Does anyone know whether or not these two wines have been scored by WS or any other critic yet? Anyone taste them? Thanks!

I had one Sonoma. Liked a lot but young of course and I didn't try to score. I will lay off anymore for 6 months and probably not hit any RRV till next year. I don't think WS rated any yet.

The big 3 reviewers have not reviewed them yet.

There are plenty of scores on CellarTracker.

I had them side by side and the SC is once again a delicious wine with 1-2 hours decant time and the RRV will need more time to open up.

CellarTracker links to the wines:

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470514

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470513

quote:

Originally posted by GreenDrazi:
The big 3 reviewers have not reviewed them yet.

There are plenty of scores on CellarTracker.

I had them side by side and the SC is once again a delicious wine with 1-2 hours decant time and the RRV will need more time to open up.

CellarTracker links to the wines:

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470514

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470513

Looks like the Sonoma's ahead by a nose.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr Cabernet:

quote:

Originally posted by GreenDrazi:
The big 3 reviewers have not reviewed them yet.

There are plenty of scores on CellarTracker.

I had them side by side and the SC is once again a delicious wine with 1-2 hours decant time and the RRV will need more time to open up.

CellarTracker links to the wines:

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470514

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=470513

Looks like the Sonoma's ahead by a nose.

Anyone want mine? The only nuance I taste in KB is alcohol!! There's a place in D.C. selling them for $99. I'd more than happy to unload for $90 with free shipping.

I don't know if I stay on the list to taste the SVD's at this point. Are they alc bombs too?

When did you become such a wuss Numanthia boy?

While not to the same point CP is I am getting close. I am finding my taste are moving more to OR. Pinot's and some Burgs - DAMN YOU WIML AND BENCHLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the wines, hate the price increases, pretty soon we will not be buying anymore due to the ridiculousness of the pricing. Plenty of good wines for significnatly less $.

MLV - I completely agree. KB is one more price increase from losing me, unless I stay on the list just to get some 4-Barrel. I've already dropped Aubert, and I'm getting ready to jettison Kistler. Big price increases plus double shipping take these out of my comfort zone.

Chile, you may be able to get close to that price soon as Laube's recent blog alluded to another Kosta Browne score bonanza.

Having just read James Laube's follow-up to his first blog entry in which he seems even more convinced of the low quality of the 2006 vintage, does anyone have a sense of specifically which appellations suffered the most in 2006? Russian River Valley seems an obvious one, but can the same be said for, say, the Sonoma Coast? It seems that it is awfully difficult to make a blanket generalization when the vintage in question emcompasses so many different geographical regions. For example, I just tried the 2006 Loring Russell Family from Paso Robles; for a wine from a "bad" vintage and from a region not noted for Pinot to boot, it was an extremely enjoyable bottle of wine. What other regions besides RRV really suffered in '06?

The K-B Sonoma Coast has gotten scores of 95, 95 and 93 the last three vintages, and it sold the latest vintage for $46 or $48.

Sure, the 2003 was $28, but really the value question is how it compares to other alternatives at this time, not how it compares to the price for this wine in prior years. If it had been $46 each of the prior three vintages, would that make this year's offering a better value?

And then the fact that the true market value of these on resale is almost double the release price, it's pretty hard to fault them on the pricing.

quote:

Originally posted by Jcocktosten:
When did you become such a wuss Numanthia boy?

LOL...actually nothing about being a wuss..I'm frankly disappointed that the alc is so apparent.

quote:

Originally posted by seanr7:
While not to the same point CP is I am getting close. I am finding my taste are moving more to OR. Pinot's and some Burgs - DAMN YOU WIML AND BENCHLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amen, I've definitely caught the OR bug. I might only end up staying on Kutch for CA since he seems determined to throttle his wines down a bit..which he did in 2006 vs. the initial 2005.

quote:

Originally posted by Bacchus666:
Having just read James Laube's follow-up to his first blog entry in which he seems even more convinced of the low quality of the 2006 vintage, does anyone have a sense of specifically which appellations suffered the most in 2006? Russian River Valley seems an obvious one, but can the same be said for, say, the Sonoma Coast? It seems that it is awfully difficult to make a blanket generalization when the vintage in question emcompasses so many different geographical regions. For example, I just tried the 2006 Loring Russell Family from Paso Robles; for a wine from a "bad" vintage and from a region not noted for Pinot to boot, it was an extremely enjoyable bottle of wine. What other regions besides RRV really suffered in '06?

The Sonoma Coast appellation is huge and runs from the coast of Mendocino to Carneros and includes parts of San Pablo Bay. I don't know the politics of how appellations are determined, but this was definitely the "everything goes in here that we don't want to call RR" appellation. There are so many microclimates there that no generalizations are possible.

The problem that I've heard with 2006 and Pinot Noir, were with botrytis. In general, the RR has a wetter climate than the Sonoma Coast appellation and this impacted growers / vinters there that did not remove moldy grapes.

The Central Coast is also a completely different area as the coastal mountain range protects the vineyards on the eastern side. As a result, there is a lot of heat down there in the Santa Rita appellation area. I have not heard of any problems from that area.

Just an fyi:

I was at a tasting earlier this year that included wines from KB (Mountainman was there too). At that tasting, I thought that the Russian River was showing better than the Sonoma Coast. However, there was one thing that really stood out for me: wines from the Keefer vineyard.

IMO: buy as much KB Keefer as you can. And if you can't get any, buy Freeman or A.P. Vin. All Keefer wines from these 3 producers were showing really well and were wines of their respective flights for me.

quote:

Originally posted by tanglenet:
The Sonoma Coast appellation is huge and runs from the coast of Mendocino to Carneros and includes parts of San Pablo Bay. I don't know the politics of how appellations are determined, but this was definitely the "everything goes in here that we don't want to call RR" appellation. There are so many microclimates there that no generalizations are possible.

The problem that I've heard with 2006 and Pinot Noir, were with botrytis. In general, the RR has a wetter climate than the Sonoma Coast appellation and this impacted growers / vinters there that did not remove moldy grapes.

The Central Coast is also a completely different area as the coastal mountain range protects the vineyards on the eastern side. As a result, there is a lot of heat down there in the Santa Rita appellation area. I have not heard of any problems from that area.

Thanks very much; I'm glad now that I bought almost as much Central Coast as Sonoma for this particular vintage. I guess we're all looking forward to 2007 for Pinot, at least from what I've read.

While not one of the big boys I thought this article in the SF Chronicle was timely to this thread. The ratings are pretty much useless but the tasting notes are helpful.

This week's Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs have lovely fruit, balancing acidity, moderate alcohol and for the most part, modest tannins. Fewer of the wines are a challenge to locate compared to last week's recommendations. Some are available in restaurants and all can be purchased from the winery.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Aubin Cellars Verve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($33) Solid basic berry with spice notes on the nose. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, cinnamon with nutmeg and toast come together on the fresh, bright palate. Balanced and straightforward.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 C. Donatiello Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($48) Cherry, ripe strawberry, a bit of sandalwood and plenty of oak spice on the nose give way to buoyant, tart berry fruit with exotic citrus highlights; underlying mineral grip, nice structure and increased acidity on the finish.

Rating: THREE STARS 2004 Dehlinger Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($48) This wine completes malolactic fermentation in 40 percent new French oak. Almost pungent loamy berry and floral notes on the nose, with hints of soy and tamarind. Ripe cherry, plum and a suppleness on the palate belies its richness, structure and weight. This 2004 bottling - which has been held back longer than our 2005 and 2006 recommendations - is the current release.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 De La Montanya Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($60) Though it isn't mentioned on the label, this reserve is from Tina's Vineyard's best two barrels. Herb notes overlay plum, cherry, mint chocolate and orange zest aromas. Brighter flavors with some mineral, a touch of heat and stemminess on the palate. Better with food. Winery only.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 De Loach Vineyards OFS Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($38) OFS stands for "our finest selection" vineyards. Plenty of candied berry, cola and sweet oak aromas; the palate's tart acidity is balanced with dark cherry and subtle tannic grip. Great with food.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($38) Fruit from five of the 60 individual Dutton Ranch vineyards is in this cuvee. Toast, oak and a slight smoky, rubber character underscore plum and creamy, cherry aromas. There is solid, bright red fruit on the palate, which offers grippy tannins and citrus zest on the lingering finish.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Kosta Brown Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($48) A blend of grapes from eight vineyards. Juicy dark red berry, cola, soy sauce and tamarind aromas and flavors; rich, intense fruit core with vibrancy and bounce on the palate, which shows finesse but with a bit of heat on the finish.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($39) Cherry, sweet baking spice and pretty earthy, leafy notes define the aromas. Nicely balanced palate of black cherry, cranberry and sweet oak with a bit of minerally grip for structure. Black-plum-skin finish. Winery only.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40) This wine includes fruit from the estate's Quail Hill Vineyard. Lovely aromas and flavors of buoyant cherry, red and dark fruit, and clove. Tangy and bright with a generous burst of fruit surrounding the integrated tannins.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($43) Fruit from several of the vineyards in the Papapietro Perry stable is blended into this cuvee. Lovely earth and loamy aromas surround the floral notes and bright black cherry and raspberry. Earthiness continues on the palate; mouthwatering acidity and ample structure.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Pellegrini Olivet Lane Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($35) Olivet Lane was planted to the Martini clone in 1975 and is considered to be one of Russian River Valley's heritage Pinot Noir sites. Aromas and flavors of cherry cobbler, jammy strawberry, cola, toast and pencil segue to a buoyant finish. An oakier style with solid fruit.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Rochioli Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($58) Sweetwater Vineyard fruit comprises 70 percent of the blend with the remainder from other estate vineyards. Dusky and dusty dark fruit with a rich, ripe nose of black cherry and black raspberry with a pretty, tapered finish.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Russian Hill Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($30) Fruit from several small growers has gone into this bottling. Lavish oak, lemon curd and vanilla aromas are lifted by a slight floral quality. Surprisingly lean and tart on the ripe cherry palate with bright acidity and focused structure.

Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($45) Allow a bit of time for this wine to open and round its edges. A bit of gray mineral on the nose alongside black cherry and vanilla. Food-friendly acidity on the zesty palate with spice on the finish. Winery only.

Rating: TWO STARS 2005 Willowbrook Cellars Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($34) Wet leaf and loam open up first then black raspberry and raspberry aromas. Focused palate of leafy berry, lemon zest, tangy tamarind and a hint of soy sauce with buoyant red cherry on the finish.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Woodenhead Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40) A rich but understated nose of mocha java, roasted cherry and strawberry leaf with hints of lavender and pencil lead. A touch hefty and hot, with fresh, tart fruit and dry forest floor on the palate.

Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon Bonné, Chronicle wine editor; Chris Wright, wine educator, Boulette's Larder. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine.

Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARSExcellent Rating: TWO STARS Good

This article appeared on page F - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Laube's scores on the whole line-up are in today's Insider or whatever the early score thing is called.

Range from 89-94 from what I saw.

The Sonoma Coast got 90 pts, the RRV 91 pts.

Other KB wines

4-Barrel - 93 pts.
RRV Amber Ridge - 92 pts.
SLH Garys' Vineyard - 92 pts.
Sonoma Coast Kanzler vineyard - 92 pts.
RRV Koplen vineyard - 90 pts.
RRV Keefer Ranch - 89 pts.
SLH Rosella's Vineyard - 94 pts.

Being a Kosta Browne customer, I'm not that upset by these "back down to earth" scores for a vintage.

I’m tried the Sonoma Coast at home and a couple of others at a tasting and I pretty much agree on the scores. Speaking of the insider, there seem to be some pretty good scores for CA Cab’s. I don’t follow CA as much as other areas, but it seems to be the most generous Cab scores I’m seen from JL in awhile.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter:
Being a Kosta Browne customer, I'm not that upset by these "back down to earth" scores for a vintage.

But how about the ~10% price increase to $6