The 4th of July is quickly approaching so it is time to stock the cellar and the coolers with wines for the weekend, the holiday and beyond. Stop by the shop and have a taste of what we’ll be drinking in the coming months. The shop will be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this next week so think ahead for Independence Day.
2017 Avinyo Petillant Blanc $16
70% Muscat, 20% Macabeo, 10% Xarel-lo
This Petillant is a vi d’agulla, the Catalan name for prickly wine. This vibrant and refreshing wine is the traditional summertime quaffer of the Penedès region of Catalonia. Bright honeysuckle and almond aromas are followed by a bracingly dry palate, with flavors of lemon peel and a faint brininess. 10.5% alcohol by volume
2016 La Rabotine Sancere $22
Sauvignon Blanc
The vines for the Rabotine average 45 years, grown on a bed of broken limestone mingled with flint. Fermented in steel by way of natural yeasts, no malo and no acidifying agents; it is organic to-the-bone. It spends 8 months on its lees. The wine is a toothbrush of wet stones cutting through lemon-lime citrus with a dust of smoke and white flower; there’s enough texture and weight to connect the big aroma to the lime-green pucker finish. 12.5% alcohol by volume
2017 L’ermitage, Costieres de Nimes Rosé $12
50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre
A great little southern French Rosé with vibrant sour cherry-like acidity and delicate body make this dry rosé an especially invigorating thirst-quencher. Crisply concentrated with wild strawberry and raspberry flavors, it’s silken yet spry, adapting seamlessly from poolside to the dinner table.
2016 Lucchetti, Lacrima di Morro d’ Alba $11
The Luchetti makes its yearly appearance at the shop. From the Marche region of Italy, this Lacrima di Morro has a big floral quality and a little salinity from the salt air of the Adriatic Sea. Distinct and delicious
2016 Domaine Durban, Gigondas $30
70% Grenache, 30% Syrah
Durban’s vineyard on the limestone upper slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail tends toward a high-flying, pure style. The wine is robust, spicy and herbaceous.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.