More about the 2023 KOSTA BROWNE SANTA RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR: In the rugged contours of Santa Barbara County, where ocean breezes funnel through the transverse valley of the Sta. Rita Hills, Kosta Browne’s 2023 Pinot Noir finds its voice. The vintage is shaped by the region’s unique geography—a narrow strip of land framed by the Santa Ynez Mountains to the north and the Pacific to the west—creating one of California’s most prized cool-climate zones. This setting delivers a growing season of slow ripening and vivid acidity, and the result is a Pinot Noir of extraordinary balance, tension, and clarity. The 2023 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a blend of fruit from several iconic vineyards, including Bentrock, Sanford & Benedict, and Radian—sites revered for their windswept slopes and ancient marine soils. Winemaker Julien Howsepian crafts this wine with precision, employing native yeasts and careful whole-cluster fermentation to layer nuance and dimension. The wine is then aged in a mix of French oak barrels, a portion of which are new, lending gentle structure while preserving purity and energy. In the glass, the wine pulses with signature Sta. Rita vibrancy: wild raspberry, blood orange zest, and rose petals soar on the nose, grounded by a whisper of crushed stone and savory spice. The palate is silken and taut, with red fruit echoing through a core of minerality and subtle oak. Finishing long and lifted, the 2023 Kosta Browne Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is both a mirror of its windswept origin and a masterclass in modern coastal Pinot craftsmanship.