Cantina Tombacco started 100 years ago as a peach orchard.  They quickly expanded to grapes and 100 years later are sourcing grapes from diverse areas of central Italy to make their wines.  Join us Saturday as we hop through some of their vineyards from Abruzzo, Molise and Campania.  We’ll follow that with a Primativo from Puglia and an Amarone from Veneto.  It’s a lot of ground to cover.  
 
2017 Tombacco Pecorino Terre di Chieti  $12
From Abruzzo, the Pecorino has a fruity (pear, apple) and floral aromas. Medium-bodied with a more noticeable earthy minerality with a slight buttery note. Sweetness still delicate and sitting nicely overall and balanced well against the acidity.
 
2014 Tombacco Biferno Rosso Riserva  $14
80% Montepulciano, 20% Aglianico
Biferno is a tiny appellation in the center-south of Italy in Molise. The Riserva has appreciated after time spent aging in both barrel and bottle and the result is an aromatic and seductive wine with cherry and floral lift, but a deep, plum and licorice richness of fruit and silky texture, the tannins mellowed into a gentle, rounded wine. Let it sit in the glass a few minutes (or decant) before drinking.

2017 Tombacco Aglianico del Beneventano  $14
From Campania in in Southern Italy, Tombacco’s Aglianico is big, rich, warming and smooth. Hints of cherry and red berries, with a marked vanilla and spicy note lead into an excellent mouth feel, elegant and warm, sapid and full-bodied with some spice on the long finish.

2016 Piantaferro Primitivo di Manduria  $14
An oaked Primitivo It is a single varietal Primitivo, from a small vineyard parcel in the heart of the superior Manduria DOC in the heel of Italy. This is a fine example of Primitivo: full-bodied, jammy, with tones of chocolate and raisins. Really meant to be drunk young, those that love fruity wines will not be disappointed.

2014 Scoula Grande Amarone  $38
Corvina, Molinara
Amarone is the king of the Veneto.  The Scoula Grande has deep, dark, intense, with pleasant slight granite shades. A sequence of perceptions of cherry, plum, and black cherries under liquor and toasted almond; interesting final notes of coffee, tobacco and cocoa.

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Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.