Kosta Browne Taste Off With a Ringer…Blind

Kosta Browne Taste Off With a Ringer…Blind – Episode #271

July 6, 2007

Gary Vaynerchuk has some fun on this friday, answers a few questions and tastes some AMAZING PINOT NOIRS Blind!

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Comments on this episode(203) Leave a comment ›

“QOTD: Had a Jordan Chardonnay tonight…yeah, not too good….” by Tooch
“QOTD: Ravenswood Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel, 2007 I think. It was one di…” by richardvinifera
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2003 Kosta Browne Pinot Sonoma on Wine-Searcher
2005 Amisfield Pinot Noir Central OtagoNew Zealand Pinot Noir
2004 Kosta Browne Pinot Sonoma on Wine-Searcher

203 Responses

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July 7, 2007

Brandon M
Not to go against any of me bros, and you know who you are, but Kosta Browne is not even close to being made in a Syrah or Zin style. I find a ton of fruit with the wines, but that unmistakable earth nose is there, and it’s there big!

Kosta Browne may have over extracted fruit compared to the Burgundian style, but it truly is an unmistakable Pinot.

And remember, Kahuna doesn’t hate Kosta Browne, he hates Pinot in general. So I say let’s all show up at his house and drink all of his cabs!
July 7, 2007

Dan NYC
Nice show Gary. Just kicking myself because a couple of months ago I saw some Kosta Browne at a wine shop here in NYC and didn’t pick any up. Of coarse it wasn’t there when I went back. QOTD. The Trio Infernal which wasn’t bad but a horrible QPR since it was $50 and I felt it was a 89-90 pt wine in my book.
July 7, 2007

wmole
Go Padres, when have the dodgers not sucked? raise two fingers for answer
July 7, 2007

Canuckchuk
QOTD: A Rueda (region, not the grape) from Herderos del Marques de Riscal, a Spanish white wine.

A California pinot that may appeal is the Stature, a higher end line from Kendall-Jackson.

Thanks for contributing your own bottles, Gary.
July 7, 2007

Brandon M
CabDrinker is a jerk…no one listen to him. He likes night train mixed with 7-Up.
July 6, 2007

TommyBoBo of WI

Great ep!! love the blind tasting.
Seems Kahuna has underware in wad… ????
93,94,95 rated wines…. pay what you can afford. I like paying the price at times if it is giving me perpective on what “the experts” feel is a great example. But I’ll shop for the bargins.
Great weekend up here in Gods country!!!! Enjoy everyone!
July 6, 2007

Cabdrinker
Looking forward to Brandons bottle coming my way after the Padres smoke the Dodgers again in a few months.

Great episode Gary!
July 6, 2007

Sarah L
OK, I didn’t comment on yesterday’s QOTD, but I’d still like you to do a benchmark episode. A wine you consider a benchmark for the varietal per country or terroir. I.e., this is a Cali PN let’s compare with other Cali PN’s; or let’s compare with Oregon or France PN benchmarks.

After trying the ‘05 Sea Smoke Southing PN earlier this week, I have been obsessed with PN. I know that the ‘05 was a baby, but I was in a restaurant and it was their last bottle . . . someone was going to drink it so it might as well be me! Impressed I am. So sublime! I had really chalked up Cali PN as a fad because of the Sideways movie – well it is not. The movie may have brought up the price but this juice brings the thunder! Other Cali PNs that I’ve tried were too sweet and lacked structure. I wish you had sampled other Cali PN in this episode.

QOTD: Black Box red wine from my sister’s house and an oxidized Neyers Chardonnay that my cousin paid $29+ for.

Loved, loved, loved this episode of WLTV
July 6, 2007

Brandon M
Remember when you told me Kosta Browne Pinot’s were just ok Gary? Do ya remember, huh? Huh? Do ya?
July 6, 2007

nougat
Great episode Gary. Would have liked to have seen you guess which was which. Looks like you had them right.

QOTD: Ordered a 2003 Sparr One at a Thai restaurant and sent it back – it had no signs of life . Replaced it with a 2004 Jacobs Creek Reserve Reisling that FRIGGIN ROCKED!
July 6, 2007

wmole
Agree with you JonE about Kahuna’s comments. Didn’t make sense to me either. How can you overextract a grape that has thin skins? There’s nothing to overextract from.
Also, the bad cal pinot was from which region?
Alexander Valley
Carneros
Central Coast
Central Valley
Dry Creek Valley
Napa Valley
North Coast
Northern Coast
Paso Robles
Russian River
Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Maria Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
Sierra Foothills
Sonoma
South Coast
Other Regions

Which winery?
http://www.cawinemall.com/a-c.shtml
All love right back to you brother GARY!
July 6, 2007

Matty B
QOTD: There’s a wine at Trader Joe’s called “Three Buck Chuck” I would cuss here if it wasn’t so mean. But that stuff isn’t wine. It’s not anything.
July 6, 2007

Ben N.
Thanks Gary for the food tips. And I love the French book, I have the same one. I guess that was the Bordeaux part of the show. Have a great weekend everybody.
July 6, 2007

Alos Diallo
Great episode Gary! Love the Darth Vaynerchuck addition. The worst wine that I have had was a white zin from turning leaf it was terrible.
July 6, 2007

Tom T.
Excellent show Gary. Will definitely seek out a Kosta Browne soon. Gotta keep expanding my palate. QOTD – worst is a “relative” thing sometimes. None of the wines I had over the last 14 days were bad. Thanks again for a great ep.
July 6, 2007

Jon B.
Unbelievable show today loved it.Darth Vaynerchuk classic…This is the thunder show…QOTD Goats do Roam 2006 Rose’ worst in last two weeks by far. later
July 6, 2007

JonE
First off: G-Man big props way to bring the thunder!!! NZ crossed with cult Cali Pinot is definitely the thunder show.

Secondly: “OK – Pinot traditionally is not equal to Big Wine”-Kahuna
Am I the only one who see’s something wrong with this comment?
How come so many boneheads are posting pissy comments about the Kosta? Kahuna feels the need to bash big Cali Pinots? We should compare all Pinot to Burgundy? Give me a break! Cough syrup, blah blah blah. Anyone who has tasted Kosta Browne and still thinks its overextracted syrup by all means let me know.
Three months ago I finished my last bottle of 02′ Sonoma Coast, it was fantastic. Balanced, finessed and yet still with a very powerful backbone. And if we had to compare it to Burgundy, it had many of the characteristics of a middle aged Echezeaux, with some Pommard punch and bit of brooding Volnay aspects. To all the nay sayers who seem so apt to mock KB try it first.

QOTD: Valckenberg Dornfelder. Sometimes expanding horizons can be very sweet and awful.
July 6, 2007

Totte
Hi G.V.

Like the blind tasting. But what about the bags you used in an early episode ?

QotD : Vigna Cabernet Sauv. 2005. Horrible. But the last 14 days have been very good wine days: -88 1:er cru Burgundy, -98 Gruner and some other exciting bottles.

Swedish T
July 6, 2007

portman
Nice ep. Good to mix the format up a bit. Maybe do a blind tasting once or twice a month. Variety is good.

Darth Vayner. Good to see you again. Unperturbed as usual.

The last 14 days? It was a flat monolithic cab we had at the Kennebunkport Inn last weekend. I have been traumatized, and no longer remember the label.
July 6, 2007

Tariq Amjad
Hey Gary,

Thanks for doing the Kosta Browne episode. 2004 was KILLER for KB (and some other producers, especially Russian River Valley RRV as I call it. Can’t wait for the Harlans and big cult Cali cabs. Thanks!

Tariq
July 6, 2007

napaspa.com
Fun episode! keep tasting those Cali pinots. love to see an all russian river episode.

QOTD: pillar box red (was not that bad for $10)
July 6, 2007

thach
Good God Gary! My wife walked in the room seeing me with this episode and mistaken that it’s another hostage situatin in the Middle East. Very nicely done and thanks to Vader!
July 6, 2007

barbotus
Nice show. Good to see Darth Vayner wearing the French Legionnaires Moustache…. you don’t want to know where that thing has been.
QOTD: Nothing really bad in the last 14 days. The 2001 Zingaro Zin in my glass right now isn’t doing much for me, but if you give me 21 days I’ll go with the 1999 Notarpanaro IGT. May just be way past prime, or maybe it was a different vintage that I liked in the past, but blech.
July 6, 2007

RieslingRon
QOTD: 05 Bulletin Place Shiraz from SE Australia. WS rated it a 90, but I couldn’t get any where near that!!!

A different look to the usual format……We need to see your face and expressions, so on the next blind tasting please wrap the bottles.
July 6, 2007

bossman
Some heat episode…….

Ian, I hope he doesn’t watch the episode and catch you giving him devil’s horns amongst the other obscene gestures. I too, often catch up on my reading while this talentless hack rambles on incestantly (yeah right, that’s why I busily hit f5 every weekday afternoon and never fail to comment)

Sorry, dude I only do photos with gratis schwag (and even then I delegate).

QOTD: Carina Cellars Santa Barbara Syrah 2003- I sure hope it was corked, I can’t imagine anyone willingly spending $16 on that when there are so many other tasty bottles at that price point.