Kosta Browne has to be on of the most well-known wine brands
from Sonoma. It gained popularity with
its small production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay bottlings two decades ago and
its momentum hasn't seemed to slow with fans and hopeful collectors. This Sta. Rita Hills Pinot grows where the
topography allows for cool sea breezes and fog to blanket the region from the
Pacific Ocean via the east-west orientation.
The wines are elegant and structured and must-try representations, so
try this from Kosta Browne before it is sold out.
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is a microclimate that began a mere
20 million years ago and is nothing short of a miracle. Tectonic plate
movements over the years caused mountains to rise out of the ocean, break off
the plate and rotate clockwise creating one of the most defined, transverse
ranges on the Pacific Coast. Remnants of marine sediment deposited during the
Miocene Epoch is the base of the soil found here with the added element of
elevated calcium. But what makes this area truly unique is the purely East/West
maritime mouth that funnels cooling coastal fog, and wind to the vines. One of
the smaller AVAs in California, Sta. Rita Hills is one of the world's best
cool-climate growing regions of Pinot Noir.
The 2018 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir has notes of bright
fruits highlighted by fresh strawberry, red cherry, and cranberry, and accentuated
by fresh basil.
