Pontificating Pinots...

One of the things I love the most about working at the WineSellar & Brasserie is meeting other people just as passionate as me about wine; and discovering, enjoying and discussing the wines.

Case in point, recently I was fortunate enough to try two Pinot Noirs back to back, both from very small production wineries when a great customer, Steve Schoenfeld, was generous enough to share!

Kosta Browne began as a dream for Dan Kosta and Micheal Browne in the summer of 1997 as they worked at a restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA. They began saving their tip money and there their journey began. Today they produce small production single vineyard wines from two appelations; Russian River and Sonoma Coast.

2007 Kosta Browne, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

On the nose: raspberries, smoke and evolved to beach and sand
On the palate: ollalieberries, raspberry and baking spices

WesMar Winery is a very small production winery run by Denise Mary Selyem and her husband Kirk Wesley Hubbard. Denise's name sounds familiar? Her Dad is Ed Selyem of Williams & Selyem Winery. Denise and Kirk worked at Williams & Selyem Winery in the late 90's and in 2000 left to start WesMar.

2006 WesMar, Pinot Noir, Salzgerber Vineyard, Russian River
On the nose: cherries, chocolate, anise, wet forest floor
On the palate: black cherries, plums, pear and even a kiss of orange