Announcing Michael Browne's Own Pinot Label... Cirq (updates with pics)

WINE TALK
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When I last met Michael at Kosta-Browne’s winery, he showed me maps and pics of two vineyards he had purchased and planted for himself, and now those vineyards are up and running. His website just launched, so… if you like the style… you know what you are in for. Here is the signup page. First release in a year.

Enjoy!

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Thanks, Roy. Good to know.

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Yes, thanks for the tip.

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Cool webpage.

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Thanks Roy. I seem to recall that you had a project going as well? Any news on that front?

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I saw a WS blog post that said the wine would be $90-100. Yikes.

In the other pricing direction, he is the winemaker for Ketcham pinot noir (RRV), which sells for around $35-40 and is quite delicious. It’s not widely available, but it’s available at retail or from the winery without any mailing list or waiting list.

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Cirq? Why not “Shillelagh”, “Upper Cut” or to appease the mailing list crowd “Incoming”? [cheers.gif]

RT

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I didn’t think he was the winemaker for Ketcham any longer. Wasn’t his last vintage 2007?

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I hung out with Michael Browne for a while yesterday in Sonoma. I was interviewing him for a newsletter I plan to start on winemaking and viticulture… if I can find time to finally get it going. At any rate, visited KB, KB’s new winery, and both his new vineyards, talked about his ideas on winemaking and grape growing, clones, ripeness and everything else under the sun. Thought I would throw up a few pics and answer a few questions I heard from people after I put up the thread…

He still has an ownership in KB, he has not left. His new winery Cirq, is all his own. There will be no vineyard overlap with KB and there are no plans for appellation blends. He made about 500 cases last year but will be getting larger. The style will NOT be changing from what you know his style as, but his two vineyards are in the Green Valley appellation, so they are slightly cooler than some sources he has used in the past and that might affect pick levels. He plans only to use estate fruit. He might buy a third vineyard in Freestone, which is very cold, some time down the line.

This is Bootleggers Hill vineyard, on classic Goldridge soil. There is Pinot and Chard on it and he has not decided for sure if he will make Chard. 30 acres, all in production, but his own production will grow into it over time as the vines mature. Here he is tasting fruit.

This is KB’s new winery, under construction. Look at the size of this place! This is just one of three buildings that will make up the KB complex. Pax is going in with a winery just a football field away.

And here is Tree House Vineyard, 13 acres. The soils are an amazing red-pink and produce huge flavors in the berries. They tasted very ripe and Michael was pulling a block or two today. They actually plan to put a treehouse for visitors in that tree. The views off it are 365 degrees.

Should be a fun project to follow!

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Browne has not been making Ketcham Estate wines for some time (but they are still quite good), we are making it in the 2012 vintage, and have also been using the vineyard as a source for our Roadhouse Label for several years.

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Any updated Cirq info??

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Other than the release is on December 3rd… no.