Saturday we’re pouring a lineup of Spanish wines with an ecological conscience. These wineries all practice responsible viniculture and are ecologically farmed and either mostly organic or certified organic. Either way, they are lip-smacking delicious. Swing by and give them a try.
2013 Carballal Sete Cepas Albariño $17
Produced from its younger vineyards, tended with natural fertilizer, untilled, hand harvested grapes, ecologically farmed and organic whenever possible, with treatments used only when absolutely necessary. The wine has a nice bracing acidity, with tropical and stone fruits notes. It is a fine match for fish or shellfish.
2013 Bodegas Vegalfaro, Rebel.lia, Utiel-Requena $12
Equal parts Bobal, Tempranillo and Garnacha Tintorea (Alicante Bouchet)
A rebel with a mission, the Rebel.lia is an intense red with an expressive nose bursting with red and black fruits, smoky herbs, baking spices, chocolate and clove. It is loaded with fresh fruit on the pallet than finishes with wonderfully balanced acidity and a smooth with a nice long finish. Certified organic.
2013 Biurko Gorri, Rioja Alta Joven $10
Temparnillo
From the Basque part of Rioja, Biurko Gorri tends vineyards and olive groves certified organic since 1998. The Llorens family stands out for its commitment to combining modern winemaking methods with sustainable viticulture to bring out the true character of tempranillo, and that includes avoiding new oak. The Biurko Joven has aromas of forest red and black fruits (blackberries and strawberries) combined with slight mineral nuances.
2010 Biurko Gorri, Rioja Alta Crianza $15
80% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano
Biurko’s Crianza is aged for 12 months in barrel. Black raspberry, cocoa powder and violet aromas work with savory scents of thyme & sage along with a layer of stealth minerality. A core of fruit drives the palate with sultry, smooth flavors that crawl through the mouth. The finish is polished, regal and gracefully rich. Certified organic
2010 Bodegas Canopy, Tres Patas $22
80% Garnacha, 20% Syrah
The 2010 Tres Patas is produced with the Garnacha fruit from five different vineyards in the village Real de San Vicente in the Gredos zone close to Madrid. The Grenache comes from 40 year old head-trained vineyards on siliceous soils that are ecologically farmed. “The nose comes through as very ripe, with notes of damsons, roasted sunflower and sesame seeds. The palate is medium-bodied, with some grainy tannins, good acidity and a slightly drying finish. It should show better with more bottle aging, even though it’s approachable now.” WA
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.