6/25/2011 - Prego wrote:

Deep color up to the rim. Nose was a bit muted of fruit; alcohol dominated. Flavors of juicy blackberries. Had it with ribeye steak au poivre -- delicious!

8/20/2010 - Prego wrote:

Had this wine with steak au poivre. Full-bodied wine that's tamed down over the years. The dessicating tannins are now not as prominent, but then again, neither is the powerful blackberry and black plum fruit. I didnt notice any secondary notes yet even though the wine is 9 yrs old. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable wine to have as a change of pace or as the periodic "nice occasion" wine. I also think this wine has at least another 3-5 yrs of life left (maybe more).

8/15/2010 - Prego wrote:

Drank at Y&M's for BBQ. I was surprised at how lively this wine still is. Light bouquet of roses. Delicate cranberry flavor, nice balanced acidity. Although there were still detectable amount of tannins, they tied the wine together. All in all, it was an enjoyable wine from a little known producer in Neive, Piedmont.

5/23/2010 - Prego wrote:

Upon popping open, I found this to be somewhat disjointed. The acidity was high; bitterness was unpleasant; fruit kinda flat. After having a glass and corking it overnight, I tried it again the next evening. It was much better as the aforementioned qualities seem to have mellowed and blended into a pretty pleasant drinking experience. I don't know if giving it some more time would allow it to combine on its own, but I think the "experts" rating was too high.

12/31/2009 - Prego wrote:

My first time trying Kosta Browne and I was pleasantly surprised. It's not your typical big over the top Cali Pinot. Decanted 2 hours. While it has loads of upfront red fruits, it was just minerally and acidic enough to put it in balance. Tannins were well integrated. Terrific effort. Would place this (next to) last in a lineup. Would definitely buy again. Had it on NYE with W&S, drank with sausage stuffed mushrooms, and goat cheese stuffed dates w/ prosciutto.

11/26/2009 - Prego wrote:

Dark fruits on the attack, slowly mellowing out over the next hour or two. Good concentration, moderate acid, and hardly any tannins. Drinking very well now and over the next year, so drink 'em if you got 'em.

10/17/2009 - Prego wrote:

Had with W&S in CT. drank with pork chop with a port reduction, stewed apples w/ chipotle, parsnip puree, brussel sprouts. fantastic combo! definite barnyard funk wafting out of glass upon first sniff - loved it! very burgundian in style. loads of mineral and cherry flavors balanced with a good level of acidity. not much tannins. i thought it was quite balanced and ready to drink now. could maybe last another year or two.

4/12/2009 - Prego wrote:

Nice wine rounding out with good fruit. Acids seem bit more in focus this time around but by no means dominating. Thinking it could go well with chicken parmesan or tomato tart. Very enjoyable and still has at least a couple years of life in this.

5/3/2008 - Prego wrote:

Terrific balanced wine where there is a load of fruit yet it's not too over the top. Acidity was just right. Blackish red in color, nose was aromatic and inviting. On the palate it was smooth with a nice structure holding the whole thing up. Would definitely buy this again in quantity. Great QPR!

4/26/2008 - Prego wrote:

Popped and poured. Reticent nose; only smelled alcohol. On the palate, detected cigar box, espresso, lots of acidity (almost too much), tannins were definitely still there. Not sure how much longer this will improve but maybe the tannins and acidity were masking the primary fruit. I'll wait another year to see if it does improve.

4/3/2008 - Prego wrote:

Popped and poured; fantastic nose of cedar, rose petals. Some warm spice and licorice on the palate backed by a solid vein of lively acidity. Tannins played a supporting role and didn't dominate like most Bordeaux blends I've had. Wife guessed it was an either Italian or a New World kicking it Old School. Thoroughly enjoyed and think it has at least another 3-4 years in it.

2/17/2008 - Prego wrote:

Popped and poured. After 15 months since my last taste of this wine, my impressions on it have improved somewhat. This time, I was able to immediately peg dominant smoky chipotle flavors and also some pepper/spice. The acidity was not as bracing as previous although it was definitely still there and provided a nice counterfoil to the smoky fruit. It's still relatively young as i could taste a good bit of tannins. Drinking beautifully now but would think it could last at least another 5-7 years.

2/17/2008 - Prego wrote:

Unscrewed and poured; wine possessed a pleasant nose of earth and flowers. Tasted red cherries, a solid vein of minerality and bright acidity. Terrific balance. Would buy more of this.

12/20/2007 - Prego wrote:

Popped and poured. Initially, the nose was reticent and not offering much. Palate was a bit thin and acidic. But after a couple of hours, nose developed flowers and spice (perhaps clove). On the palate, minerally and still a bit on the acidic side and thin. Not like most Syrahs i've tasted. Somewhat disappointing to me and hope this is just bottle variation as i have 6 more!

12/18/2007 - Prego wrote:

Excellent depth of flavor, blackberrys, coffee. Still a bit tannic and big. Would think this could last at least another 2-3 years.

9/22/2007 - Prego wrote:

Great value. Lovely notes of dark fruit, licorice and tobacco. Very balanced. Fun to drink.

8/13/2006 - Prego wrote:

Red and black cherries blossoming from the glass. Earthy, tea leaves, minerality showing on the palate. Nice acids that went very well with grilled pork chops and broiled broccoli rabe. Terrific wine that is drinking fantastically right now and could last for another couple of years.

9/8/2007 - Prego wrote:

Opened but forgot about it and didn't drink until the next day. It was vacu-vinned though before going in the fridge. Having said that, the first note on the nose was cherry mixed with a strong vein of alcohol. A bit light on the palate. Fine dusty tannins. Enjoyable but would have to reserve further judgement until the next bottle.

6/23/2007 - Prego wrote:

Solid fruity wine but a bit thin on the palate. It went relatively well with bbq. My friend who likes wines on the sweet fruity side liked it more than I.

7/1/2007 - Prego wrote:

Popped and poured on the first day. It was tight and tannic. Nose of dark cherry and dusty chalk. Tasted of juicy cherries and cigar box.
2 days later, after being vacu-vinned in the bottle, it opened up. The tannins faded a bit and the fruit integrated nicely. Very enjoyable with much potential after 5-7 years of aging. Would get more based on the taste the 2nd day.

3/16/2007 - Prego wrote:

Had with steak at Yui's apt. Notes from memory. Very good wine especially for the price. Big fruit and not too sweet. Tannins and acids just right. Impressive.

5/10/2007 - Prego wrote:

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this wine was. Petite Syrah is notoriously astringent and bitter when young, however this wine seems to have mellowed nicely. Some tannins still existed which provided a balance to the sour cherry acids and fruit. I would get this again.

4/25/2007 - Prego wrote:

Balanced wine with some complexity from the age making it very pleasant to drink. Still holds great future potential. It's drinking very well now and should continue to do so for another 5-7 years.

5/12/2007 - Prego wrote:

Thin, acidic, and slightly bitter. I've had better from this producer but the quality is clearly down.

2/20/2007 - Prego wrote:

Taken to Katrina and Ryan's annual Wine bash.

3/20/2007 - Prego wrote:

Drinking very well at this point. Balanced wine with concentrated flavors of fresh berries and chocolate on the nose and palate. Probably has at least another couple of years left in it.

2/20/2007 - Prego wrote:

good everyday wine with big red fruit and juicy acids.

3/19/2007 - Prego wrote:

Someone call the bomb squad because this wine just exploded in my mouth! Holy cow, this wine exudes sexiness. From the very aromatic bouquet reminiscent of a blooming magnolia tree to the fruit-forward flavors detonating on the palate, my senses were tickled all evening! And although I felt as if I was drinking a concentrated berry concoction, it was in no way syrupy. The fruit was kept somewhat in check with a backbone of acidity and a touch of tannins to remind you that it is wine that you're drinking. The mouthfeel was pretty weighted so I imagine this could have been served with steak au poivre or something similarly in heft. Good effort by the winemaker and I thoroughly enjoyed this but the overabundance of fruit on the palate was over the top and therefore brought my overall score down a notch to 90.

3/16/2007 - Prego wrote:

Decent Italian red that's held up after 3/4 years in bottle. Fruit very much still present on the nose with notes of potpourri and dried herbs. The acidity went well with spicy Chinese eggplant. I could detect some evidence of age on the palate. Probably won't last past this year. Time to drink up!

1/13/2007 - Prego wrote:

Deep dark purple/red up to the rim. It's a beast of a wine with a big tannic backbone still. A good amount of acidity and fruit to flesh out the tannins. On the nose and palate, I got chocolate, flowers, and dirt. Very enjoyable, and went pretty well with the short ribs.

12/24/2006 - Prego wrote:

Great chardonnay - light toastiness and oak, some butteriness and toffee. Sets a standard for chardonnay as far as I'm concerned.

12/24/2006 - Prego wrote:

Pure dark cherry fruit with balanced acids. Tannins in the background and barely noticeable. Very smooth. Went very well with Christmas Eve paella in Wellesley, MA.

8/28/2006 - Prego wrote:

While this wine is a decent representation of Pinot Noir, I find it too sweet for my palate. Its upfront cherry fruit on the palate is not balanced with structure or acidity. Not much tannins to support the wine so it's a bit flabby. I would have this wine again with some soft cheese to soften some of the fruit. Definitely not worth the excessive points awarded by the critics!

12/5/2006 - Prego wrote:

Drank in Tucson. Very good nose of rose petals, barnyard, and a touch of earth. Tannins were pretty much integrated with a firm backbone of acidity.

12/3/2006 - Prego wrote:

Fantastic as always

12/3/2006 - Prego wrote:

Brought to Tucson, but apparently it was slightly corked.

11/7/2006 - Prego wrote:

Would not have pegged this as a Tuscan wine. Get medium aromas of coffee, strawberries, and flowers. On the palate, more of the coffee, cigar box, minerals. Tannins very well integrated. I can definitely detect the Cab Sauv in the blend. Pretty much at peak but may last another year or two. Liked this a lot; wish I had more of this; will have to get more of this in future vintages.

11/13/2006 - Prego wrote:

I'm beginning to enjoy this much more than when I first tasted it two years ago. On the nose, it's a bit reticent offering very little in terms of fruit. But not so on the palate, where the wine has developed smoky undertones reminiscent of bbq smoke. The fruit component reminds me of sour cherries and cranberries. I find that the acid is a bit much without some food to mellow it out. It went well with a hearty plate of pasta and cheese.

11/8/2006 - Prego wrote:

Over the top raspberry jam!

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Lovely rose petals and earth on the nose. Juicy acidity and some tannins still exist. Drinking at peak now and will continue to do so for another 3-4 years all the while evolving a bit more I think.

10/28/2006 - Prego wrote:

Served with dessert at KD+RD's place. Earthy, orange blossom notes on the nose; Loads of botrytis, good acidity (not cloying or anything like that) followed by a superb 30-40 second finish. Should last for another 10 years at least. Glad I have another bottle!

10/26/2006 - Prego wrote:

Lovely aged wine that went well with a filet mignon.

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Nice, floral nose and drinking beautifully despite what I thought was going to be an over-the-hill wine. With the age, it lost much of its baby fat. Still had a lot of alcohol though!

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Saturday dinner extravaganza in Tucson (Tucson - home of RM): Sweet aromas of Black cherries, cardammom and blueberries balanced by dustiness and moss. Loved the layered aromas of this wine. Very close to the premier wines of northern burgandy.

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Saturday dinner extravaganza in Tucson (Tucson - home of RM): This wine has matured wonderfully. Drank this a couple of years ago and it was completely over the top with fruit. But, the wine was drinking wonderfully last night. Still very rich with aromas of dried apricots and lilies. But the wine is now more balanced with a palette of minerals, white peaches and a long finish. Got a hint of petrol on the palette.

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Saturday dinner extravaganza in Tucson (Tucson - home of RM): Great aromas of flint, grapefruit, pineapples. Rich and balanced

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Saturday dinner extravaganza in Tucson (Tucson - home of RM): Poured from a magnum. Wonderful aromas of toasted hazelnuts and yeast. Bright and yet very rich on the palette.

10/14/2006 - Prego wrote:

Saturday dinner extravaganza in Tucson (Tucson - home of RM): Rich aroma of grapefruit, peach and apricots balanced out by mineraly notes of flint.

9/22/2006 - Prego wrote:

Fantastic everyday wine. Soft pure fruit, light tannins, juicy acidity. No rough edges at all. Just a pleasure to drink.

9/7/2006 - Prego wrote:

Very easy drinking petite syrah, atypical of the huge tannic monster I was expecting. Nose of violets, sawdust. Palate was crushed semi-ripe blueberries with smooth acidity and barely noticeable tannins. Had this with a steak and I must say it went extremely well and was a fabulous pairing. Definitely a wine meant to be had with hearty food.