The clouds are supposed to part this weekend in Madrona.  Just in time to start two great days of wine tasting at the shop.

Saturday, we have an exciting line up of Organic Wines from France, Spain and Columbia Gorge.
2015 Rosell Mir, Cava El Serralet Brut Nature  $16
2016 Rosell Mer, Pla de la Creu  $13
2017 Le Double Trouble, Grenache Rosé, Columbia Gorge $18
2014 Domaine Thillardon, Moulin á Vent  $24
2013 Domaine de Montvac, Vaqueyras Complicité  $22

Sunday, we have a match up in the World Wine Cup.  Austria vs. Spain as the two wines compete for best value.
2014 Holzer, Wagram Gruner Veltliner $9
Fuller and fruitier style of Gruner Veltliner, with big flavors of green apples, peach, grapefruit, and spice.  12% alcohol by volume. Was $12 now $9
2015 Monteabellon, Avaniel Ribera del Duero   $10
Tempranillo
Surprisingly complex and spicy, the wine has an attractive nose of spice box, blueberry and blackberry. This is followed by a medium-bodied wine with a supple texture. Was $12 now $10

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.

2015 Rosell Mir, Cava El Serralet Brut Nature  $16
Macabeu and Parellada
Rosell Mir is a long-standing family estate in Penedes.  Their zero-dosage Cava sees two years of aging before release.  It has fresh aromas of white fruit and floral notes. The wine is elegant, fresh and light with persistent string and bubbles. The clean aftertaste is good, well integrated. 
 
2016 Rosell Mer,  Pla de la Creu  $13
Xarel-lo
A fresh white wine made from the Xarel-lo grape (one of the three grapes of the traditional Cava). This wine has many notes of ripe citrus fruit with a hint of almonds and herbs.

2016 Domaine de Montvac Cotes du Rhone Rosé  $15
Founded in 1860, Domaine de Montvac has been passed from mother to daughter for the past three generations. Cecile Dusserre, being the latest and a mother of three daughters of her own, stands a good chance of carrying on tradition. Ninety-five percent of Domaine de Montvac’s wines are planted in terroirs with Vacqueyras AOC or Gigondas AOC status. Their Rosé comes from the youngest vines. The wine has 50% Grenache for its roundness and finesse, 20% Syrah for structure, and 30% Mourvèdre for power and aromatic persistence.
 
2014 Domaine Thillardon, Moulin a Vent  $24
This organic Gamay is made by two brothers with small holdings throughout Beaujolais “Bright violet. Smoke-accented dark berries, candied licorice and a hint of candied lavender on the deeply perfumed nose. Sappy and focused on the palate, offering chewy boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors that show no rough edges and take a sweeter turn on the back half. In an ample but energetic style, finishing sweet, floral and very long, delivering building tannins and a hint of smoked meat.”
 
2013 Domaine de Montvac, Vaqueyras Complicité  $22
50% Grenache, 50% Mourvèdre
A small lot blend from Domaine de Montvac.   It is uncommon to see these two
varietals blended in these percentages. It is an amazingly complex powerhouse. Only 80 cases were made.

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.

It is Father’s Day weekend here in Madrona.  Forget the lawn tools, swing by the shop and pick him out something he’ll really enjoy.  We also have a full line up of wines for the upcoming warm weather.

Saturday, it our Rosé Roundup!  We have five very diverse wines from France, Spain & Italy to make you blush.
2017 Villa des Anges Cinsault Rosé  $11
2017 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Provence  $15
2016 Bodegas Muga Rosado  $16  750-ml —– 1.5ltr $35
2017 La Spinetta, Il Rosé di Casanova  $20
2014 Murgo Brut Rosé  $30

Sunday is Dad’s day and we have two all day Sunday Sippers.

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.  3liter box  — $25  (that’s $6.25 a bottle.)

2013 Calle, Gran Reserva Ca de Calle $15
80% Malbec, 14% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot
Bodega Calle is an organic certified winery; all vineyards are sustainably farmed or organic. The Ca’ de Calle Gran Reserva is composed of a selection of the best barrels in the winery, so the blend changes with each vintage. The 2013 has with herbal, balsamic and spicy aromas that are marked by the elevage (vanilla, cinnamon). The palate is dark plums, bruised sage rustic and impressive with its super ripeness and firm tannins. It has quite a seductive mouthfeel, finishing with bitter chocolate.
Was $22 now $15

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.

While it is nice to drink Rosé all year round, when the warmer weather rolls around it just becomes a no-brainer.  This weekend is supposed to be toasty so we’ve gathered up a parcel of pinks to pour on Saturday.  We have 5 very diverse wines from France, Spain & Italy that we think will delight and surprise your palate.  They might make you blush.
 
2017 Villa des Anges Cinsault Rosé  $11
100% Cinsault! A light-bodied wine, intensely crisp and vividly fresh, it offers complex aromas of strawberries and red currants, with a hint of quince.

2017 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Provence  $15
30% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
The Bargemone  is our go to rosé.  It has aromas of wild strawberries and red currants, with a light, floral character and a crisp, bone-dry palate with a complex long finish.  Classic Provence!
 
2016 Bodegas Muga Rosado  $16  750-ml —– 1.5ltr $35
Garnacha, Tempranillo and Viura
Muga makes one of the most distinctively delicious rosados in Rioja. It is a style referred to locally as “clarete,” which is a lighter type of rosé made by combining white wine with direct press rosé, as opposed to the saignee method where color is derived from a pre-fermentation maceration on the skins of the grapes.   It sees a brief period of time in used oak barrels. The wine shows very precise, tangy small red berry fruits, as well as some citric and apricot notes from the white wine component. This is a crisp, bracing, and unbeatable rosé.
 
2017 La Spinetta, Il Rosé di Casanova  $20
Sangiovese
The “Rhino Rosé” has aromas of sliced peaches, flowers, stones and chalk.  It is very complex with full body and round yet agile and dynamic intensity, salty, linear, energetic backbone of acidity, great structure and lovely finish.
 
2014 Murgo Brut Rosé  $30
Nerello Mascalese
This is one of the most distinctive and special sparkling wines in the world, a traditional-method bubbly made on the slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna from Nerello Mascalese, then aged on its lees for 3 years.  This has a gorgeous faded antique rose color, with notes of ginger, strawberries, and pomegranate.

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.

It is a perfect Juneuary day here in Madrona with grey skies and mild temperatures.  Perfect weather to taste wines.  We have a good line up this weekend so swing by the shop and have a sip.

Saturday we are pouring New Zealand wines from Jules Taylor and her husband George. 
2016 The Better Half, Sauvignon Blanc $13
2015 Jules Taylor, Grunier Veltliner $17
2016 Jules Taylor, On The Quiet Pinot Noir Rosé $20
2015 The Better Half Pinot Noir $17
2016 Jules Taylor Pinot Noir $22

Sunday we have a pair of Bordeaux lined up to taste.
2016 Duchesse de Berry, Bordeaux Blanc $12
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc
Aromas of fresh fruits and flowers. Harmonious on the palate, it will seduce by its freshness and liveliness if consumed young. Soft and slightly fat on the finish. 12.5% alcohol by volume
2015 Château Mayne Vieil, Fronsac $14
Merlot
A right bank claret showing nice development. A clean, relatively gentle style of Claret with smooth edges showing just a whistle of underlying richness and earthiness.

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.

Jules Taylor Wines source their grapes from small vineyards in the Wairau and Awatere Valleys in Marlborough, New Zealand. Well, not so much from vineyards as back corners of vineyards, rises and hollows and dry-as bits of vineyards.  Jules is the winemaker.  George Elworthy is married to Jules. He is self-described as a ‘burnt out winemaker’ – which is grossly unfair as you can’t burn wine – and is in charge of the marketing, selling, and stuff that needs doing.  When George decided to dust off his winemaking hat to create a new range of wines from Marlborough, a friendly rivalry arose and The Better Half seemed like the moniker to attach to his new project.  Stop by this Saturday as we taste through a few of Jules and Georges wines.
 
2016 The Better Half, Sauvignon Blanc $13
This crisp and characteristically Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has zesty stone fruit aromas of peach, apricot and nectarine along with a lively citrus on its palate combined with layered tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and guava.
 
2015 Jules Taylor, Grunier Veltliner $17
The best way to describe Grüner Veltliner is that it’s a cool climate wine somewhere between an aromatic white and a chardonnay.   This NZ version is a vibrant wine bursting with lemon and white peaches with a delicate coating of vanilla and a tingly white pepper bite. It provides a nice dry backbone yet is layered and creamy with soft acidity and nutty nuances and texture from the wild ferment. 
 
2016 Jules Taylor, On The Quiet Pinot Noir Rosé $20
The grapes for this Rosé are from the Branken Hill Vineyard, which is located in the Hawkesbury area of Marlborough’s southern valleys. Jules noted a special parcel of Pinot Noir tucked into the eastern corner of the vineyard suited to Rosé. This wine is brimming with light summer fruits with pomegranate and raspberry, yet it summons patisserie accents with hints of baked fig, cinnamon and nutmeg. The palate exhibits subtle tones of natural honey dew and Manuka flower and balance between crisp dryness and its mouth-watering acidity.
 
2015 The Better Half Pinot Noir $17
This fruit-driven Pinot Noir is generous on the nose showing dark cherry, plum, and vibrant red raspberry and cranberry aromas which gradually open to reveal subtle dried thyme notes and hints of cocoa. The palate is full of vibrant bright fruit, this wine exhibits plum, cherry and cranberry flavors, well-balanced with earthy, savory undertones with a delightful layer of chocolate.
 
2016 Jules Taylor Pinot Noir $22
JT’s Pinot Noir is generous on the nose, showing vibrant aromas of dark cherry, black plum and hints of spice. The wild fermentation along with extended lees maturation have added complexity and texture to the dark cherry and raspberry characters found on the palate. The finish is dry with a nice touch of dark chocolate.

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.

Picnic season is here, and it’s time to get ready for it.  So this Saturday, to the first person who buys a mixed case of wine, we are offering a free picnic basket or a 6 glass set of Lustau Sherry glasses and a bottle of their Puerto Fino Sherry.  Or, buy two cases and take them both home.    We’ll also be tasting a lineup of great wines to fill out your picnic basket, barbecue or Saturday afternoon.  Stop by the shop and have a sip.
 
2013 Christian Ninot, Bourgogne Blanc “Les Pellans”  $20
Chardonnay
This White Burgundy from the Côte de Beaune has lively aromas of flowers, ripe fruit and nuts. The wine is full-bodied and round with nice acidity and a long finish. Who doesn’t like Chardonnay?
 
2016 Illahe, Viognier  $18
This Willamette Valley Viognier leaps from the glass with expressive stone fruit, and floral aromas of apricot, tangerine, honey blossom and wet stone. The palate is layered with peach compote, banana peel, and lavender with a touch of uncrushed peppercorn. The wine is steel-fermented to preserve the grape variety’s food-friendly acidity and an off-dry palate.  Organic. 12% alcohol by volume
 
2017 French Pool Toy Rosé $10
The FPT is an unpretentious, easy drinking Rosé in a plastic bottle.  As the name implies, it is perfect for poolside, but also great for picnics, the beach or just playing catch.
 
2010 Castello di Monsanto, Monrosso  $14
80% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, 5% Merlot
This Chianti is a great value everyday red. It opens with a fragrant cherry bouquet with a hint of apple. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, juicy, and fruit forward. The flavor profile is a mild oak infused black cherry, with hints of plum, black pepper and a touch of black currant. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins are nicely prolonged.  Was $17 Now $14 
 
2012 Monteabellon, 14 meses en Barrica Ribera del Duero $20
Tempranillo
A full rich Ribera Red, the Monteabellon comes from vineyards located at higher altitudes with sandy loam soils with clay and limestone content.  This Crianza sees 14 months in barrels.  It is as smooth and silky as a summer afternoon.  Was $24 now $20

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 Mark Wysling will be here with here with his Yakima valley wines from Parejas Cellars.  If you haven’t tried Mark’s wines you won’t want to miss it.  It starts at 2pm.
2015 Souers des Vignes $16
37% Grenache Blanc, 32% Marsanne, 31% Rousanne
2016 Rose  $14
81% Mourvèdre, 13% Grenache, 6% Cinsaut 
2015 Grenache $18
77% Grenache, 23% Tempranillo
2014 Tres Rojas de Mesa $19
43% Graciano, 40% Monastrell, 17% Tempranillo
2014 Freres des Vignes $25
Graciano, Mourvedre, Tempranillo, Grenache

Sunday, we’re featuring Dragon’s Head’s Ciders. With three dry, traditionally made ciders from their Vashon Island orchard. Between 2 and 4pm, Karen Jensen from Dragon’s Head will be here to answer all your questions about these unique creations.

Traditional Cider  $17
Crafted from a blend of more than 20 traditional English and French cider apple varieties from their orchards on Vashon Island. These special apples contribute a richness of flavor and character to cider that can’t be achieved with ordinary culinary apples. Appearance – very slight haze, full golden color. Aromas of butterscotch, spice, hay, and a hint of leather. Tastes of dried apple, honey, tangerine zest, fennel, slight bitter finish. Medium-bodied mouthfeel, balanced layered tannins, slightly effervescent.
Perry  $18
The perfect beverage for a celebration. The Perry features a blend of Taylor’s Gold pears with seedling pears unique to Vashon Island, planted by homesteaders around 100-years-ago. Appearance – slight haze, very light golden. Aromas of pear drops, ripe berry, floral, pear skin. Tastes of honey, melon, rose, subtle pear. Clean mouthfeel, slightly astringent finish.
Wild Fermented Cider  $15
This is the Dragon’s Head Cider version of a farmhouse cider. Rather than carefully selecting a yeast strain for the fermentation, they allow the wild yeast present on the skin of the apples to ferment the cider. It’s a bit of a fun gamble, but one they believe is worth taking. Appearance – hazy, straw color, some sediment. Aromas of pineapple, green tea, apple blossom. Tastes of lemon and young pineapple flavors are followed by mild spice and lingering grapefruit notes. Medium body mouthfeel with mild astringency; lightly effervescent.

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.

Parejas Cellars is a boutique winery in Grandview, Washington in the Yakima Valley that produces high quality, great value wines all from locally grown vineyards. Parejas focuses on the Spanish varietals of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, Albarino, and Garnacha Blanca. The “Wysling” label is used for varietals and blends outside of the Spanish focus.  Stop by this Saturday as Winemaker Mark Wysling shows off some of this work.
 
2015 Souers des Vignes $16
37% Grenache Blanc, 32% Marsanne, 31% Rousanne
This vibrant full-bodied white blend reveals exotic and refreshing aromas of spiced herbal teas, spring blossoms, Asian pears, citrus fruits, and honeysuckle which all coincide for a lush palate pleasing experience.
 
2016 Rose  $14
81% Mourvèdre, 13% Grenache, 6% Cinsaut 
A refreshing dry Bandol-styled Rosé with aromas of apricots, white peach, and mixed red fruit that carry from start to finish.
 
2015 Grenache $18
77% Grenache, 23% Tempranillo
This Spanish-inspired red shows aromas of red & black fruit with Savory spices.
 
2014 Tres Rojas de Mesa $19
43% Graciano, 40% Monastrell, 17% Tempranillo
This intriguing blend of Washington grown “Iberian origin” varietals opens with delightful aromas of blueberries, blackberries, plums, black currants, and Mediterranean spices. All these aromatics, along with balanced acidity and ripe tannins contribute to palate-pleasing flavors.
 
2014 Freres des Vignes $25
The Freres des Vignes is equal parts Graciano, Mourvèdre, and Tempranillo, with a dash of Grenache thrown in for good measure.  The “Brothers” has enticing aromas & flavors of savory mixed black fruits & barrel spices with an elegant long mouth feel and finish.

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.

We are off to Greece this Saturday, specifically the island of Crete. The Lyrarakis Estate is a family winery has been producing high quality wines since 1966 with a strong focus on rare local varieties and producing single variety wines. Surrounded by the idyllic setting of the vineyards and the Lassithi Mountains we offer you the opportunity to enjoy nature and discover local varieties and wines distinguished by the uniqueness of their origin and heritage.

2016 Legacy White  $15
75% Muscat of Spina, 25% Vidiano
Bright and lively pale yellow color. Mature aromas of grapefruit and stone fruit with a presence of rose petals. Finely balanced with good acidity and plushy finish.

2016 Vilana Pirovlikes $17
100% Vilana
Pale yellow color with glints of green. Citrus and white-fleshed fruits with floral hints. Full body with good acidity. Good on its own, or with seafood.

2016 Ayrarakis Rosé  $15
85% Merlot, 15% Liatiko
Soft coral color. It displays aromas of red fruits and herb notes. Palate is silky with an aftertaste of strawberry marmalade.

2015 Legacy Red $15
50% Kotsifali, 30% Syrah, 20% Mandilari
Ruby red color. Delicate balance highlighted by blueberries, sweet spices and fresh herbs. Rich and soft with fruity flavors, elegant tannins and piquant aftertaste.

2014 Mandialri Plakoura $24
100% Mandilari
Deep intense red color. Complex nose of juicy plums, toffee and licorice balanced by chocolate and vanilla notes provided by barrel aging. Concentrated mouthfeel with a lingering finish. Ageing potential at least 10 years.

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.