The Solstice is upon us and we’ve lined up some Summery wines from the French countryside to help us celebrate.  We’ll be pouring a crisp Gascogne Blanc, a tongue coating Côtes de Thongue Rosé, an Alsacian Edelwicker (which is as much fun to drink as it is to say) as well as an elegant Chinon and lively Châteauneuf that comes from horse plowed fields.  Come soak up some summer.

2013 Domaine Chiroulet, Terres Blanches $12
50% Gros Manseng, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Ugni Blanc
Domaine Chiroulet has been in the family for over the last 150 years and six generations.   Situated on the highest slopes in Gascony, the Chiroulet estate faces due south towards the Pyrenees.  The Terres Blanches is a lees aged Blanc with “a taste of the soil”–floral and mineral characteristics and more body than you’d expect.

2014 Domaine Montrose, Côtes de Thongue Rosé $12
65% Grenache, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah.
Montrose is located in the Languedoc region of Southern France, 15 km away from the Mediterranean coast.  The name refers to its geographic location on a volcano (Mont) and to the pink (Rose) flowers almond tress surrounding the vineyard.  The domaine was founded in 1701 and is still in the family.  The Rosé has notes of red berries and peach flavors with spicy overtones making an elegant wine combining roundness and freshness.

Léon Boesch Edelwicker  $18 1ltr 
Sylanver, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Riesling, Chasselas, Auxerrois
From Alsace, this 11th generation biodynamic estate ages their wines in old foudre. This eight grape blend is dry yet full of ripe fruit and round texture.  The wine has floral, mineral, juicy orange, papaya, mango, and star fruit notes and spicy undertones.

2011 Angélique Léon, Chinon Rouge  $18
Cabernet Franc
Léon’s 6.20 ha vineyards are planted to all Cab Franc.  The average age of the vines for bottled wines is 30 to 40 years.  The excellent 2011 is rich and fragrant with notes of cherry and plum a dry minerality and a good length in mouth.

2012 Domaine de la Biscarelle, Châteauneuf du Pape  $38
Domaine de la Biscarelle is produced from a blend of 90% Grenache and assorted other varietals Cinsault, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Terret Noir. The Grenache vines are old, with some more than 100 years of age. The wine is vinified in traditional cement vats and aged in used, French oak barrels for 12 months. The wine has a nose of red stone fruit and ripe black fruit along with licorice and tapenade and a peppery core.

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.