This Saturday we are tasting our way through the Loire Valley. The vineyards of the Lore benefit from cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean.   These wines are crisp, fresh and a perfect match for summer.   As you know summer starts July 5th in Seattle.  Get ready.
 
2016 Pierre Henri, Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie, St Fiarce   $12
Melon de Bourgone
Named after Pierre-Henri Gadais whose family also owns Domaine Gadais, this is a bright, lively wine, rich with layers of ripe fruit, minerality and tight acidity. It is intense, with great fruitiness and a cool edge of final acidity.
 
2018 J. Mourat IGP Val de Loire Blanc “Collection”  $13
Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay
J. Mourat is located on the far south-west of the Loire Valley in the appellation Fiefs Vendéens. Their hillside vineyards see a combination of southern exposure and a sea breeze, with schist and volcanic soils rich in quartz, are farmed organically.  This is a fresh and satisfying white blend with flavors of green and red apple, white peach and preserved citrus–tasty, dry and distinctive.
 
2018  Domaine du Salvard, Cheverny Rosé $17
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Gamay Noir
Domaine du Salvard has been a working Domaine since 1898, through five hardworking generations of the Delaille family. Their forty-two hectares of vineyards are sustainably farmed in the sand, clay, and limestone plains of northeastern Touraine. Their Rosé is very pleasant and surprisingly complex with aromas of red berries and a distinct hint of lime.  On the palate it’s bright and tart, bone-dry with fresh acidity, red-berry flavors shifting subtly into an intriguing stony minerality that lasts into a very long, finish.
 
2018 J. Mourat IGP Val de Loire Rouge”Collection”   $13
40% Pinot Noir, 30% Cabernet Franc, 30% Negrette
This surprising red-blend packs a juicy cherry and sweet orange aroma. The fruit is ripe, sappy and jewel-bright: redcurrant and cranberry, with a pencil-graphite slender minerality that betrays the presence of Cabernet Franc –the brisk tannins jiving with energetic fruit.  The finish is neat, dry, snappy, like a gymnast finishing a perfect somersault in your mouth, and then a little line of herbs lingering on the tongue.
 
2016 Domaine Nerleux, Samur Champigny Clos des Chatains  $18
Cabernet Franc
Amélie Neau is the 9th generation of Domaine de Nerleux (Black Wolves in Old French) and she sublimates this superb heritage. Her Clos des Chatains shows a beautiful nose of black fruits, blueberry, elderberry, cherry with brandy. In the mouth there is lots of flavors of kirsch, elderberry and a slight bitterness.  A traditional style in a generous vintage, it is ready to drink now, but can evolve 5 to 7 years without worries.

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 from 11-5.

It is officially summer in Seattle.  While some folks flee for vacation, we at Madrona Wine like to stick around, hang out and enjoy the long evenings and good weather. This weekend we are tasting a lineup of wines to help the hang.  Come see what’s open.

Saturday, we are sailing the Tyrrhenian Sea with wines from Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily.
2016 Sella & Mosca, La Cala Vermentino  $16
2018 Terra Nostra, Corsica Rose  $14
2017 Planeta Vittoria Frappato  $23
2016 Firriato, Trepani Chiaramonte Nero d’Avola $14
2015 Sella & Mosca, Canonnau di Sardnga Reserva $20 

Sunday we have a pair of wines from France, starting in the mid-lands of Touraine and ending up in Gaillac in the south. Perfect wines for the summer that is upon us.
2017 Paul Buisse Touraine   $10
100% Sauvigon Blanc
For a Touraine Sauvignon, this has rich and ripe tropical fruits as well as the necessary acidity. It is fruity, with a lightly zesty texture and a soft aftertaste.
2014 Domaine des Terrisses Gaillac Rouge   $14
50% Braucol, 30% Duras, 20% Syrah
A distinctive blend from the Southwest of France.  Expressive with aromas of dark berries, spice and peppers. On the palate the wine is rich and flavorful with a powerful acidity, firm tannins and a wonderful concentration of savory flavors balanced with bright fruit.

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 from 11-5.

After our mini heat wave here in Madrona, things are back to usual.  Speaking of usual, we are going to have some great French Wines open for tasting this weekend at the wine shop.  Sometimes the same old same old is really perfect.

Saturday we are going all Organic:
2018 Château de Brézé, Clos de Midi $19
Chenin Blanc
2018 Domaine de la Graveirette, Ju de Vie Rose $12
60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
2018 La Bastide des Oliviers “Cuvée Classique” Rosé, $16
40% Cinsault, 30% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% Syrah
2017 Domaine Guillaume, Pinot Noir $18
2017 Domaine de la Graveirette, Côtes du Rhone $16
Grenache

Sunday, we catch a boat to Corsica.
2018 Vetriccie Ìle de Beauté Rosé  $10
40% Niellucciu, 30% Sciaccarella, 15% Grenache, 15% Merlot
A Corsican rosé with briny aromas, hint of fresh vanilla, fresh raspberry, cranberry with red and white currants notes. Crisp & fresh.
2016 Maestracci Clos Reginu  $15
35% Niellucciu, 30% Grencahe, 15% Sciaccerelu, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre
A complex blend from Corsica, lighter-bodied with smoky earthy undertones.

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 from 11-5.

This Saturday we are going green with five organic wines for local importer Petit Monde.  All the wines are practicing organic, certified organic and/or biodynamic.  They are also all French and all delicious. 
 
2018 Château de Brézé, Clos de Midi $19
Chenin Blanc
From Saumur in the Loire region the Clos de Midi shows great acidity combined with a delicate, chalky texture.  It has aromas of honey, dried exotic fruits, herbal tea and sweet lemon. Although this wine is 100% Chenin Blanc, it bears the freshness of a young Sancerre, the soft richness of Chablis, but with the unmistakable charm of Chenin Blanc.
 
2018 Domaine de la Graveirette, Ju de Vie Rose. $12
60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
This Biodynamic winery is nestled between the towns of Orange, Avignon, and Carpentras with the Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux to the east and the hills of Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the west.  Their fresh and full rosé is a big easy drinking crowd pleaser.
 
2018 La Bastide des Oliviers “Cuvée Classique” Rosé,  $16
40% Cinsault, 30% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% Syrah
The Mourlan family has organically farmed their 10 acres of vines certified by Ecocert since for two generations.  They built a modern cellar in 2000, equipped with thermoregulated steel tanks, allowing a perfect sanitary condition to make a sulfite free wine.  Their light rosé has true Provence style, dry and crisp with tangerine and citrus flavors that are powerful and elegant at the same time.
 
2017 Domaine Guillaume, Pinot Noir  $18
Vignoble Guillaume’s gorgeous, soil-driven 2017 Pinot Noir gleams a transparent garnet color from the bowl followed by aromas of earthy cranberries, geranium, rhubarb, and soft limestone minerals. Brisk acidity and savory tannins frame the wine’s crunchy core of red Pinot fruit, which transitions mid-palate to reveal fascinating suggestions of blood oranges, Earl Grey tea, and damp, calcareous earth. Fine tannins sneak in as the wine finishes crisp and crunchy, with layers of bright red berry and cherry fruit lifted by a persistent clay-limestone mineral undercurrent.
 
2017 Domaine de la Graveirette, Côtes du Rhone  $16
Grenache
A lot of wine for the money, Graveirette’s Côtes du Rhone is full and chewy, with firm tannins. It has lots of earth, meat, garrigue, pepper, and spice but also clean and pure with bright raspberry and black cherry fruit.  And it is biodynamic.

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 from 11-5.

After a few grey days, the sun is supposed to return this weekend in Madrona.  Here at the wine shop we have tasty wines to match the pleasant weather.

Saturday we are sipping in Spain with five great Spanish values open to taste.
2017 Pazo Señorans, Albariño  $20
2018 Borsao Rosé  $9
2017 Carlos Serres, Old Vine Tempranillo  $11
2016 Espelt Old Vine Garnacha   $12
2016 Mas Doix, Les Crestes Priorat  $25

Sunday we have a pair of wines from Haden Fig in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  Haden Fig is one of the shops favorite Oregon Producers. 
2014 Haden Fig Chardonnay $20
A fresh, lively style of Chardonnay from the cool climate of Willamette Valley. Mouthwatering flavors of white grapefruit and green apple with bright acidity.
2014 Haden Fig Willamette Valley Pinot Noir  $20
Comprised of 50% Cancilla Vineyard, 25% Croft Vineyard, and 25% Bjornson Vineyard. Though 2014 was a warm growing season, the WV bottling is showing tremendous restraint and complexity. Dark fruit is mixed with bright cherry and raspberry, sweet damp forest and juicy acidity. Organic

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 from 11-5.

This Saturday we’re sipping some summery Spanish wines to start the coming season.  We’ll be tasting some old vines with great value.  Come join us.

2017 Pazo Señorans, Albariño  $20
From the Rias Baixas zone of Gallicia, on the northwest coast of Spain, Pazo Señorans lies in close proximity to the sea on acidic, sandy soils created by the natural decomposition of the granitic bedrock below.  The Pazo takes Albarino to a whole new level. The wine is wonderfully perfumed with round viscous body packed with a cornucopia of citrus flavors.

2018 Borsao Rosé  $9
Garnacha
This crisp and lush Rosé from the Campo de Borja DO in northeastern Spain  a historic region that has produced wine since the late 12th century where the continental climate is mitigated by the “Cierzo” wind that cools the vineyards.  This Rosé has aromas of berries and white flowers. It is very young and fresh in the mouth, well balanced with its acidity, rich in floral nuances and spices with hints of tangerine and Asian pear.

2017 Carlos Serres, Old-Vine Tempranillo  11
The Tempranillo grapes for this wine were selected by the winemaker from their growers’ best sources of old vines, ones that are 50+ years old and in some of the best terroirs around Haro in La Rioja. The wine has aromas of fresh, red and black fruit, licorice and vanilla notes. In the mouth the fruit is intense and long, and also finishes with fresh acidity.

2016 Espelt Old Vine Garnacha   $12
The Garnacha from Espelt comes from their highest elevation vineyard, Rabós, tucked in the Albera Nature Reserve Area. These are the oldest vines on the property with centenary Garnacha Negra grows on sandy slate and granite soils which give the wine depth of minerality and complexity.

2016 Mas Doix, Les Crestes Priorat  $25
80% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Syrah
A third of the grapes for Les Crestes come from vineyards of more than 50 years-old, and the rest come from vineyards with an average of 15-20 years-old. The wine is aged for eight months in two-year-old French barrels. The wine is unfined and unfiltered. Pure and freshly fruited, with wonderfully bright, expressive wild berry fruit flavors, this is a wine with balanced acidity, supple tannins, and true Priorat character with earthy, dark fruits, orange peel, chocolate, leather, cumin, and general freshness.

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 from 11-5.

Dry Creek Vineyard was founded in 1972 in what is now the Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma County, located northwest of the town of Healdsburg.  The valley is formed by Dry Creek, a tributary of the Russian River. Before their arrival, the Dry Creek Valley was little more than a few family farms and prune orchards.  The estate now farms 185 acres.   The make a high-quality California wine without the high Napa prices.  Come taste a selection of their wines with us this Saturday.
 
2017 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc – $13
At first swirl, aromatics of honeydew melon, white peach and Meyer lemon spring forward from the glass with notes of orange blossom, honeysuckle and chamomile. On the palate, the wine is refreshing with flavors of lemon, pear and mango with a hint of green apple. The mouthfeel is lively but rich and has a subtle creaminess.
 
2017 Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc – $17
76% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Musqué, 9% Sauvignon Gris 
The Sauvignon Musqué and Sauvignon Gris adds a layer of depth and a fleshy, full-bodied mouthfeel. This wine presents tropical aromas of pineapple, passionfruit, melon and candied lemon. On the palate, flavors of lemon curd, guava, tangerines and nectarine come through with a slightly creamy, but lively finish. Small amounts of chestnut, acacia and French oak barrels add additional character and nuance.
 
2013 Dry Creek Merlot – $19
85% Merlot 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc
The 2013 vintage was “cool” in every sense of the word. A very mild summer and a crisp fall allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and fully.  The resulting wine is showing lively spices and ripe berry nuances. Aromas of red cherry, dried flowers and pepper fill the senses. The palate is full of wonderful fruity complexity, combining a mixture of red plum, black cherry and red cherry. There’s a spicy undertone and the tannins are silky and smooth.
 
2016 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon – $24
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
The Cabernet Sauvignon displays lively aromatics of black cherry, black currant and dried blueberry. Additional airing reveals nuances of dried Herbes de Provence, cola, leather and black olive. The palate is full-bodied and rich with elegant flavors of black currant and dried cranberry with notes of cocoa powder, espresso, nutmeg and cedar. The wine is fruit-forward and youthful, with fine tannins and a finish of black and white pepper.

2017 Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel – $18
77% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 2% Carignane
This Zinfandel presents enticing aromatics of dried cranberry and boysenberry with hints of cocoa powder, nutmeg, dried sage and cedar. On the palate, brambly flavors of blackberry and black cherry come forward with bright acidity complimented by deeper notes of dark chocolate, espresso and black pepper. The tannins are silky and smooth to lend a round, rich mouthfeel. From start to finish, this wine offers refreshing acidity paired with excellent structure and a round, rich mouthfeel.

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 from 11-5.

It is a 3-day weekend here in Madrona.  Swing by the wine shop and stock up for the extra activities.  We are pouring French wines all weekend. Don’t miss the chance to have a taste. The sun is supposed to reemerge on Sunday so don’t forget the rosé!

Saturday we are tasting 4 single varietals from the French countryside.  They range from the familiar (Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir) to the more unusual (Aligoté &Duras).  And we are throwing in a Bordeaux Blend just because.
2017 Domaine Giraudon, Bourgogne Aligoté  $15
2017 Domaine Girard,  Sancerre  $23
Sauvignon Blanc
2016 Domaine Girard, Sancerre Rouge  $22
Pinot Noir
2017 Domaine Philemon,  Croix de la Bouscarié  $14
100% Duras
2016 Chateau Platon, Bordeaux  $13

Sunday We are pouring 2 southern French wines from Bonpas–a white Luberon and a red Côtes du Rhône.
2017 Légende de Bonpas Blanc  $13
50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Bourboulenc, 20% Clairette, 10% Vermentino
Luberon
While the nose is demure, the palate of this medium-bodied white offers loads of fresh white grapefruit, peach and apricot flavors. It’s fresh and fruity yet edged by veins of salt and chalk.
2017 Légend de Bonpas Rouge  $15
Grenache, Syrah,  and Mourvèdre
Côtes du Rhône
Deep ruby-red. Expressive, with notes of fresh red fruit. Flavors of mild spices, black olives and stone fruits. Ample and supple, with velvety tannins.

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 from 11-5.