Michael Browne Pinot Noirs (CIRQ and Chev) on Wine Access

Wine Access has the latest Pinot Noirs from Michael Browne available (affiliate links below):

• 2017 CIRQ. Pinot Noir Russian River Valley $225
• 2018 Chev. Pinot Noir Russian River Valley $105

I first learned about CIRQ during this visit to Kosta Browne at the Barlow, which included a unforgettable tasting at CIRQ's Treehouse Vinyeard.

More recently, I was thoroughly impressed with Chev's 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir especially after enjoying Michael Browne's book.

Deal or Not a Deal?

Wine Access says:

The barrier to the world's best wine isn't price. It's access.

It's great to see an opportunity to buy these wines, most commonly sold consumer direct, from an online retailer like Wine Access.

I say that because it provides an opportunity to buy just a couple bottles without competing for a slot on a mailing list, and just as importantly: Avoiding high shipping costs while trying just a couple bottles.

Let's look at the Chev at $105/btl. Winery direct pricing is $80. I bought 3 bottles and paid $25 for shipping. That's $88/btl after shipping.

With Wine Access we can potentially stack a couple deals:

• $50 off $150 for new customers through referral
• A targeted Amex Offer for $50 off $150

That could potentially work out to:

• 2 x $105 = $210
• Less $50 through referral = $160
• Less $50 for the Amex offer = $110
• Free shipping on $120+ (calculated on pre-discount pricing) = $55/btl

That's a pretty great deal on a tremendous Pinot Noir.

Do I regret buying it for $88/btl winery direct? Not at all. This is a great opportunity to justify cracking one of those bottles open and replenishing my stock through Wine Access.

Can I justify splurging on a $225 bottle of CIRQ with discounts? Sheesh - that's a tough call. I have a hard time justifying wine north of $100/btl in my mind. $225 for a domestic Pinot Noir is a new high water mark. I need some crazy deal (like this one) to justify that in my mind.