2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

What better way to spend the day than snowed in with a bit of vino? It's amazing how 6 inches of snow can shut down New Jersey, but I'm not complaining as it got us both the day off. So after a walk into town for a sandwich, we ran into "Raffy Two Sleeves" on the way home, and invited him over for a bottle of vino. So after a short nap on the couch, Raphael stopped by with a bottle of Bordeaux, so I figured I would grab a nice pinot noir to drink as a segway into the Bordeaux. That said, I picked a 2006 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley. These have been sleeping in the cellar for just about a year now, and with the 2007 vintage already ordered, I figured why not! This was popped and decanted through the Vinturi into a decanter, and while pouring, it had that very seductive, very familiar, Kosta Browne nose. There is something about the nose on these wines that is so identifiable as Kosta Browne, and that is a beautiful thing! The cherry was overwhelming, and such a joy on the nose, with hints of raspberry, cinnamon, and spice. Zelda and Raph picked up hints of cardamom, which I could not pick out with my nose, but she definitely has a better nose than I do. On the palate, more black cherry, candied cherry, hints of cola, creamy vanilla, and a bit of spice. This wine still seems to be very young, although it does have a nice creaminess to it. Regardless, there was a bit of heat on the finish as this wine warmed up, however, while it was still at cellar temp, the heat was much less noticable. Maybe this will settle out with another year or so in the bottle, but I think this is just the way the '06's came out. Regardeless, another gorgeous offering from Kosta Browne, and one of the reasons we love pinot noir. Will revisit this wine after another year or so. 92 points. Cheers!