Saturday the Blue Angels will be booming overhead and the hydroplanes will be throwing rooster tails down on the lake.  Meanwhile we’ll be quietly pouring some great deals at the top of the hill in Madrona.  We’ll have several wines that are selling at a bit of a discount and a couple of Rosés that are just great deals to begin with.  Fly on by and check them out.
 
2014 Colterenzio Weisshaus  $15
Pinot Bianco
This  Alto Adige Pinot Bianco Weisshaus is an exceptionally well-made wine that opens to creamy pear, peach and other herbal mountain aromas with great integration. The Weisshaus shows excellent varietal purity with good structure and acidity at the back.  Was $22 now $15

2017 Clos des Lumineres L’éclat Rosé  $10
40% Cinsault, 30% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
A dry easy-drinking Rosé from the Rhone, with aromas of strawberry, and cherry with a spiciness, followed by a pink grapefruit and flint finish.
1.5 ltr. $19
3 ltr. –bag in a box- $25 (that’s $6.25 a bottle.)

2017 Les Hauts Plateaux Alpes de Haute Provence Rosé  $11
40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Cinsault
An amazing value rosé with aromas of white flowers and  gooseberry. Very lush on the palate with strawberries, plum and melon notes. Nice acidity to give it balance and length. Supple in texture and easy to drink. 
 
2013 Evesham Wood Temperance Hill Pinot Noir  $27
A dry-farmed organic Pinot from Evesham’s plot in Temperance Hill.  This single-vineyard has lots of black cherry and earthy notes.  The mid palate is well-structured and full of fruit. 
Was $35 Now $27

2012 Adriano Barbaresco Basarin $25
Nebbiolo
This Barbaresco opens with a subtle, refined fragrance of perfumed berry, rose, violet and a whiff of sweet baking spice. On the palate, notes of roasted herb, tobacco and white pepper add depth to the core of ripe dark cherry and crushed raspberry. Bracing but refined tannins provide the framework and need time to unwind. 
Was $32 now $25

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.

Don’t let the morning clouds fool you, we are in for a sunny weekend here in Madrona.  And things are even sunnier at Madrona Wine Merchants. Come brighten your day!

Saturday, we’re tasting some Sunny Saturday Summer Sippers Just right for the weather.
2017 Borell Diel Müller Thurgau  $14  1ltr
2017 Gertie & Max, Gutedel Dry  $15
2017 Mas de Boislauzon, La Chaussynette Rosé  $14
2015 Haden Fig, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir  $20
2015 Chateau La Canorgue Luberon  $20

Sunday we head to Sanlúcar in Southern Spain for some Sunday Sherry Sippers from Bodegas Barón   Founded in 1895, this old Sherry house is located in the Barrio Alto of Sanlúcar, where they age nearly 10.000 barrels of wine. Come explore the wide range of sherries from Bodegas Barón.  This Sunday we are pouring three of their creations from the Palomino grape.
Micaela Manzanilla  $14
This wine has aromas of nuts and toasted almonds and aromatic plants. The flavor is fresh with mineral notes and while keeping a smoothness. It has a long and lingering finish with a pleasant bitterness and salinity point.
Micaela Amontillado  $20
Old golden color and aromas of praline, chocolates, caramel, salted nuts, wood, and almonds. A powerful palate with a silky sensation. Iodine and bitter almond on the finish.
Micaela Oloroso  $16
Quite deep and walnutty with hints of oak and a very slightly salty savory hint, rich and quite full with an interesting interplay between fruity and savory. The palate is dry and quite full yet still with that slightly fruity note, traces of tannin from the wood but well rounded, with hints of burnt sugar, coffee and a clean tasty, very slightly tangy finish.

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 celebrating summer, we’re celebrating Saturday, we’re celebrating sunshine with a great line up of Sunny Saturday Summer Sippers.  Crisp whites, fresh Rosé, and two tasty, tangy reds – what better way to pass a sunny afternoon?  Come join us.
 
2017 Borell Diel Müller Thurgau  $14  1ltr
Müller-Thurgau was created in Switzerland in the 19th century as a hardy, early-ripening grape for table wines. It is now the most widely grown grape in Germany. Borell-Diehl makes it in the classic style: fresh, crisp, limey, and ridiculously easy to drink.  Organic 
 
2017 Gertie & Max, Gutedel Dry  $15
The Gutedel grape, also known as Chasselas, is a local specialty in Germany, Switzerland and Alsace. Its home turf in Germany is the tiny sub-region of Markgraflerland located within Baden, Germany’s warmest growing region. It sits at the edge of the Black Forest which protects the area from inclement weather. It is a gentle, dry, aromatic wine floral aromas and a palate with subtle notes of tropical fruit with a pleasing nuttiness.
 
2017 Mas de Boislauzon, La Chaussynette Rosé  $14
Grenache, Syrah
La Chaussynette is made by a 5 generation Châteauneuf du Pape producer from their organic estate grapes.  It is a fresh Rhone Rosé with notes of strawberry and citrus that makes a perfect afternoon sipper. 
 
2015 Haden Fig, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir  $20
Haden Fig is the sister winery to Evesham Wood and they make some of our favorite Oregon Pinot Noir.  The fig has dark fruit is mixed with bright cherry and raspberry, sweet damp forest and juicy acidity.  Organic
 
2015 Chateau La Canorgue Luberon  $20
60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 10% old-vine Carignan and Mourvedre
A top organic and biodynamic estate in the heart of the Luberon region of France, Château la Canorgue produces both reds and whites. This red is initially quite powerful but over time opens and softens in the glass.  Full of beautiful dark, spicy fruit, with aromas of thyme, rosemary, lavender, olive, and black pepper.

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.

Saturday we are pouring wines from local importer Petit Monde who specializes in small production organic wine makers.  Get small with us.  The bubbles open at 2pm.
Les Pentes de Barene, Tursan $15
Jean-Louis Denois, Brut Rosé $18
2017 Bastide des Oliviers, Classique Rosé $16 or the big 1.5ltr $33
2016 Boffalora Umo Rosso di Valtellina $21
2015 Domaine de la Biscarelle Début d’une Histoire  $15

Sunday, come beat the heat with two refreshing wines from Italy.  We start out in Tuscany with a little Vermentino, followed by a Sicilian rosé.
2016 Castellani, Vermentino  $13
A crisp Tuscan white with floral notes of white flowers, with stone and Mediterranean spices, sage, rosemary, and mint. The taste is persistent, full and well balanced by the mineral notes and the bright acidity.
2017 Regaleali, Le Rosé  $11
Nerello Mascalese
Le Rosé offers delicate aromas of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and, appropriate to its name, rose petals. Rich on the palate with refreshing acidity and a long, flavorful finish, this is what Sicilians enjoy in the summertime.

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.

Saturday we are thinking small and pouring wines from local importer Petit Monde who specializes in small production organic wine makers—some are certified, some are not but the all have their heads pointed in the right direction.  And of course, all of them are delicious.
 
Les Pentes de Barene, Tursan $15
43% Barougue, 43% Gros Manseng, 10% Petit Manseng, 4% Sauvignon Blanc
The rare Tursan AOC is found in far southwestern France near Madiran and only 45 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. A bold full white, the Pentes de Barene casts aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit, wildflowers and smoky minerals. Crisp and zesty on the palate, with suggestions of grapefruit, guava and chalky minerals.
 
Jean-Louis Denois, Brut Rosé $18
Pinot Noir
An outstanding sparkling wine from the Languedoc.  One of the rising stars of the Languedoc, Jean Louis Denois makes exciting, world class wines that nonetheless remain amazingly inexpensive, owing to his location more than anything else. His vineyards sit in the very southwestern corner of France, at the foot of the Pyrenees, and he produces red, white and sparkling, all made from perilously low-yielding vines, vinified with as little interference as possible. The Brut Rosé is made entirely from Pinot Noir and is aged 36 months on leas which adds complexity to the bright red berry fruit character.
 
2017 Bastide des Oliviers, Classique Rosé $16    1.5ltr $33
90% Grenache, 10% Syrah
This organic estate in Provence is surrounded by olive trees.   This rosé offers unrestrained aromas: the first rush of jammy fruit follows the freshness of gooseberry, grapefruit and a last spicy accent of ginger and white pepper.  It is both powerful and elegant.

2016 Boffalora Umo Rosso di Valtellina $21
Nebbilo
Valtellina, an alpine valley in the far north of Lombardy has been producing wine for over 2000 years. Today it is known for its bright, cherry-scented wines made from the Nebbiolo, known here as Chiavennasca. This great summery wine has aromas of fresh plums and red flowers along with earthy and smoky tones.   
 
2015 Domaine de la Biscarelle Début d’une Histoire $15
100% Cinsault
A Rhone Cinsault from 50-year-old vines just outside of Châteauneuf. Raspberry, plum, boysenberry, bay, thyme, lavender scents. Big, ripe chewy, purple fruit flavors with black pepper and stony 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.

It looks to be nice and toasty this weekend here in Madrona, but don’t sweat it.  If the temperature gets to high we’ll be hanging out with the A/C on.  We are also celebrating Bastille Day, the World Cup and the artist reception for our new show “Past Experiences” by Marc Wenet.  Plenty of reasons to stop on by.

Saturday we are celebrating Bastille Day with a lineup of liberating French wine.
2016 Domaine Jean Vullien, Jacqère $14
2016 Domaine Vigneau Chevreau, Vouvray sec Cuvee Silex $22
2017 Château de Pampelon Cotes de Provence Rosé $20
2017 Domaine du Prieurè, Hautes Cotes du Beaune $19
2016 Domaine Jean Vullien, Mondeuse “St Jean de la Porte’ $16

Sunday, we are turning Bastille Day into Bastille Weekend as we continue pouring French wines and celebrate or drown tears at the outcome of Sunday’s finals match against Croatia. We’ll start in Savoie and end up in Sud Oest and be pouring all day from 11 to 5.
2017 Viallet Savoie Rosé $13
Gamay
This crisp Savoie Rosé with aromas of red fruits (strawberries, red currants) is fresh and intense, with spicy notes on the finish. 12% alcohol by volume
2015 Philémon Jurançon Noir $13
Jurançon Noir is an old variety local to the southwest of France. According to Jancis Robinson, it is a cross between Folle Blanche and Cot (Malbec).The bottles are sealed with a crown cap for no reason other than the wine maker had the bottle handy. Dark rustic and a bit funky but delicious at a summer BBQ. Organic.  13% alcohol by volume

And Sunday is the opening for our new art show “Past Experiences” by Marc Wenet.  Stop by from 3pm to 5 pm and meet the Artist and check out the new show. 

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.

Saturday we are celebrating Bastille Day with a lineup of liberating French wine. Stop by to commemorate the revolution or just get ready for Sunday’s World Cup Match against Croatia.

2016 Domaine Jean Vullien, Jacqère $14
Domaine Jean Vullien is run by Jean and his two sons in the Combe de Savoie where they work 69 acres of hillside vines. Though the Vulliens have been making wine for over 40 years, the family is perhaps best known as a leader in the vine nursery business, providing young vines to growers throughout France. Their 100% Jacquère is grown on soils of dark Jurassic limestone and black marl with a pebbly topsoil layer of scree. The wine is light, mineral and brightly acidic with notes of alpine flowers and citrus. Enjoy with fondue or mountain cheeses.

2016 Domaine Vigneau Chevreau, Vouvray sec Cuvee Silex $22
Chenin Blanc
Located in the heart of the Vouvray, this family run winery has grown with five generations, thus steadily expanding from 5 to 33 acres. In 1995 they switched to Bio-dynamic farming practices. This crisp Vouvray has a mineral character, along with a fruity undertone. The wine has aromas of apple, pear and citrus fruit; ample and round on the palate, and slightly off-dry, but the sweetness is balanced by its natural acidity.

2017 Château de Pampelon Cotes de Provence Rosé $20
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Tibouren
This 17th century Château borders the Riviera beach of the same name near Saint Tropez. The estate has been in the Gasquet-Pascaud family since 1840, when it was purchased by Gasquet ancestor André Folco, treasurer for Napoléon III. The current proprietor of this beautiful 400-acre Domaine is Edgar Pascaud, and his daughter Marie directs the winemaking. In addition to the classic rosé of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, Pampelonne also uses Tibouren in the blend. This ancient Greek variety, now unique to this area of France, is valued for the aromatic intensity it lends to some of Provence’s finest rosés. Young strawberries, apricot, and hints of nectarine on the nose are met with minerality and white stone fruit on the palate. Perfectly crisp and balanced with zippy acidity that will last ’til sunset.

2017 Domaine du Prieurè, Hautes Cotes du Beaune $19
The vineyards for Prieuré’s Hautes Cotes are located on the east facing wooded slopes above the famous villages of Pommard, Volnay and Meursault, with iron rich soils, which gives them some of the character and elegance of the grander village wines grown on the slopes below. Generally aged for a shorter time in barrel, this makes them more approachable and easier drinking when young. The Hautes cotes has fresh red fruit aromas, and a firm flavor, accentuated by good acidity and very present tannins. It is a great value Burgundy.

2016 Domaine Jean Vullien, Mondeuse “St Jean de la Porte” $16
Vullien’s St-Jean de la Porte is made from 100% Mondeuse grown on the dark Jurassic limestone and black marl soils of Savoie. The grapes come from 16 acres of sustainably farmed vines. All grapes are de-stemmed and after fermentation the wine is aged in 100% French oak barrels for 12 months. The resultant wine is wonderfully complex with bright floral and spice notes to compliment the fresh red and black fruit flavors.

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.

Summer has officially arrived here in Madrona (even though the weekend gets ushered in with a few clouds and a bit of a breeze).  With the warm weather we are turning our thoughts to some lighter wines for the season.  Sure, you can always fall back on Rosé, but break out of the mold and drink a few refreshing and unusual white wines. This weekend we have a packed line up of perfect contenders.  No Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris here.  You may or may not have heard of any of them before, but they are sure to delight the palate. Come check them out.

Saturday, we drink through Hungary, Portugal, Sicily, and Friuli.
2016 Château Pajzos, Furmint  $13
2016 Quinta do Pinto Lasso Branco  $13
50% Arinto, 50% Fernão Pires
2016 Caravaglio Malvasia  $20
2016 Murgo, Etna Bianco  $18
70% Carricante, 30% Cataratto
2016 Muzic Collio  $16
Ribolla Gialla

Sunday, we are back with two more (one from Burgundy & one another from Sicily) to help beat the warm weather.  The temperatures are supposed to climb back up into the 80’s this next week so come stock up.
2013 Vignerons de Buxy, Bourgogne Aligoté  $9
A very fresh wine, usually with a pale gold color with bright glints. The nose opens with floral and fresh fruity hints. It is soft and aromatic in the mouth. It often has white floral and hazelnut aromas. Its liveliness and its slight citrus flavor pairs well with the saltiness of oysters of seafood as well as with goat cheese.
2017 Branciforti Catarratto  $10
Fresh and aromatic Catarratto, grown within the area of Trapani, under constant ventilation from the Mediterranean Sea, reveals a pleasant acidity that enhances the elegance and smell. The palate with light hints of peach blossoms and wisteria, reserving, in the final, delicate notes of aniseed.

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.

Everyone knows Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris but we’ll have none of those today. There are so many other interesting white wine grapes in the shop that fail to get the attention they deserve. This weekend we are pouring a packed line up of refreshing and unusual white wines. We think they will surprise your palate how differently delicious they are.

2016 Château Pajzos, Furmint $13
This dry Hungarian white is made from Furmint, the grape traditionally used to make Tokaji a sweet dessert wine. The bright, fresh and zesty flavors range from grapefruit to apricot with notes of nuts, minerals, and spice. The Furmint has aspects that remind one of Viognier, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc, yet it is a unique wine. Its flavors are as appealing as they are original.
11.5% alcohol by volume

2016 Quinta do Pinto Lasso Branco $13
50% Arinto, 50% Fernão Pires
From Lisboa, Portugal, this white blend is raised on clay-limestone soil, originally from the Jurassic period, with clayey and loamy texture. The wine is vibrant, intense and fresh with intense and exuberant aroma of flowers and tropical fruits. In the mouth it has presence and volume. It is creamy, the Fernão Pires gives tropical and white fruits notes, combined with the citric notes from the Arinto. 13.5% alcohol by volume

2016 Caravaglio Malvasia $20
From the Aeolian island of Salina near Sicily in southern Italy. Grown on volcanic soils, this is made of 100% Malvasia Bianco and is vinified completely dry. Exotic and intensely perfumed, this wine opens with vibrant lychee, pineapple and honeysuckle notes on the nose and leads to a salty, lean, mineral palate that speaks of its island origins. 12.5% alcohol by volume

2016 Murgo, Etna Bianco $18
70% Carricante, 30% Cataratto
From the slopes of the volcano, this white blend is fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the crisp acidity and juicy freshness a proper Etna Bianco must have. The high acid of Caricante is balanced by the softness of texture of the Catarratto, yielding a gorgeously pristine and elegant Bianco. 12.5% alcohol by volume

2016 Muzic Collio $16
Ribolla Gialla
Muzic is a beautiful white from the Collio region in northern Italy. It is left to rest in steel on lees for four months to develop body and character. Addictive, its delicate floral and fruity aromas cross with a beautiful citrus and citrine vein. 13% alcohol by volume

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.

The 4^th 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.