As we transition from smoke and sun to crisp air and showers, we’ll be opening a couple of bottles with Fall in mind.  Stop and have a taste.

Saturday is Saumur

2018 Domanine des Ormes, Saumur  $17
Cabernet Franc
The nose on this Saumur is beautifully complex, with notes of ripe blackberries, fresh underbrush, green bell pepper and truffles, with the freshness of ripe strawberries. On the mid-palate, the wine is like a bowl of berries, with a dark concentration of fruits, firm structure and silky-soft tannins with a finish that is as long as the Loire River itself.

The Tears of Christ on Sunday

2015 Vini Iovine, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio  $14
80% Piedirosso, 20% Aglianico
A southern Italian red from the hillsides of the Volcano.   This lighter red has red berry, vinous aromas. It is dry, harmonic, and velvety on the palate.
Was $19; Now $14

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Come decide for yourself.

We were poking around the back room and found what we thought was more of the 2017 vintage of this our great little Burgundy “value” was in fact instead form the quite good 2014 vintage.  While this was never meant to be a long-aging cellar wine, the question arises, “How does it taste?”  Today you can find out for yourself.  We will have a bottle open for tasting for the curious of mind.  Brave the smoke and come check it out.

2014 Chanson Pere & Fils Bourgogne Rouge  $15
Pinot Noir
Super “everyday” Burgundy   Aromas of ripe berries (raspberries and cherries) mixed with licorice. Well-structured. Deep and tight texture. Well-integrated tannins.
Was $22 Now $15

Older reviews:
Ripe, yet fresh, restrained and silky red Burgundy from a high-quality vintage.

This wine is fresh, crisp with acidity and an attractive zingy character. It has a lift and brightness along with hints of yellow fruits and a touch of spice. 2016 Wine Enthusiast

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Here are two things that we are excited about this weekend.

First: Mark & I are happy to welcome Patrick Tefft to our team at Madrona Wine.  Patrick lives in the neighborhood, has frequented our shop pretty much from the time we opened, and knows a thing or two about a good glass of wine.  He’ll be holding down the fort on the weekends at the shop.  Stop in and say hi.

Second:  We have returned to having a bottle open to sample as you browse the shop.  While we aren’t back quite yet to our pre-covid Saturday events, it is nice to be able to offer a taste of some of the new things that have arrived at the store.  This Saturday it’s a great deal on an old-vine Beaujolais.  A perfect match to our smokey Fall weather.

2019 Henry Fessy, Beaujolais Villages Vieilles Vignes  $13
This old vine Gamay shows raspberry, red-apple, licorice and mushroom aromas. It’s medium-bodied with sleek tannins, bright acidity and earthy undertones.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Thursday requires a good Tuscan red.

2021 Martoccia, Poggio Apricale  $18
Sangiovese Grosso
Poggio Apricale is the everyday offering from high altitude Brunello producer, Luca Brunelli. This ripe, unoaked rosso supplies terrific “grip” for such a freshly-styled wine. Aromas of morello cherry, sage, blackberry fill the glass, along with a supple, approachable mid-palate.  Organic

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6pm

Washington wines are best known for their robust, juicy Cabs and their ripe, rich Chardonnays.  But here are 4 wines that break out of that box and make it to the playoffs (go Ms).  The whites are crisp and lively. The reds are deep and complex.  They are sure hits.

2021 Cor Cellars, AGO Coulmbia Gorge Sparkling  $25
88% Chardonnay | 12% Gewürztraminer
Fermented this wine in neutral oak. It is a distinct NW sparkler. It’s got the warmth of Lyle days, the freshness of the Gorge winds, and the texture of waves on the Columbia River.  Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to try this one.

2021 Cor Cellars, Alba Cor  $19
55% Pinot Gris, 45% Gewürztraminer
A blend of two traditionally Alsatian varietals into one Columbia Gorge wine from the Celilo vineyard. Co-fermented in a concrete tank, the Alba shows notes of peach, melon and honeysuckle accentuated by spicy notes of pear and lychee.

2017 Upsidedown, Wine Gold Drop Field Blend  $40
60% Mourvedre, 35% Grenache, 5% Syrah
Washington Bandol?  Gold Drop Field Blend shows red fruit aromas that meld with smoky undertones. The palate has a polished texture with freshness and verve. Medium body, fine tannins and delicate, berry and chocolate flavor at the end.

2019 Cadence, Bel Canto   $70
83% Carbenet Franc, 17% Merlot
The Flagship wine from Cadence’s Cara Mia Vineyard.  A big dose of Cab Franc smoothed out with a dollop of Merlot.  Blueberries and cherries mingle with savory herbs and minerals on a  gloriously rich nose.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Barolo is never cheap but it doesn’t have to be extravagant.  Here are three Barolos that are new to our shelves hovering around the $40 price point.  All three are tasting great now once they get a bit of air and all three will just get better with a few years of age.  Come treat yourself to one of them or maybe all three.

2017 Ascheri, Barolo  $42
Nebbiolo
Rich and composite bouquet of sweet spices, dried flowers, leather and undergrowth.  The palate is well structured with elegant tannins and great balance and complexity.

2016 Brandini, Barolo La Morra  $42
Nebbiolo
This fragrant, focused red offers enticing scents of rose petal, camphor, botanical herb and woodland berry. It’s all about elegance and energy, featuring juicy wild strawberry, Marasca cherry and star anise set against polished tannins and fresh acidity.  Woman winemaker. Organic.   Arrives at the shop on Friday

2013 Casetta, Barolo  $40
Nebbiolo
Smoky with savory herbs and ripe red cherry fruit aromas on the nose. Savory, smoky red fruit and cherry nose. Smooth and juicy on the palate with rounded tannins.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

It says October on the calendar, but the weather looks like a few more days of outdoor dining.  Hopefully the only smoke will be from the barbeque.  Come pick up some of these Spanish to help wash it all down.

2021 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Rosado  $13
60% Viura, 30% Garnacha, 10% Tempranillo
Red and white grapes co-fermented to make a rosé.  Pleasing, evocative, and well-textured on the palate. This wine shines with aromas and flavors of tart red fruit, sandalwood, and light chalkiness.

2020 Mendieta Osaba Mendi Rioja  $14
Tempranillo
Carbonic Maceration Tempranillo.  Packed with perfume on the nose, this is a very fresh, youthful rioja with intense aromas of blackberries and dashes of spices. Bursting with fruit, this wine is round and complex with licorice notes and a long finish.

2020 Pinord Diorama Ribera del Duero  $14
Tempranillo
A full young Ribera red, with notes of eucalyptus, spice and ripe rich fruit.

2017 Grifoll Declara Predicat Priorat  $21
45% Garnacha, 45% Carignan, 10% Merlot
A powerful red wine from Catalonia, the Predicat  enchants with notes of plum, blackcurrant, plum and blackberry. Tracing the aromatics further, cocoa bean, dark chocolate and gingerbread spice come through.

2020 Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat  $25
55% Garnacha, 15% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cariñena
A high scoring entry wine from Palacios.  Notes of vanilla, toast, smoke, tobacco, dark fruit, red fruit, spice box, cedar, and mushroom.  Rich flavors of black currant, blackberry, dust, leather, currant, blueberry, strawberry, cherry, bell pepper, licorice and anise.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

When you think of Champagne you think of bubbles, when you think of white Burgundy you think of Chardonnay.  Well, here are three wines that defy those notions.  Different?  Yes. Delicious?  Yes!!

2020 Guy & Yvan Dufouleur, Bourgogne Aligote Vieilles Vignes  $25
From old vines planted 1950’s to 1970’s in the commune of Meursault.  This shows excellent intensity of flavor and character showing ripe orchard fruits with the fine lifted floral aspect of Aligote. Notes of pear and even apricot indicate the depth and ripeness apparent here. Still fresh and lovely yet with terrific texture and surprising depth.

2019 Jean Fournier, Orgines  $35
67% Pinot Blanc, 33% Pinot Beurot (Pinot Gris)
Old School Burgundy from a time before Phylloxera wiped out most of Europe’s vines and Burgundy was re-planted with the higher-yielding Chardonnay.  It has a brush of wild honey and almond on the nose. The clean, fresh palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity and a slightly grassy finish.  Biodynamic

Vincent Couche, Voulez Vous Couche Avec Moi?  $42
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay
A still white, this wine is an unusual curiosity.  From vineyards in Champagne with clay and limestone soils, this wine is aged for 2 years in clay amphora and oak barrels.  It transports all the yeasty complexity of a champagne to a still white wine.  No sulphites. Organic

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Here’s a great wine we just got in just in time for the Equinox.  Everything is in balance and the flavors have a great Autumnal depth.  No smoky taste but we have had enough of that in the air at present.

2020 Saint Cosme, Cotes du Rhone  $14
100% Syrah coming out of the southern Rhône but this has become one of the signature wines of the prestigious Gigondas producer Château de Saint Cosme. Crushed cherry and plum puree notes that meld with melted red licorice before singed juniper takes over on the finish.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM