Archive for Mark

Woodinville Wonders

Woodinville certainly has a lot of wineries for a place that doesn’t grow any grapes.  But even though the grapes are trucked across the Cascades, some good juice comes out of there.  Here are a few we have on the shelves at the moment.  Gorman is really made up in Maltby in Snohomish County (another place that doesn’t grow many grapes) but their tasting room is in Woodinville, so we included them here just to be sociable.

2020 Lauren Ashton, Rosé  $15
53% Mourvèdre, 47% Grenache
Provence style rosé from Columbia Valley.  Opening with strawberry and raspberry notes and essence of citrus zest on the palate and a lightly spiced finish
Was $20 Now $15

2021 Gorman, 42, 39, 56 Rosé  $15
A racy blend primarily made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Counoise and Mourvedre.  Zesty, aromatic and refreshing.

2020 Sparkman, Kindred Grenache  $20
This neutral barrel aged Washington Grenache shows off the fruit and spice notes without muddying up the flavors.

2020 Gorman Winery, The Devil Makes Three  $20
Cabernet Sauvignon
From Red Mountain fruit this Cab is aged for 9 months in once used French oak. Moderate Oak notes makes this full Red Mountain red intriguing with cigar Box aromas, raspberry chocolate with a kiss of sea salts.

2017 Ashton Troy, Cabernet Sauvignon  $18
Lauren Ashton’s 2nd label.  The Ashton Troy Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley AVA is rich and full-bodied, with an elegant tannin structure. It opens with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and ripe plum and is followed by hints of spiciness and minerality.
Was $30 Now $18

2020 Darby, Purple Haze  $20
Cabernet, Malbec, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Franc, Syrah
Hazy on details but not on flavor, the sum is greater than its parts.  Dense and rich, with a muscular mix of dark currant, cherry, and plum with a hint of cedar.  Aged in 30% new French oak for 18 months

2015 Finn Hill, Merveille  $15
Stillwater Creek Vineyard Merlot
Aromas of red currant, dried cherry and toasty oak, the latter an indicator of the 21 months in 100% new French barrels.  On the palate is where it comes alive with more cherry and currant flavors with dusty tannins and age-worthy pomegranate acidity.
Was $30 now $15

2016 Finn Hill, Vivant  $18
Malbec
Rosebud Vineyards
The 2016 vintage exhibits an inky purple-magenta color and wafts perfumed aromas of crushed black and red berries on wet gravel, with hints of molasses and bay leaf. The pour delivers predominant fruit notes of blackberry, boysenberry, red currant, and blueberry. The finish brings mellow plum-skin acidity and tannin.
Was $30, Now $18

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Deal of the Day

Berlucchi, Franciacorta Cuvée Imperiale Brut  $20
90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Nero
Rich and lingering and complex with floral and fruit notes, and subtle fragrance of yeast and crusty bread. The palate is clean-cut and full-bodied with appealing, emphatic fruity notes and fine acidity.  Organic
Was $30 Now $20

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Short List For A Long Weekend

Here are a few suggestions to help you through the 4th of July weekend and its inevitable barbeques.  Have a safe and laid back 4th.

2019 Henri Bourgeois, Petit Bourgeouis Rosé de Pinot Noir  $12
Fresh, with a notable savory streak amid the white cherry and peach flavors. A light stony echo adds zing on the finish.”  Vegan
Was $15 Now $12

2021 Laroche, La Chevaliere Rosé  $13
Grenache, Syrah
An aromatic Languedoc pink with the aromas of fresh raspberries and exotic fruits. It continues on the palate with the delicious flavors of red berries and cherries and its fine freshness in the finish

2018 Benton Lane, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir  $20
Vibrant notes of tart cranberry awaken the palate balanced by warm winter spices, currants and dark cherries.

2013 La Basia, Marzemino Le Morene  $10
Garda
A rustic Red from Lake Garda in northern Italy.  This Marzemino displays its typical aromas of violets, plums, blackberries, and herbs with a forthright deliciousness. Both chewy and refreshing.  Does it age well?  Find out.
Was $18 Now $10

2020 Luchetti, Lacrima di Morro D’alba  $12
This wine explodes out of the glass with a heady bouquet of exotic Eastern flowers and wild strawberries and pomegranate. The palate features wild berry compote, hints of roses, violets and geranium, and a note of peppercorns.

2018 Prunus, Private Selection  $12
80% Jaen, 10% Tinta Roriz, 5% Alfrocheiro Preto, 5% Touriga Nacional
Dao
Crisp, juicy style with lots of fresh fruit – cool damson, ripe strawberry, red cherry and raspberry, with plenty of spice and weight coming through on the pallet. Really silky and drinkable, with brilliant local character.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

New, Old & Unusual

Three Wines from France

2021 Annibals, Var Rosé  $22
40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Cinsault, 10% Rolle
Produced from low-yielding vines, this wine has density from a long soaking of the grapes before fermentation.  It has an exuberant nose of raspberry, lime, mint, and warm sand. And a rich palate of strawberries and blueberries, with a crystalline minerality that lends freshness heading into the persistent red-berried finish.  Organic

2010 Château de Chantegrive, Graves  $38
50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet  Sauvignon
Expressive, nuanced nose combines redcurrant, plum, cured tobacco, flowers and spices. Supple, sweet and spicy, with rather soft, inviting red fruit and dusty spice flavors accented by fresh herbs. Finishes with a good tannic spine.

2012 Florent Rouve Vin Jaune  $56
Savagnin
Cotes du Jura
This iconic Savagnin spent 6 years in barrique casks ‘sous voile’ and as a result has beautiful golden color, intense aromas and flavors of nuts, saffron, nutmeg and ripe citrus fruit.   — 620 ml
15% alcohol by volume

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Orange Wines For A Hot Weekend

Orange Wines are made by leaving white or blush grapes in contact with the juice after they are crushed.  Some only stay that way for a few days, others sit on the skins for several months.  The result is a different animal altogether with the astringent aspects of the skins playing off the fruit of the juice.  Chill one down and find a nice spot in the shade.

2021 Bonny Doon, Le Cigare Orange  $15
80% Grenache Blanc, 10% Grenache, 10% Orange Muscat
Doon’s long skin contact “Orange Wine:  Aromas of fresh peaches, citrus, bergamot.  It has a textured and vibrant palate with peach, apricot and citrus peel.
10.5% alcohol by volume

2020 Esencia Rural, Pampaneo  $18
Airen
A Spanish Orange Wine fermented 3 months on the skins bringing out the apple peel like tannins.  A yeasty & cloudy glass of fun(k).  Biodynamic
12.5% alcohol by volume

2018 L’Archetipo Litrotto Bianco  $19  1 liter
Marchione, Verdeca Fiano, Falanghina
Scents of citrus, yellow fruits and aromatic herbs are wrapped in a marine and Mediterranean breath. The taste is fresh and delicate.  Organic/Biodynamic 
12.5% alcohol by volume

2018 Klet Brda Krasno  $20
40% Ribillo Gialla, 30% Malvasia, 30% Sauvigonnasse
Krasno is the highest village in Brda, with a long wine tradition and an abundance of excellent sites.  This Orange Wine sits sur lie for 6 months.  The fresh and elegant white blend has an impressively mineral, full taste and delicate aromas of ripe white fruit, spices and wildflowers.
13% alcohol by volume

2020 Peaceful Living, Calcarius Orange Wine Puglia  $26  1 liter
Falanghina
A funky, cloudy liter of skin contact white from an organic farmer in southern Italy. Falanghina grown on limestone soils, given 5 days of maceration on the skins developing into a deeply hued orange wine. Fermented with indigenous yeast, no filtering or fining and a small addition of sulfites at bottling only.  Organic
11% alcohol by volume

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Don’t Worry, Get Nappy

We have a few deals in the shop from the sunny South.

2020 Silverado, Miller Ranch Sauvignon Blanc $20
Blended with 7% Sémillon and stainless-steel fermented, this is a sleek, acid-driven white. It offers a tart layer of grapefruit that builds to a richer core of pear and vanilla candy. Cohesive and complex, it is an enjoyable wine.
A deal 1 liter for $20

2019 Rutherford Hill, Napa Valley Merlot  $20
A big shouldered Napa Merlot with aromas of blackberry, cassis and black currant with hints of black tea leaves, Asian spice and graphite. Full- bodied entry with layers of blueberry, spiced boysenberry and mocha all coupled to well-integrated, rich tannins that give way to a rich, round, smooth finish.
Was $30, Now $20

2019 Experience, Napa Cabernet  $27
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 2% Malbec
A plush, forward Napa Cab to enjoy with life, now! The winery’s tasting note: “Intense ruby in color, this Cabernet opens with a lovely bouquet of forward fruit, soft notes of oak from the barrel fermentation, some anise and a hint of mocha. Ripe black fruit unfolds on the palate offering cassis, blackberry and black cherry. The finish is long and lingering with a smooth rich texture.”
Napa Cab for under $30

2018 Duckhorn, Paraduxx  $35
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Zinfandel, 10% Petit Verdot, 6% Petite Sirah, 6% Syrah, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec
Deep, dark and luxurious, this wine offers alluring aromas of blackberry, black cherry, blueberry, currant and cocoa powder, with underlying hints of saddle leather, cinnamon and clove. The voluptuous dark berry notes are echoed on the palate where they are framed by supple tannins and sophisticated layers of anise, vanilla, sweet tobacco leaf and fresh-cracked black pepper, all of which carry the wine to a juicy dark berry finish.
Was $50, Now $35

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Weekend Wines

It’s a long weekend Packed with Juneteenth, Father’s Day and the Summer Solstice.  It’s time to crack open a nice bottle or two of Red and Barbecue in the Summer rain.

2018 Nuiton Beaunoy, Bourgogne Cote d’Or  $25
Pinot Noir
Ready to drink Burgundy from a Cote d’Or cooperative.  Aroma of red berries – cherries, redcurrants and dark berries -blackberries, blackcurrants. Lively acidity with a pretty moreish mouthfeel!

2019 Domaine des Gaudets, Morgon Cote du Py  $23
Gamay
From a granite-based vineyard. Spice, strawberries, hints at evergreen pour from the glass and fill the room with their beautiful scents. The palate is full and rounded with firm tannins partnering the black-cherry fruit.

2020 Chateau Pierre Bise, Schistes Anjou Villages  $23
70% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
A mineral heavy Cab Franc from The Anjou.  Organic

2018 Audebert, Bourgueil  $21
Cabernet Franc
Purity and earthen tones are the key here. Red fruits of black raspberry and cherry meld perfectly with the chalky tones of the soil from which this old vine Cabernet Franc is grown. A lovely citrusy finish tidy’s up a long palate of pure excellence.

2017 Fattoria di Basciano, Il Corto  $25
90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vigna Il Corto is the flagship Tuscan red for Chianti winemaker Paolo Masi at his century old Fattoria di Basciano estate.  Intense and complex bouquet, with berry and cherry aromas and flavors, and well-integrated hints of vanilla. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with velvety ripe tannins, and a long finish.

2019 Remo Farina, Valpolicella Superiore Classico Ripasso  $20
Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara
Partially raisined on the vines, the Ripasso has fragrance of pepper, fruit marmalade (cherries, prunes) and spices, licorice and ginger.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

June Deals for Juneteenth

Juneteenth is this weekend and to commemorate it we have put together some deals that will let you stretch the celebration out for the rest of the month.  3 Reds and 3 Rosé make a nice 6-pack.

2019 Henri Bourgeois Petit Bourgeouis Rosé de Pinot Noir  $12
Fresh, with a notable savory streak amid the white cherry and peach flavors. A light stony echo adds zing on the finish. Vegan   Was $15 Now $12

2018 Miraval Studio Rosé  $12
40% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, 20% Tibouren
IGP Méditerranée
Notes of summer red fruits, some ripe peach and a little spice, before a really well-balanced palate with more red fruits and a mouth-watering finish.  Was $17 Now $12

2019 Gerard Fiou Terroir Silex Sancere Rosé  $20
Pinot Noir
Silex, or flint soil, is the base of the vineyards. This rosé, made from Pinot Noir, has a mineral edge that balances the red currant fruitiness and perfumed acidity. A touch of caramel confers some richness.  Was $25 Now $20

2012 Grati Chianti Reserva  $14
90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino
Nicely developed, this Chianti is interwoven with notes of cherry and black guava, then boasts muscular tannins and an ultra-long finish.  Was $20 Now $14

2018 Lauribert Visan Truffieres  $15
80% Syrah, 20% Grenache
A Syrah heave CDR Villages wine.  Packed with red fruits and notes of leather and blackcurrant. Full and smooth flavors follow through on a spicy finish.  Was $18 now $15

2016 Tenuta Rapitalá Alto  $15
Nero d’Avola
The Rapitalà Alto is a terroir-driven Nero d’Avola with a generous bouquet of ripe red fruits and vanilla, and a full, round, delicious flavor with a spicy, red-fruit finish.  Was $25 now $15

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Bordeaux Basics

Basic Red, Basic White, Basic Bordeaux that covers the bases.  Sometimes that’s basically all you need.  No need to spend a lot of bucks.

2019 Château Tertre de Launay, Entre-Deux-Mers  $12
35% Sémillion, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Muscadelle, 5% Ungi Blanc
Nice fruity and floral nose by its scents of citrus, white flowers and menthol. On the palate the wine expresses a good freshness with a very good balance between roundness, vivacity and fruity. The finish is long and subtle with good aromatic persistence.

2020 Château Mariotte, Grand Vin de Bordeaux  $15
40% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Muscadelle, 20% Semillon
A very supple and herbal Bordeaux Blanc.

2020 Millaire, Loupiot Le Blanc  $16
80% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
A very different Bordeaux blanc, with the heavy accent on the Gris.  The nose reveals notes of quince, fresh berries, lily of the valley, white lilac as well as racy / saline minerality. The palate is fruity, and offers a tangy roundness with juicy quince as well as hints of pineapple and salinity. Organic.

2018 Les Hauts de Bel Air, Bordeaux  $12
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
A good, modern Bordeaux red made only from selected grapes sourced from partner growers. Les Hauts de Bel Air Red is rich, round and very approachable.
Was $14  Now $12

2016 Sichel, Sirius Bordeaux  $13
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Seriously, the Sirius has toasted notes and jammy fruit.  Ample-bodied  and  succulent,  it  offers  outstanding  balance  with  elegant  tannins,  abundant,  delicious  fruit  and creamily smooth extract with a lingering finish.
Was $15 Now $13

2016 Château Argadens, Bordeaux Superieur  $14
63% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
The complex and expressive bouquet is a harmonious mixture of dark red fruits aromas and very elegant oaky notes. It is a crisp and sappy wine which offers sweetness and richness on the palate.
Was $17 Now $14

2015 Château Goubau, La Source, Côtes de Bordeaux  $20
95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
The second wine of Château Goubau, the Source is spicy and fresh with aromas of red fruits, plums and spice. On the palate the wine is crunchy and fruity with black fruit flavors and a touch of spice; the finish is lively and appealing.
Biodynamic.

Shop Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

New Art

Stop by the shop and take in the new art on the walls.  We have an exciting show by Grego Rachko up for the next month.  Stop in and check it out.

Still Life After All
A collection of portraits and still lifes
by Grego Rachko
June 6th through August 7th

Artist Statement.
My name is Grego Rachko. My artistic practice focuses on drawing and oil painting, working with collage in both areas. The imagery is figurative and incorporates decorative patterns. Spirituality and psychology are my main themes, including ecology, social justice and humanism. I show regularly in group gallery settings, alternative and community spaces and my work has been collected for years by average people.
I started doing still life paintings and drawings in the early 1990’s and had been doing some intense figurative work about AIDS. Still life painting was the outlet I needed to express joy through color, composition and mood. I enjoyed the directness of them. And continue to explore their possibilities.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM