The April 2020 Auction: Part 5
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1 / 2Lot 878
Estimate: $95
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Collection name
Reviews
94WA
"One of the more feminine, elegant and pretty Pinot Noirs in the lineup, the 2013 Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard exhibits a lot of spring flowers and sappy underbrush notes, as well as ample underlying darker berry fruit. Lively, fresh and taut on the palate, yet still with depth of fruit and texture, it’s beautiful now but should evolve gracefully . . . . Based out of Sebastopol, Kosta Browne’s Dan Kosta, Michael Browne and Chris Costello continue to fashion a bevy of brilliant Pinot Noirs from a number of sites spread throughout California. The big news at this estate, however, was the purchasing of a controlling interest by J.W. Childs Associates out of Boston. Concerning the impact of this change to the wine, the winemaking remains untouched and nothing I heard during my visit gave me pause concerning the quality of this estate going forward. In addition, Browne and John Childs (the CEO of J.W. Childs Associates) have previously worked together in the past with their Cirq label (which I wasn’t able to taste for this report), so I think Kosta Browne lovers can rest easy. Going forward, this team is increasingly looking to own and farm their vineyards, so expect quality to hold steady or even increase. Looking at their 2013s, this was obviously a great vintage for this estate and all of the wines showed sensational purity and freshness paired with layered, nicely concentrated and textured profiles. I’d say it’s the finest lineup I’ve tasted from this estate."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"One of the more feminine, elegant and pretty Pinot Noirs in the lineup, the 2013 Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard exhibits a lot of spring flowers and sappy underbrush notes, as well as ample underlying darker berry fruit. Lively, fresh and taut on the palate, yet still with depth of fruit and texture, it’s beautiful now but should evolve gracefully . . . . Based out of Sebastopol, Kosta Browne’s Dan Kosta, Michael Browne and Chris Costello continue to fashion a bevy of brilliant Pinot Noirs from a number of sites spread throughout California. The big news at this estate, however, was the purchasing of a controlling interest by J.W. Childs Associates out of Boston. Concerning the impact of this change to the wine, the winemaking remains untouched and nothing I heard during my visit gave me pause concerning the quality of this estate going forward. In addition, Browne and John Childs (the CEO of J.W. Childs Associates) have previously worked together in the past with their Cirq label (which I wasn’t able to taste for this report), so I think Kosta Browne lovers can rest easy. Going forward, this team is increasingly looking to own and farm their vineyards, so expect quality to hold steady or even increase. Looking at their 2013s, this was obviously a great vintage for this estate and all of the wines showed sensational purity and freshness paired with layered, nicely concentrated and textured profiles. I’d say it’s the finest lineup I’ve tasted from this estate."
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
A large, geographically varied California region producing cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay near the coast and richer Zinfandel and Cabernet inland. Its wines range from elegant to bold.
A cool, fog-influenced Sonoma AVA renowned for elegant, complex Pinot Noir and rich, balanced Chardonnay.
A thin-skinned, terroir-sensitive red producing perfumed, silky and elegant wines of red-berry fruit and earthy complexity. It reaches its apogee in Burgundy.