ANIMALE resides in a small carefully organized cellar in the deep upper Ballard; there Matt Gubitosa crafts his wines.  We have long been fans of ANIMALE wines, and this Saturday Matt’s will be showing off his newly released 2013s.  All the wines were aged in a combination of all old/neutral oak and stainless steel to showcase the inherent varietal qualities and the distinctiveness of the cool-climate growing sites and the cooler-weather vintage.  The wines have balanced, food-friendly acidity and modest alcohol and are never subjected to the horrors of fining or filtration. Stop in at 2 and have a taste.
 
2013 Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley  $25
90% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
From ANIMALE’s 1/2-acre of vines near Sunnyside, this Cab Franc is a medium- to full-bodied wine with aromas of strawberry and raspberry, flavors of red currant, cherry pie, with hints of slate.  Alc. 13.6%, 44 cases produced
 
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley  $26
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot
From old-vine (1990) fruit at the Crawford Vineyard in Prosser The Cab Sauvignon is full-bodied with complex aromas and flavors of cherry and pimento, with notes of eucalyptus, root beer, mushrooms, mixed herbs and ample tannins that make for an age-worthy wine.  Alc. 13.5%, 24 cases produced
 
2013 Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley  $26
From the “Doc Stewart” vineyard, near Mattawa, the Petit Verdot is  concentrated and full-bodied with perfume-like aromas of raspberry with exotic hints of sumac, menthol and citrus fruit along wtih flavors of cassis and plums with hints of wet stone.  Lay it down and watch it evolve.  Alc. 13.1%, 21 cases produced
 
2013 Reserve Petite Sirah, Yakima Valley  $26
From ANIMALE’s 1-acre of vines near Sunnyside the Petite Sirah is full-bodied with  aromas of fresh blackberries, with suggestions of grapefruit, cranberry, mixed herbs and flowers.  It is luscious and rich on the palate, with flavors of plums, Moreno cherry, and Italian prunes.  Alc. 13.4%, 54 cases produced
 
2012 Dolcetto – Columbia Valley  $25
We’ll also be revisiting the 2012 Dolcetto from Gilbert’s 24k vineyard on Wahluke Slope.  The Dolcetto has complex and spicy aromas of blackberry and freshly-ground peppercorns, with hints of anise, blackcurrant, cola, and wisps of violets and sweet smoke. It’s a zesty, medium-bodied wine with flavors of fresh berries and a soft but lingering finish.  Alc. 14.4%, 22 cases produced

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