2011 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
One of the softest wines in the range, the 2011 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard also shows the limitations of the vintage in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2011 is a pretty wine, but it is a bit lacking in the mid-palate and needs to be enjoyed sooner rather than later.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Refined and elegant, the 2011 Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard (100% destemmed) offers up a perfumed, lifted array of sweet dark cherries, orange peel, sappy underbrush and rose petal to go with a pure, lively and decidedly energetic profile on the palate. Tightly wound, laser-focused and downright juicy, it’s a brilliant Pinot Noir that will have upwards of a decade of longevity. Drink 2015-2021. This was a pretty, elegant lineup of wines by owners/winemakers Dan Kosta and Michael Browne. Tel. (707) 823-7430; www.kostabrowne.com
The 2011 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is the most delicate of the four Santa Lucia Highlands Pinots I tasted from Kosta Brown this year. Soft floral notes meld into raspberries, licorice, spices and crushed rose petals. In 2011, the Rosella's is quite delicate and gracious. Ideally, it is best enjoyed over the next few years.
Vivid ruby. Explosive aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate, potpourri and spicecake. Sappy, dense and seamless in texture, offering energetic flavors of red berry preserves, licorice and candied rose. Finishes with excellent length and silky, harmonious tannins that fade into the fruit on the back end.
About the producer

Kosta Browne is one of California's most acclaimed wineries, renowned for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that express the character of top vineyard sites across Sonoma and beyond. Combining meticulous sourcing with thoughtful winemaking, the wines offer richness, precision, and remarkable sense of place.