11/4/2019 - msuwine wrote:

I’ve been a fan of the Cirq label from its outset, since it offers a more restrained version of the Kosta Browne single vineyard wines - powerful, but not as sweet. Although Kosta Browne is taking over the Bootlegger’s Hill vineyard in 2017, I decided to taste these two 2016 versions side-by-side: one from Kosta Browne (the heir apparent) and one from Cirq (the departing winery). Given this brief intersection in time, were the wines that different?

Um, no - not really. They are each juicy, lively, and nuanced - right down the middle of the modern Pinot line, with ripeness but also typicity. I’ve lately found many KB wines to be rich and saccharine, but this was not the case here. I liked the Cirq better, since it had a more floral, intense, pure, and settled profile, but each is good - and hard to distinguish from each other. Onto the details:

- Color. Both offer bright cherry, almost translucent profiles, with the Cirq being slightly more dark.

- Body. Each had a similar mouthfeel, though the Cirq was the more heavy of the two. Each was medium in body, with few teardrops on the glass and a pleasant lift at the end. (The Cirq was 14.5% alcohol, the Kosta Browne 14.1%.)

- Nose. The Cirq was more reticent, with notes of cranberry, dried herbs, and gravel. The KB was more pungent and fruity, with notes of sour cherry and rosemary. Both have an herbal and gravy tilt, but the KB offers more fruit.

- Taste. The KB was more candied, though only slightly moreso. Each offered lovely notes of dried cranberry, sour cherry, menthol, and herbs. This was the hardest metric on which to tell them apart.

- Finish. The Cirq was a little lighter in the exit, with a more lifted tone. The KB, in contrast, was a bit more sweet.

These wines are virtually identical, so to taste one is to taste both (and don't buy both! ... like, um, a friend of mine). I opened each too early, but I think they will be plenty impressive in 2021 or later. In the interest of splitting no further hairs, I’d put the KB as a 93 and the Cirq as a 93+ at the moment. Both have real upside, though, so give them some time and see what happens.

10/4/2017 - jclary Does not like this wine:

Probably flawed, this was a hot mess. Medicinal and alcoholic on the nose, stewed raisins and prunes on the palate. Two sips and down the drain. Bummer. Hopefully a bad bottle versus a bad wine. Still two bottles left.

6/12/2014 - jclary wrote:

Really nice wine. Still seems young, but not overtly so. Very drinkable now, but will obviously will improve with age. Great complexity, white pepper, dark berries. Outstanding wine. Tannins are nicely integrated. I wouldn't hesitate to drink my other bottles, although I will try to be patient.