can see what all the fuss is about. The wine was so interesting, I had trouble trying to figure out a suitable food pairing. Grilled skirt steak was NOT the answer, and not the fault of the wine.
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5/11/2008 - glg wrote: 93 Points
Typical KB profile - drinking much better than it did on release. Very pure, deep RRV pinot fruits. Another super wine from Michael Browne.
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5/11/2008 - 8trigram wrote: 90 Points
Immediately on the open a very dense and spicy nose, could be Syrah .. or Pinot. After 10 to 15 min it becomes clear that its Pinot on the nose, but still has dense and concentrated dark fruits on the finish. Gets better with time although slightly hot at times. Perhaps a bit young but still enjoyable.
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5/1/2008 - the drops of god wrote: 94 Points
93/94
Really nice wine. Had it during the wine spectator grand tasting. This is some of the wines I drank and did not spit out cause it was really good. The owner Dan Kostas is super cool guy.
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4/28/2008 - MWes wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes, just remember loving it and thinking that it was as good as the Sonoma.
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4/27/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Great Wines Revisited: Jonata, Kosta Browne, Carlisle, Scholium (Home, Jersey City, NJ): This is nice. There is spicy with cloves and black pepper, berries. It's not terrible complex and has the tiniest bit of heat on this. I like this.
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4/26/2008 - numcwrt2 wrote: 93 Points
Unlike the 2005 Sonoma we drank a couple of weeks ago, I found this very enjoyable and much more balanced. This went quick, but I managed to grab a bit so a short note. Bing Cherry, almost a cherry pie palate, slight heat that may disapate with a bit more time, but drinking very well.
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4/20/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasted side by side within the flight against the 05 Keefer. Have to say I preferred the RRV. Wet rock, raspberry, apple and sense of balance and finesse. I really liked the wine, starred it but notes are short.
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4/19/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
2005 Kosta Browne Wine Dinner (Antonello Ristorante - Costa Mesa, CA): Aromas of sweet raspberries and cola are followed by notes of black cherries, ripe strawberries, wet soil, and sassafras. A touch of caramel on the finish. Surprisingly, this wine seemed to work a little better with food than on its own.
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4/19/2008 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 91 Points
The first of our Passover wines. Popped and poured. Moderate red color. Not thin but not inky. Flavor is classic CA pinot noir but with more stuffing to it. Red fruit, especially cherry, a bit of cola, some toasty background. We had 7 CA pinots on Thursday at Walkers and I would rate this better than any of them. The flavor profile is solid but balanced. Does not appear to have suffered from infanticide. Others also agreed that it was strong-flavored for a pinot noir.
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4/19/2008 - dannyk8232 wrote: 92 Points
Really opens up with air/time.
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4/19/2008 - jcurl wrote: 91 Points
Very different from the Sonoma Coast. Simplier and not as rich. It was very good just not the classic level that the Sonoma Coast is.
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4/17/2008 - PatLee wrote:
Big style California pinot. Went well with TriTip and Lamp from Gregoire.
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4/6/2008 - jimmythesaint wrote: 92 Points
Not as elegant as the Sonoma Coast but still an excellent wine. Cherry cola, spice and everything nice. This wine had bright acidity and the fruit masked the alcohol. Good balance with a spicy long finish.
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3/30/2008 - vegasrenie wrote: 92 Points
Yummm!!!! Still young, but the berries, cherry cola, smoke, and tea just vibrated. Had it at King's Fish House with Swordfish Picatta. Perfect.
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3/18/2008 - drend wrote: 85 Points
Not as good as all the hype.
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3/17/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
14.7% alcohol. you know, this isn't a bad wine. it has much to recommend it even though i feel it is a little too much in the extraction department, a little too candied and thick on the finish. i don't know where i stand with this producer in the long term. it seems to be a work in progress.
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3/11/2008 - CADomer wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Jimmy. Opened and let this bottle breath for almost 2 hours, based on prior experience with KB wines. Worth the wait! The nose was as rich and lush as the mouth. Dark red stone fruits of plums and black cherries with a little cola. Also had some black tea notes on the nose. This wine has the fruit and acidity to last.
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3/6/2008 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
Drank over 2 nights. At first noticed that typical cherry-cola nose and I detected a bit of soy or teryaki as well. The finish was a bit hot and you can detect some oak. By the 2nd night, the heat had disappated leaving fresh red fruit. Will hold my other bottle 2-3 years like I did with my 2003 KB.
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2/24/2008 - mmyette wrote: 91 Points
Excellent, ripe berry fruit, with soft integrated tannin structure, strawberry and blueberry with a lingering finish of creme broulet. very nice.
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2/23/2008 - yovinny wrote: 89 Points
A little tight as it is young. Minor funk mid palate. Short finish.
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2/16/2008 - JOJ wrote: 94 Points
This is a fabulous wine that is still an infant. Nose of blueberry, plum and black cherry, with a hint of menthol and tea. After 3 hours in the decanter, the nose is so intriguing that you could spend an hour just sniffing and not drinking. The palate features classic RRV cola, black cherry, and raspberry. Some spice. Nice acidity balances a creamy finish. Very hard to stop drinking this.
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2/14/2008 - Cow Town wrote: 88 Points
Took a long time to open up, even with decanting. Good nose of red fruit, and with very sharp acidity. Didn't enjoy as much as the 2005 Sonoma Coast.
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2/10/2008 - mclgreenville wrote: 91 Points
Dark red color concentration. This one was decanted. Nose was amazing. Cherries, raspberries, cinnamon and citrus galore. New car smell. Mouth was watering. Finish and acidity were balanced. Just delicious from start to finish.
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2/8/2008 - winenewb068 wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured at storage. A nose of cherry and raspberry and other red fruits that jumped from the glass. This wine is young, but shows hints of its potential. Tasted against an '04, which showed more polish...This one needs some time to better integrate...a short-ish finish. But still, very very good.
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2/2/2008 - aes0300 wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose of red fruits, flowers, and cherries. Medium body with big ripe cherry and cherry cola. The heat is noticable on this finish which is a bummer. I would hold off on this for a bit longer. First experience with KB.
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1/31/2008 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 91 Points
4th Street Pinot Noir Showdown (4th St. Wine Shop- Greenville, NC): Decanted for 1.5 hours. This wine exhibited a dark ruby/garnet color. On the nose, aromas of black cherries, raspberries and cranberries were joined by notes of cola, licorice, and hints of earthiness and floral elements. On the palate, more cherry cola action with raspberries and notes of mocha, vanilla, and spice. At first, the alcohol was a bit prominent but over time it would blow off and this wine became a more balanced creature that would bode well with more downtime. Definitely looking on the up and up... HS91+
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1/6/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 84 Points
Massively overextracted with a lot of heat. About as elegant as a bull in a china shop. Not for me at all. I find it intriguing that WS continues to throw huge scores at these wines.
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1/4/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 88 Points
My first K-B and it was pure cherry fruit bomb, very one dimensional, lacking any depth or complexity. Very easy to drink with moderate EtOH levels, I can see how this is a real crowd pleaser for a lot of New World PN lovers..
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1/2/2008 - CRAUBER4242 wrote: 91 Points
Like all KB wines require, I opened the bottle an hour before enjoying.
Enjoyed half the bottle with deep pit beef from Glick's and the second half the next day. Nice red fruit nose. Nice mouth feel with tastes of cherry coke and spice.
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1/1/2008 - ruddy wrote: 92 Points
I had been afraid to open this wine, having read so many notes saying that it wasn't ready, that it needed time. I expected something monolithic, unyielding, in need of a serious decant. I have but a couple of bottles of this from my first allocation and want them to be worth all the coveting, but this was New Year's Eve and we were sitting down to dinner soon and so I went for it.
Even at the cooler cellar temp, the wine had a bouquet that jumped out of the bottle. Cherry cola, all spice, California PN for sure, if not RRV. But it was on the first taste that I had to smile--the wine delivered exactly what I was hoping for: pure fruit, spice, mocha, vanilla, wrapped in a silky velvet blanket that knit it all together. Finish was lingering like a sweet kiss. Not a profound or complex wine, but really beautifully balanced. I look forward to drinking my last two over the next couple of years as I don't expect it to get much better, but it should hold nicely as my Single Vineyard KBs mature.
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12/24/2007 - riccodog13 wrote: 92 Points
Sweet verging on confectionary aromas of cherry, baking spice, oak and rspberry. Same flavors carry over onto the palate along with orange zest and mineral. Full throttle and supper-ripe, but manages to stay some what balanced. This is more noticable oaky that the Rosella's. Drink now-2012. 92 Pts.
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12/2/2007 - jnanz wrote: 93 Points
I really enjoyed this wine. Decanted for 1/2 hour then it started to open up very nice. A lot of pure fruit. A nose of fresh raspberry with a touch of cherry. Elegant mouthfeel, with pure raspberry fruit evolving to cherry. Almost tasted a little like Cherry Coke on the finish. Great!
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11/30/2007 - Steve Jones wrote: 87 Points
Blind California Pinot Noir Tasting (Gary's House in Lisle, IL): Sight: Dark Purple color
Smell: Cherries with a little wet bandaid/latex smell. Big alcohol nose.
Taste: Hot and tannic.
Notes: Far too young to drink now. Another one that needs to wait and see on. Can't tell yet.
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11/30/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Blind Cali Pinot night (Lisle(gary's house)): nose: big time nose with herbs, cherry, green pepper, and some anise. the nose is just so pungent and alluring
taste: real big mouth with dark cherry, herbs, and green pepper
overall: real good firm tannins and structure. Real nice finish to this one and some serious polish too. Lacking a slight bit now, but has some serious wiggle room for improvement with age
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11/30/2007 - Claudio161 wrote: 91 Points
Tasted as part of a group Pinot tasting - tasting we performed blind with capsules removed and the bags taped around the neck. Wines were not revealed until after ALL of the wines set for the evening were tasted. During the Pinot tasting, I used Waterford "Connoisseur Gold" Pinot Noir glasses. Sight: Clear, but darker than your average Pinot. SMELL: Earthy, Stewed fruits, Little heat with some slight band-aid smells. TASTE: Nice fruit! Good concentration and well balanced. Oak and tannin there and in check. Overall 91-92 points, think it will improve with age.
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11/26/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 90 Points
Popped for a friend who'd never had a Kosta Browne. This wine needs some serious time as it was very tight and angular in the first hour or so it was open. It opened beautifully however after about an hour and a half showing a nice, rich dark cherry and baking spices. There's a hint of heat, but overall a pleasant experience if you give it time in the decanter or cellar.
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11/17/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Share Our Wine Charity Event In the OC (Irvine, CA): Brown spice, some candied cherry and a touch of heat on the nose. Clove, cola and fruit forward. As it sat with some air, became a bit better balanced. Make sure you add some decant time if you drink now.
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11/14/2007 - Mrbuzz wrote: 93 Points
Didn't take notes...started out a little grapey, but opened to beautiful florals/spice, wild berry fruit. Not as big as '03-'04, but should do well with a few years on it. A more subtle KB, still quite tasty! No problem downing the whole bottle.+pts
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11/11/2007 - AlexRed wrote: 91 Points
family in town, no notes taken
Crowd pleaser. very tasty, but not near earthshattering.
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11/4/2007 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted and poured, and then consumed over 6 hours. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, dark cherries, herbs, and smoke. On the palate, cherries, cola, and spice on an extremely long 40+ second finish. Supple mouthfeel and sweet tannings with an alcohol level that does not intrude. Another lovely KB offering...bravo!
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10/28/2007 - jwebtx wrote: 90 Points
Chery, cola, clove/spice on the nose and palate. Perhaps adding a little strawberry. Lush but balanced with ample acidity. Finish was nice but not long. No doubt this was RRV pinot.
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10/27/2007 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
Very concentrated berry and cola, oak still sticking out a bit, but the concentration of fruit is very appealing (not OTT in my opinion). More approachable than the 04 RRV at this stage of its life.
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10/22/2007 - grider wrote: 93 Points
one of my favorite pinot's...seemed hotter than normal. maybe decant or age a year or so...
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10/17/2007 - mebydef wrote: 92 Points
Very good, rich, ripe, and sweet with good depth, acidity, body, and length.
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10/17/2007 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed @ Shaw's with the Fam.
Definitely one of my favorite Pinot Noirs to date!
Lovely garnet color in the glass.
Vibrant notes of black currant, sweet allspice, white pepper, casis and vanilla.
Impeccablyh smooth. Pure and clean after taste. Beautiful mouthfeel displaying silky tannins.
Luring acidity finish out this winner from the Cali PN king.
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10/10/2007 - mmyette wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as last year, and not as good as the sonoma coast, this was a bit hot, with delicate strawberry and cherry fruit, but a muted midapate, and the finish was nice, but not what I came to expect from KB. Maybe next year...
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10/8/2007 - keelegl wrote: 92 Points
From a half bottle on the Stonehill Tavern wine list. Nose was slightly hot with tons of crushed strawberries. This is an obvious “new-world” pinot with all heat and in your face fruit that comes with it. Mouthfeel was silky, with more strawberry and some cherry. Finish was long and lingering. Well made wine no doubt, but one-dimensional and similar to other CA pinots I’ve had recently that have way less hype.
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10/7/2007 - kris.h wrote: 89 Points
Vibrant dark red color. The nose gives off some alcohol. Ripe fruits of raspberry, strawberry. Even a little leather and vanilla. The palate is smooth and good acidity. Has kind of a fake candy taste though. Tannin feels much softer and more restrained than the last time I tasted it. Heavy and a little clumsy. It smells good and has some nice complexity. The palate though is a little too much. Maybe it just needs to age a little longer. 50 + 5 + 12 + 14 + 7 = 88
Finishing off the rest of this a day later. I've chilled it down a lot. It was too warm yesterday. Somewhere around 60 F to 65 F seems about right. The nose is still the best part of this wine. Everything from yesterday and I think I'm starting to pick up some subtle hints of barnyard or something a little funky. The palate is still very candied and there's something weird about the acidity but the cooler temperature helps make the wine seem more balanced. 50 + 5 + 12 + 15 + 7
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10/1/2007 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Reminds me a lot of the '04, except not quite as complex. I feared it might be too hot, but this was not the case, maybe a little sweet though.
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9/30/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote: 92 Points
News of its demise was GREATLY exaggerated...
Served at 53 degrees, though warming in the glass...on the nose are huge expressions of fresh strawberry jam filling the nasal passages, very floral, some nice tea notes...medium-weight on the palate, balanced, Pinot Noir through and through, you can't identify this as anything else, never going Syrah on the user, juicy, long and very present on the finish - and all I can think of is strawberry, strawberry, strawberry, some interesting tea notes on the finish, but the strawberry essence is the strongest factor in the flavor profile. Never hot. Serving temperature has to be key here. I don't drink any PN at more than 58 degrees or so, just a personal preference. If heat shows at that temp, it's truly not for me. Drink 'em cool. More than happy with my sub $50 purchase.
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9/21/2007 - topher18 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful dark red semi-transparent color. 5/5
Big aromas of cherry, with a floral hint and a fair amount of alcohol. 8/10
Delicious big fruit on the palate, lots of cherry, but not as complex as I expected. 16/20
Balance is dead on. The high alcohol is matched by the big fruit and just enough tannin to give the wine structure. 10/10.
Finish is medium long and smooth. 4/5.
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9/17/2007 - BradA wrote: 88 Points
Bought off the list at G. danko ($180). I had wanted to try a wine from KB for a while and this was as good a time as any; as the burgundy prices were too rich, this became a "relative bargain".
Popped and poured to murmurs of praise from the sommelier, I had high hopes... However, reality was something else.
This seemed to be a simple raspberry fruit bomb. The wine lacked depth, character and interest and while there were no fundamental flaws, there wasn't anything remarkable that would lead me to chase the producer. I am wondering if the soils and heat are only capable of producing really fruit forward one dimensional wines. Others may take a different stance.
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9/14/2007 - kennyg wrote: 91 Points
Had after exellent Papapietro for comparision. More complex with earthy nose, cherry and rasberry and long pencil lead tanins on relatively long finish. Could use another year or two to mellow but very enjoyable now.
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9/13/2007 - pbjosh wrote: 70 Points
Very hot on the nose. Jammy and simple with candied red fruit and cough syrup. Zero subtlety and zero interest, this is no where near "fine wine." I've never seen the fuss with KB and still don't. A friend preferred a horribly corked bottle of Chianti to this... for me it's a toss up.
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8/31/2007 - willison wrote: 91 Points
Alot of debate on this wine and I hadn't opened any '05's yet, so I picked this one to try out. On the nose, cherry and raspberry with some roses and spice. On the palate, cherries again with some raspberry and a subtle bit of spice and earthiness. Nice smooth finish. Not near as much heat on the nose or the palate as I had thought would be there.
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8/30/2007 - jeff nowak wrote: 87 Points
too heavy handed for me. TN on parker board
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8/26/2007 - mmurry wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. The nose had cherry cola, mixed with forest floor, plus a bit of nutmeg and rose petals. The palate was smooth, with cola and brown spice, along with cherry, dirt, and floral notes. The finish was very good.
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8/18/2007 - DesMarteau wrote: 93 Points
Needs 2 hours of air....Great light fruit. Kiwi, strawberry, rhubarb, cranberry....sea water, a little spice. Great blend. 6-12 months in the bottle will be nice.
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8/9/2007 - zeppo55 wrote: 93 Points
Dark color for a pinot. On the nose crisp cherry, rasberry and tabacco. on the palate nice cherry and slight flab. Finish was moderate with slight ETOH taste. Enjoyed this very much
but not as good as the 2004 which was a 95+ wine. This was a very fruit forward pinot and would be difficult to diferentiate from a well structured california merlot.
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8/4/2007 - Squirreljam wrote: 92 Points
Impression only from a restaurant dinner - Very rich, showed well at cellar temperature and got even better a couple degrees warmer - though as it got even warmer, I noticed a touch of flab. Nose not very expressive but palate more than made up for it. Very rich fruit and spice flavors, with long finish. It's still early for this wine, tannins on the finish were prominent. My palate found it fairly low acid, would have preferred a bit more for food matching.
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7/22/2007 - rael007 wrote: 90 Points
Not quite as open, flavorful, this evening. Had with in-laws, nephew, for my daughter's third birthday party (present opening phase). Good nose, rich, chocolaty, but not terribly deep.
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7/21/2007 - olm2000 wrote: 86 Points
decanted for an hour...this must be going thru a dumb phase...or at least i hope it is...muted nose, thin on palate, next to nothing on finish...86 now...wait another 6-12 months for next bottle...86+(?)
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7/14/2007 - silton wrote: 88 Points
One of the less memorable Pinots of the year. Nice, typical nose and I would like the initial depth of the wine if it finished with more grace. There was a little heat around the edges. There's some good fruit in the bottle but this didn't show so well for me.
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7/14/2007 - ecnemergut wrote: 92 Points
Opened (and not decanted) for about 30 minutes. Nice fruit and cherry nose--maybe some cola. Wonderfully big and soft in the mouth with a sweet fruit finish. Not at its peak yet.
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7/11/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
2nd Annual NYC Blind 2005 Pinot Shootout (Taste): Not bad, but I don't get the sense this one has come together yet. Fairly complex nose of red cherries, brown sugar and lots of cola. Not exactly disjointed, but not exactly showing much balance. Nice fruit and some lively acidity, but they don't seem to be playing off one another. It may just need time to unwind and have the pieces fall into place. The jury is still out on this one.
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7/9/2007 - ErinByrne wrote: 94 Points
Brought this to a tasting we organized at work. I know I should have waited longer before dipping into the '05 KBs, but i couldn't do it. Wine was very fragrant and a little spicier than expected upon first taste. Rich flavors of black cherry and cola. Opened up after about 45 minutes, and got a little more balanced. Obviously needs more time in the cellar, but this is a wine not to be missed. Was the hit of the tasting, and I'll be counting the days until I open another one.
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7/4/2007 - tederf wrote: 92 Points
The hit of the July 4th BBQ. Opened and decanted for about one hour. Great fruit, great mouthfeel, great balance. This was my first KB and now I know why there is a lot of fuss over them.
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7/4/2007 - agbailey wrote:
Very good new world style pinot. I opened and served without decanting. Started with some pinot funk on the nose. That blew off in about 45 minutes to an hour, after which the wine came into its own. I am not usually a fan of new world pinots, but KB has it right! Beautiful flavors of cherries and strawberry. Hint of cola. Only one bottle left ... too bad.
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7/2/2007 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Not as good as the Sonoma one. Hot with a lot of volatility. Some good fruit to start and a good backbone with acids, but the heat and volatiles made this not unenjoyable very quickly.
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6/29/2007 - N2Vin wrote: 90 Points
Drank over two days. Lifted and bright black cherry and cola dominate the nose.
Berry fruit, cherry, vanilla coke, and nice acidity, rather short finish. About 30 minutes is all the wine needs to be ready to drink. Seems to hold up well, but I can't get from this wine that any substantial improvement is left in the bottle.
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6/17/2007 - mreinitz wrote: 93 Points
We decanted for 7 hours before we tasted it. Even then the nose was subdued and hot. On the palate it was flavorful but pretty monolithic. About an hour later (after 8 hours in the decanter) it opened up in a big way -- strawberry and cherry, with a hint of cola, and increased sweetness. We never would have expected how good it would become when we first tasted it. Either leave it in the decanter all day or wait a year or two to open it.
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6/16/2007 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour. Sweet cherries and strawberries. Noticed some heat on the finish. Put in the fridge for 10 minutes and presto... no more heat.
This has an excellent future ahead of it!!!
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6/15/2007 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Aromas of cherries, spice and sweet tobacco were present on the nose. The palate was consistent with cola and licorice nuances adding to the fun. Medium to full bodied Pinot that had a long finish. Really enjoyable RRV Pinot.
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6/13/2007 - trekwars2000 wrote: 95 Points
This was was outstanding. Do not have any specific tasting notes, but I just wish I could have bought more from the winery upon release. I will be buying my complete allocation each year from now on - that is for sure.
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5/25/2007 - psmith wrote:
Cherry liqueur notes and a spicy pinot character. Forward and without and balance in the middle. Alcoholic. Enjoyable, but not much more.
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5/25/2007 - Redwonk wrote: 92 Points
Opened based on IWC and curiosity. Disjointed on opening, but some nice elements. I was surprised to find that over 4 hours this wine really developed and integrated beautifully. It was rich and delineated and a real treat. Would not serve without a 2 hour decant with lots of air
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5/16/2007 - Stephan O wrote: 91 Points
I'm of two minds about this one. The nose is so hot initially that it's reminiscent of nail polish. The funny thing is that KB's '04 RRV has more alcohol yet seems (at least to me) less overt about it. With some air time, though, this integrates a little bit, bringing to the fore all manner of fruit. Jolly-Rancher-style cherry, tangy raspberry, cola, brown sugar, and vanilla really burst forth. It's not particularly subtle stuff, and it lacks that elusive, feminine, spicy violet note that I really like in a Pinot. And I'm not even certain that a few years of cellar time will cure the balance issue altogether. With all of that said, though, I still very much enjoyed this (though not as much as the '04 RRV or '05 SC).
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5/13/2007 - swp3 wrote: 91 Points
Didn't take formal notes, but was somewhat underwhelmed by this - no doubt partially due to high expectations. Seemed like very good RRV pinot with primary flavors well pronounced. Little in the way of secondary complexity, though. It's funny there are people who detest Martinelli pinots, but fawn all over this stuff. To my tastes this RRV bottling is very much in the Martinelli style and of similar caliber. Definitely impressive for it's conentrated fruit and the clarity of flavors. Theres a fairly tight acidic core that my undwind a bit, so it may be a little early to make a fair assessment. Alcohol's high too, which isn't a big deal to me, but it's probably masking anything delicate or subtle this wine has to offer.
18 hours later after sitting the vaccuum decanter there are two glasses of this left and it's vastly improved. It's now singing 4 or 5 notes and they're in harmony. Cherry, cola, vanilla, citrus. A lot of fun and the mid-palatte acidity is down a notch. Last night it had a couple of hours in the decanter, but now I see it needed more.
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5/6/2007 - kris.h wrote: 90 Points
New Pinot at 35th St. Bistro (Seattle, WA): Nice expressive nose with black cherries, strawberry, cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar, and a little oak. Well balanced on the palate with lively acidity and firm tannin. Nice finish but shows some alcohol.
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5/6/2007 - Moorese wrote: 93 Points
(Tasted blind at Pinot tasting - 35th Street Bistro)
RRV for sure. Big, sweet bing cherries on the nose with toasty gingerbread cookies. Bright acid, great lift, nice finish with a little heat. Some lemon zest, cinnamon, clove, cola, and vanilla. Probably KB (Ketcham?). Clean, rich, and still very pretty.
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5/5/2007 - sbwino wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful punch of lush strawberry and black cherry. Perfectly balanced with vibrant acidity and a long smooth finish - showing tobacco and tar after some time in the glass. Singing and approachable right now.
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4/30/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Wine tasted from bottle at cave temperature. This was a pop and pour selection from a 375. Little sweet in nature, with cola, raspberry, strawberry and some dark tones.
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4/30/2007 - DRL01 wrote: 91 Points
Black cherry, spice, a bit of forest floor. Good, solid RRV pinot.
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4/27/2007 - rael007 wrote: 93 Points
A fine pinot, spicy, rich, lush, plenty of alcohol. We followed a 1999 Veuve Clicquot Rose champagne with the Kosta pinot, followed by a Hansel '05 RRV pinot. It could be that there is enough alcohol in this wine to be unpleasant to some, but after the champagne, it did not intrude in the least. Went well with smoke-roasted bone-in rib-eyes, roasted herb-garlic potatoes, and a salad. My brother and his wife, though not wine enthusiasts, enjoyed this wine very much with us on our deck, celebrating my birthday.
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4/20/2007 - sounder66 wrote: 91 Points
What a difference a vintage makes. This wine still is deep ruby in the glass, but much less in your face than the 2003 or 2004. The brown spice is still there, but the wine needs 2 or more years to show you what it is alll about. Even though this wine will improve with 2 or more years in bottle, it still drinks great right now with 2 hours in the decanter. For those who think KB have a big house syle, try this wine to see that they are committed to letting the vintage speak even with a fruit forward style.
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4/19/2007 - The Epicurean wrote: 93 Points
The RR showed much better than the Sonoma...particularly after about 1/2 hour.
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4/18/2007 - zheem wrote:
Wow! This was opened by my wife an hour or two prior to me trying it. I'm surprised by the brelative balance for such a young wine. The body is very impressive, silky, almost velvety, but with a lightness and a brightness. All the usual RRV flavors, although maybe a little less spice and a little more cranberry/pomegranate than usual. Finish is pleasant, and evolves nicely if not yet profound. Out of the gate this is my favorite KB RRV yet, which is saying a lot!
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4/14/2007 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 88 Points
GreenDrazi comes to NC! (Sullivan's- Raleigh, NC): Decanted for 2.5 hr. This wine exhibited a dark ruby color with a nose filled with aromas of black cherry, strawberry, and hints of pomegranate, earth and spice. There was a little bit of heat on the nose. The palate was a bit disjointed, but the flavors that I could extract included black cherries and earth. At this point in time I would rate this an 88... but there is a lot of room for improvement and I think time will tell how much better this wine will get. HS88
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4/14/2007 - GreenDrazi wrote:
K-B Spring ’07 Allocation Pick-up in Raleigh (Sullivan’s, Raleigh, NC): Decanted 2+ hr’s. Nose of pomegranate, cherry and light cinnamon. Very tight flavors of dark cherry with cinnamon spice and some heat. Surprisingly lighter body than the SC, with supple texture and a consistent palate. But this wine is not ready. NS
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4/14/2007 - rsepulve wrote: 92 Points
Lots of primary fruit, cherry mostly with some strawberry. Well-balanced. Someone in the group described it as "bright." We very much enjoyed it but I won't touch this again for a couple of years in hopes it will develop more complexity.
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4/2/2007 - Nevin wrote:
This bottle was still primary and pretty tight...better the second day...did have telltale RRV characteristics, will hopefully evolve nicely..
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3/30/2007 - Dteng wrote: 93 Points
Just superb. Essentially what you would expect in a KB RRV, though the one thing that struck me was the incredible balance despite the 14.7% EtOH. Previous vintages seemed a little heavy to drink. However, the 05 version is just so incredibly well balanced, there was no heaviness or heat...bright cherries, cola, strawberries, flowers and a touch of earth. Perhaps more acidity? If you bought, just be glad you have this. I am going to give my remaining 3 bottles a couple years to sleep. This is the best RRV to date, at least for me.
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3/15/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes as this was tasted as part of a winemaker dinner and was just recently bottled. I remember the wine being tight on the nose, but quite expressive on the palate showing a very rich cherry pie filling. Wonderful wine.
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2/4/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
OC Kosta Browne Pay It Forward Offline (Sage in Newport Beach, CA): What an honor to try this wine now. Another beauty and with the SC, as well, really a show stopper, even just having been bottled just 10 days ago. The nose is full of cola, dark stone fruit, rose petal and just fragrant as hell. The palate is fleshy, dark with a cola, plum, spice cake feel. Much like the 2003 Koplen in style but with a higher level of perecevied acidity. A huge winner for me and a wine I will go deep on.
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6/8/2006 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Napa-Noma, June 2006: Barrel Sample of whole cluster pressed 667 Clone grapes - Stinky pinon wood on the nose. Watermelon fruit. Peppery. Ok.
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6/8/2006 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Napa-Noma, June 2006: Barrel Sample of destemmed fruit - similar nose to the previous with a reduction in the stink. Ok.
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