2012 Cirq Treehouse Vineyard Pinot Noir

Cirq is a new project from Michael Browne, one of the founders of Kosta Browne in the Russian River Valley. Browne’s new label debuted with a 2011 Pinot Noir, and the estate so far is making just two Pinots in very limited amounts. Each of Browne’s wines comes from a single estate vineyard. One is the 13.5-acre Treehouse Vineyard, the other is the 30-acre Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyard. Both are at 750 feet and above the famous Russian River Valley fog line. Browne grew up in Wenatchee, a farming community in central Washington State, and as a kid he spent several summers performing in a youth circus, hence the name of his new label, which is a reference to his youthful circus days. Charlie Chenoweth, well-known in northern California wine circles for his expertise in vineyard management, planted the Pinot Noir vineyards for Cirq and is the estate’s vineyard manager.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.