It is the season when distributors sweep out the warehouse, take stock of their inventory, and clean out the odds and ends by offering them at discounted prices. Spring is in the air, but instead of sniffing the flowers we have our nose deep into the wine glass checking out the deals that come our way. This Saturday we’ll be pouring a few of these bargains for you to sniff too.

2008 Moulin de Chauvigné, Savennières
Was $20 Now $15
Chenin Blanc
This wine, made by a husband and wife team on a small estate in Rochefort sur Loire, sees no oak and doesn’t undergo malolactic fermentation. It has lots of mineral notes coming from the schist soil, a crisp acidity and a rich and concentrated body with notes of clove and citrus. It is drinking great now and will develop with more age.
 
2009 Nuraghe Supramonte, Cannonau di Sardegna
Was $10 Now $7
Cannonau is the local Sardinian version of Grenache, a grape that changes its character drastically with location. The Nuraghe is a dark fruited wine that is alive with the soft tones of violets and smooth flavor of lush berry. Why so cheap? We don’t know. But we’ve been drinking a lot of it.
 
2005 Domaine Galuval, Cairanne Petit Coeur
Was $18 Now $11.
60 % Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 20% Carignan.
Cairanne is situated in the Rhone valley close to Gigondas. Looking out from the top of the old village, there is a fine view of the Dentelles de Montmirail and the Mont Ventoux in the east and the hills above Orange in the west. The vineyards are cultivated first and foremost by working the soil as naturally as possible. The grapes are harvested by hand, with sorting both in the vineyard and at the winery. This is one of those wonderful instances where a wine drops in price after it has been cellared to its peak. The little heart is full bodied and rustic with smoky spice notes.
 
Burmester 10 Year Old Tawny
Was $40 Now $20
Brunmester is a smaller port house started in 1730. This Tawny is made from old vines, being submitted to a careful ageing process in small oak casks. Over its 250-year history, Burmester has perfected the process of blending wines and this is a classic example of their expertise.

We are doing a bit of spring cleaning ourselves and for the weekend we’re offering 10% off on odds and ends of a few items on our shelves. These are just little tidbits and hanger-on’s that are taking up a slot for something else. If they don’t go, Mark and I will just have to take them home and drink them.
 
Sunday we are having a closing reception for our current art show Primavera. Jessica Dodge will be here from 3-5. Come take a last look. And keep your eyes peeled next week for new show of oil paintings by Nadia Hakki called Southwest by Northwest.

This Sunday we are having a special tasting of New Greek Wines (new to us, new to Seattle). Greek winemaking is as old as civilization, but has undergone a resurgence of quality and complexity. The wines hail from Mt Helicon and Rhodopi on the mainland, as well as from the islands of Crete and Santorini. We’ll have a spread of Mediterranean appetizers to match the wines. Come discover the new old world.
 
2010 Muses Estate, 9 Muses White $16
50% Assyrtiko, 30% Trebbiano, and 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Muses Estate is a family winery based near Thiva in the Valley of the Muses, near Mt. Helicon, a place of worship for the nine muses, the patronesses of spiritual creativity. Assyrtiko is the varietal that has brought glory to the island of Santorini, where it is renowned for its high acidity, crisp mineral flavors, and long aging capability. In hotter, more fertile soils like Thiva, the grape produces plumped, more citrus notes. Trebbiano provides a good deal of the crisp, clean finish. The Sauvignon Blanc gives traditional grassy notes.
 
2010 Diamantakis Winery, Prinos $18
50% Chardonnay, 50% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
Long time grape growers, the Diamantakis’s took up winemaking in 2004. Situated in a mountainous valley, on the island of Crete, the family uses their terraced vineyards, and close proximity to Aegean sea breezes to grow international and indigenous varietals. The Prinos White has a perfumed nose with a citrus fruit aroma. The mid-palate is bright, citrus fruit with an aggressive finish.
 
2010 Thira Estate, Santorini $24
The grape Assyrtiko originated on Santorini where it finds its greatest expression due to the influence of the island’s volcanic soil. The grape is naturally resistant to most diseases, and the volcanic soil provides nutrient-filled soil without organic material, providing a phylloxera-free environment. This Santorini has complex aromas of lemon, citrus and exotic fruits and a pleasing mineral character derived from the volcanic soil. The wine is rich and well balanced with refreshing acidity, a long aromatic finish, and great aging potential.
 
2010 Muses Estate, 9 Muses Red $18
40% Syrah, 40% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 9 Muses Red has a complex bouquet of bright and dark berries, dark cherries, and tree fruit, with underlying hints of vanilla. The body is full of soft tannins, a velvety texture and a touch of spiciness, with a medium-long finish.
 
2007 Domaine Kikones, Ippeas Red $22
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
Domaine Kikones was the first winery founded in Rhodopi (far northeast corner of continental Greece). “Kikones” is referred to by Homer in his epic poems as an ancient tribe that first made wine in the land of Thrace. The Ippeas has a bouquet of ripe plums and red fruit aromas on a background of a lightly smoked barrel along with notes of licorice and white pepper. The body is thick and velvety with rich tannins accompany a very long finish.

And don’t forget the Classic Italian tasting on Saturday!
So little time, so much to drink.

Saturday we’re showcasing a solid line up of Classic Italian wines — crisp Pinot Grigio from Veneto, Barbera and Nebbiolo from Piedmonte, and a classic Sangiovesse Classico from Tuscany. To be a little different, we threw in the Grangia. It is soon to be a classic. Stroll on up to the shop and refresh yourself with the taste of Italy.

2010 Italo Cescon, Pinot Grigio                             $13
From Veneto the Cescon Pinot Gris has aromas of nutmeg, peach, and acacia floating off the wines fruity overtones and orange peel structure. It is a lovely dry white with rich and persistent flavor.

Elvio Tintero, Vino Blanco Secco, Grangia             $12
50% Favorita, 25% Moscato, 20% Arneis and 5% Chardonnay
The Grangia is an unusual frizzante (slightly sparking) blend made by a family estate in the Piedmont. It is crystal clear in color with a palate as refreshing as a mountain stream and flavors of prickly pear, lemongrass, and white pepper.

2010 Franco Sera, Barbera d’Alba                        $10
From 25 year old vines, the Sera Babera is hand harvested, macerated for a three weeks period followed by four weeks of fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures, then aged in oak barrels (20% new) for six months. The result is a rich and fruit driven Barbera at a great price. The wine has notes of sweet spice, chocolate and red fruit aromas with hints of tobacco along with its raspberry and strawberry flavors, light tannins and well balanced acidity.

2008 Nada, Barbaresco Casot                               $21
Nebbiolo
Nada is located in Treiso, one of the four villages of Barbaresco. The estate comprises 9 hectares of vines with the Casot vineyard being next door to Angelo Gaja. The family retains a traditional approach to winemaking with the wine aging in large, old barrels rather than small barriques. The Casot is a classic feminine styled Barbaresco with forest floor notes, focused spice, whiffs of roses, tar, herbs, tobacco, and rosemary and a good structure and length.

2007 Viticcio, Chianti Classico Reserva                 $30
Sangiovesse
Viticcio Riserva made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2010. Usually that means you can no longer get it, when the list comes out, but in this case there is still a bit left and today we are showing it off. Come be your own critic. Subtle currant, cedar and floral aromas follow through to a dense, full-bodied palate of ripe fruits and silky tannins, with a long finish. A little age will soften this just slightly. Really serious. Best after 2010. 3,000 cases made.-JS WS 93pts

Sunday, we’re having a Special Tasting of New Greek wines.
3-5 pm
More info soon.

We’re starting May off sticking close to home. This Saturday we’re featuring local terroir from some masterful home team winemakers. We have a great line up of wines from Hedges, Adelsheim, Tamarack and Reininger, a bunch of local heavy hitters that have helped foster Northwest oenophilia.You’ll love it.

2010 Independent Producers, La Bourgeoisie Chardonnay $13
Independent Producers is a project by the Hedges family, which aims at making good affordable wine without much pretention. From Dionysus vineyard, this unoaked Washington Chardonnay is crisp and refreshing and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
 
2010 Wallace Brook Cellars, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $17
Wallace Brook is the second label of Adelsheim. It is a good Oregon Pinot at a good price. The wine has a complex nose of spice and vanilla with an earthy tone followed by bright cherry.
 
2010 Independent Producers, La Bourgeoisie Merlot $13
From Sagemoor vineyard, this soft and supple Merlot comes with a font library and a Manifesto. The house of independent producers is a catch-all phrase to describe the independent nature of the grower and the vintner. No advertising and no scores. La Bourgeoisie defined is the middle class. This is our target market. The armorial, is symbolic of the death of snobbery towards this ancient product. It gives you something to read while you enjoy the wine.
 
2010 Tamarack Cellars, Cabernet Franc $22
Ron Coleman’s winery in Walla Walla makes some terrific Washington wine. The one we are pouring today is 100% Cab Franc mostly from Weinbau Vineyard on Wahluke Slope. The wine shows pie spices, huckleberry and leather on the nose, with caramel, raspberries and ripe plums, a bit of toasty barrel smoke giving way to luscious, velvety tannins and a length finish.
 
2005 Reininger Winery, Cima $47
50% Sangiovese, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 17% Petit Verdot from Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards.
Reininger is another classic Washington winery in Walla Walla. Chuck’s wines are big and develop lots of character with age. The Cima is a Super Wallan take on the Super Tuscan cross of Sangiovese and Bordeaux varietal grapes, mixed with the aging style of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva requiring five years of aging. Five years of patience and aging has brought the advent of Cima, the marriage of a Tuscan bride who discovered her Bordeaux lover in the folds of the Walla Walla Valley earth. Sumptuous velvet tannins embrace the brightness of sour cherry, the strength of dark plum and the youthful adventure of blackberry to brush ones sole with gentle comfort and wisdom, similar to the affectionate touch of a grandmother’s hand. 2005 is the current vintage.

Two decades ago, McCrea was the pioneer in making Rhône varietal wines in Washington. Now there are many others but McCrea still ranks with the best. This small production winery constantly produces great wine year after year. Join us this Saturday and taste some of our current favorites.

2009 Sirocco Blanc $25
43% Grenache Blanc, 41% Marsanne, 10% Picpoul and 7% Rousanne.
Boushey Lower County Line Vineyard.
From grapes planted especially for McCrea by Dick Boushey, this white Rhone blend is a great mix of spicy, dry fruit flavors.

2009 Marsanne $25
Boushey Lower County Line Vineyard
Fermented in neutral oak barrels to give texture but no oak flavor, the Marsanne shows melon overtones, full-bodied structure and heavy minerality.

2008 Counoise $29
80% Counoise, 20% Syrah
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
A great wine by McCrea from a very obscure Rhône grape, the Counoise has been described as “like being beat on the back of the head with a silk stocking filled with raspberries.” That is a good thing.

2008 Syrah $25
Boushey, Ciel du Cheval and Elephant Mountain and Sugarloaf vineyards
This Yakima Valley blend is a fresh and well balanced Syrah with lots of black cherry, spice, and sage notes and a little earthy mushroom.

2007 Cuvée Orleans Syrah $40
94% Syrah, 6% Viognier
Boushey, Ciel du Cheval and Elephant Mountain vineyards
McCrea’s flagship wine, the Orleans is from some of the oldest and best Syrah vineyards in the state. It is an opulent wine with floral aromatics, intense fruit and integrated silky tannins. 

Some things just need to find the right space to blossom. If you are talking about Malbec, Carménère and Torrontés that place is South America. Malbec and Carménère were both blending grapes in Bordeaux, but never really hit their own renown until they hit the shores of the new world and found their niche in Chile and Argentina. Nobody is quite sure where Torrontés came from but it has made its home in South America. Stop by this Saturday when we’ll be pouring some excellent examples from the Southern Hemisphere.

 
2010 Tomero, Torrontés $12
Located in the Ucco Valley, Tomerro is named after 100 year-old system that controls the life-giving flow of pure Andes snow runoff water that irrigates the vineyard lands and enabled Argentina’s wine growing appellations to flourish in one of the wine world’s most arid regions. The Torrontés has flowery aromas of rose blossoms and jasmine with a fresh citrus flavor and nice mineral accents.
 
2009 Vistalba, Corte C $13
80% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Carlos Pulenta’s family estate is located in Vistalba at the foot of the magnificent Cordon del Plata within the Andes Mountains. The rough characteristic of the soil produces prime Malbec. The winery is constructed to utilize gravity transfer of the wines with temperatures controlled by an elaborate water system. The Corte C has spicy aromas along with cigar box and cedar, cherry fruit with a hint of chocolate.
 
2010 Viña Ventisquero, Yali Wetland Red $9
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Carménère
Viña Ventisquero, located in the Colchaqua Valley in Chile, produces their wines exclusively from sustainably-farmed estate-grown grapes. This Carménère/Cab blend has ripe cassis, plum and cherry flavors (from the Cab) and spicy notes such as black pepper (from the Carménère) along with hints of vanilla and chocolate imparted by barrel aging.
 
2009 Viña Ventisquero, Queulat Carménère $15
95% Carménère, 5% Syrah
The Queulat is Viña Ventisquero’s reserve wine from a single vineyard wine from the Maipo Valley. Full of Carménère character, the wine has aromas of black fruits, sweet spices, an earthy note and a touch of dark chocolate. The mouth offers a rich structure with fat, velvety tannins which give it that full, round finish with an aftertaste evoking chocolate and tobacco.
 
2010 Bodega Noemia de Patagonia, A Lisa Malbec $20
90% Malbec and 9% Merlot and a 1% of Petit Verdot  
The Rio Negro Valley in Patagonia has a considerably cooler climate than the other Argentinean wine growing regions, with a long, drawn out growing season. The A Lisa has lots of aromas of black fruit anise, iron and leather. The body is full and sinuous.

This Saturday we’ll continue exploring Spain, with a great line up of Verdejo, Albariño, and Tempranillo. These wines are just a handful of our Spanish favorites. They are all packed with character, flavor and complexity. The wines match up with everything from Tapas and Paella to Jamón. Stop in and see a little of what Spain has to offer.
 
2009 Bodegas Pedro Escudero, Valdelainos Verdejo, Rueda $12
A family estate founded in 1852, Pedro Escudero’s Valdelainos comes from prime vineyards in Rueda, where Verdejo excels. The wine is bursting with citrus flavors and a rich medium-bodied palate that is dry and refreshingly tart but still round enough with flavors of lemon verbena, grass, tropical fruits and lime.
 
2009 Viña Almirante, Pionero Macerato Albariño, Rías Baixas $15
Viña Almirante farms 35 hectares of estate grapes in Rías Baixas where Albariño thrives. The wine has good herbal aromas that blend with the fruity notes, with lots of citrus fruits standing out. 
 
2000 Bodegas Lozano, Gran Oristan, Gran Reserva, La Mancha $12
Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon
Bodegas Lozano is a third generation winemaking family in La Mancha, Spain’s largest wine growing region. Their Gran Oristan is no quixotic adventure. This Cabernet and Tempranillo blend sees 24 months in barrel and you can count the years in bottle. The wine has lots of cherry fruit with a dark subtle complexity.
 
2009 Bodegas Arrocal, Ribera del Duero $15
Tempranillo
Arrocal is an organically estate winery in Ribera del Duero which operates by gravity flow (the grapes going in at the top and the wine coming out at the bottom). In between it is aged for 6 months in French and American Oak. The Arrocal has plentiful blackberry and blackcurrant aromas including baking spices and floral qualities. Soft, silky and impressively pure, with vibrant dark berry flavors and fine-grained tannins.
 
2005 Bodegas Valsacro, Dioro, Rioja $25
Tempranillo, Grenacha,
A reserve wine but not a Reserva, the Dioro undergoes a four-stage selection process: an initial field selection of the fruit followed by a second table selection as the grapes at the winery, after fermentation wine best tanks are transferred to new French oak barrels for 12-14 months of barrel age, and finally the best of those barrels are chosen for the Dioro. It is a big and complex modern style Rioja. “Perfumed, oak-accented nose displays cherry-vanilla and blackberry preserves, with a sexy floral note and building spiciness. Full-bodied and velvety, offering palate-coating flavors of macerated cherry, dark berries and vanilla bean. Finishes very long and sweet, with persistent spiciness and a hint of smoke. ” Tanzier