California Wine are known for big Napa Cabs, and buttery Chards, but in the shadows there are small wineries that focus more on subtlety and finesse.  This Saturday we feature three of these producers. 
 
Keep Wines — Based in Napa, winemakers Jack Roberts and Johanna Jensen create wines influenced by the old world with less ripe fruit, minimal manipulation and great ageability. In the vigneron tradition, they do much of the work themselves from vineyard to bottling.  The wines are typically 12-mid 13% alcohol, have healthy acidities and minimal sulphur additions.

Martha Stoumen, based in Sebastopol, leases and farms around half of the vineyards herself. The other half is farmed by multi-generation farmers who understand their land, and who share the same philosophy–composting rather than adding synthetic fertilizers, allowing predatory insects the ability to outcompete pests rather than spraying insecticides, and doing proper handwork, such as pruning for vine longevity rather than high yields.  In the cellar she uses a minimalist winemaking approach.   

INCONNU based out of Napa, is a meditation on simplicity; believing that less is more. They make their wines with spontaneous ferments, low sulfur, low intervention, and ethically farmed grapes.  
 
2015 Keep Wines, Lost Slough Albariño   $30
From the Lost Slough Vineyard, the cooler air and loamy soil of the Delta gives this wine a rare minerality not seen in most California white grapes. Delicious acid with a slight saline umami quality. Aged in neutral oak for 18th months
 
2018 Keep Wines, Delta White Cortese Falanghina  $24
From the Lost Slough Vineyard, right next to the Sacramento River Delta, hence the name.  The wine is sur lie aged for 6 months before bottling and has a high level of minerality and complexity. Stone fruit pit and Lychee on the nose, river rocks on the palate.
 
2018 Keep Wines, Counoise  $28
These grapes sourced from David Gerard Vineyard in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Keep made this wine using the carbonic method (whole grapes slowly break apart as they ferment). Spiced strawberries, red earth, wild herbs, pomegranate, white pepper, very low tannins and medium acidity.

2018 Martha Stoumen Wines, Venturi Vineyard Carignan  $36
From Venturi Vineyard is in Mendocino County which was planted in 1948; dry farmed; organic.  The Carignan has aromas of dried herbs, rose petals and cherry fruit leather happily greet you on the nose. Bright cherry notes on the palate with a lovely light body and dusty tannins.
 
2018 Inconnu Wine, Papa Jaja Cabernet Sauvignon  $20
Papa Jaja comes from the Clarksburg vineyard is located next to the Sacramento River, and has combination soils of loam and alluvial material with clay and silt. It’s farmed organically, deficit irrigated in drought years, but dry farmed otherwise. The wine is matured in neutral oak for about a year.  It is a great early drinking Cabernet with cassis and blue fruit flavors.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

We have Mardi Gras on our minds this weekend at Madrona Wine. Fat Tuesday is just around the corner and we have lined up a full weekend of French wines to get your gris gris going.  Stop by and pick up something to go with the gumbo. 

Saturday we’re sampling Organic wines from Bordeaux and the South of France.
Château Sicot Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut .$19
2017 Château de Caraguilhes Blanc AOC Corbières   $17
2014 Château de Caraguilhes Rouge  AOC Corbières  $16
2016 Chàteau Sicot Bordeaux Supérior  $15
2016 Château les Croisille “Silice” AOC Cahors  $20

Sunday we’ll be sashaying in the second line with two more French quaffers.
2018 Les Deux Moulins Sauvignon Blanc   $13
Les Deux Moulins is located between Anjou and Tours, with vineyards made up of gravel and schist soils, which instill the wine with a vibrant and long-lasting mineral finish. The fruit is very bright and lively as well.Notes of lime, gooseberry, and a subtle grassiness. Organic. 12% alcohol by volume
2014 Château Les Marechaux Blaye   $15
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
A dusty and leathery Bordeaux from Blaye. A good match for rich meats. Was $18 now $15.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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 will be sampling a quintet of organic French wines from Bordeaux and the Southwest of France.  A representative from the distributor will be pouring from 2-4pm to explain all the intricacies of the organic/biologic wine making method.

Château Sicot Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut $19
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Abundance of fine bubbles. The nose has a nice sharpness with aromas of flowers, pears, and brioche notes (fermentary notes). The mouth is both lively and well rounded. 4 hour skin contact. 7g/liter dosage. Aged a minimum of 12 months. Very low SO2. Hand-harvested. Organic and biodynamic.

2017 Château de Caraguilhes Blanc AOC Corbières   $17
65% Roussanne, 20% Marsanne, 15% Grenache Blanc
Lovely white fruit flavors with a good mineral splash. Aromas of almond flowers, white peaches and apricot are underpinned by hints of citrus fruits, characteristic of our terroir. Silky, rounded and beautifully delicate. Citrus fruits with hints of acacia and fennel – plants indigenous to this area. Balanced with great length. Minimal SO2 and filtration. Organic.

2014 Château de Caraguilhes Rouge  AOC Corbières  $16
60% Syrah, 30% Carignan, 10% Grenache Noir 
Deep and dense ruby red color displaying a nice concentration with glints of violet at the edge of the glass. Silky attack, with notes of pepper and cherry, which underlines the robust quality of the wine. The tannins contribute a good structure which strengthens the balance. Wild yeast , minimal SO2 and filtration. No additives. Organic

2016 Chàteau Sicot Bordeaux Supérior  $15
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec
Deep garnet color. The nose is intense, black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry), hint of violet, English candy, spices (vanilla, pepper) and toast notes. In the mouth, a lot of roundness with a certain freshness and elegant tannins. The finish is long. Wild yeast, very minimal SO2 and filtration. No additives. Organic

2016 Château les Croisille “Silice” AOC Cahors  $20
100% Malbec
The grapes used to create this wine were sourced from a very rare terroir, making up less than 10% of the Cahors appellation. This terroir creates wines that are fine and easy to digest. This well-balanced wine is brimming with mouth-watering acidity. Extended skin contact. 100% neutral. Hand-harvested. Wild yeast. Mminimal SO2 and filtration. No additives. Organic

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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 starting at 2PM (unitl the bottles run out), we are tasting some of the sassy wines of Spain, finishing up with a little sherry. Time to get out of the house and think of warmer climes.

2017 Bodegas Ontañon “Akemi” Rioja Blanco  $15
Viura
2016 Campos de Risca Jumilla  $13
100% Monastrell (aka Mourvédre
2016 Domino de la Abadesa Ribera del Duero Crianza  $19
90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha
2016 Costers del Priorat “Petit Pissarres”  $22
60% Garnacha Tinta, 40% Samsó (Carignan or Mazuelo)
Bodegas Grant Oloroso “La Garrocha” 375 ml $14

Come Sunday we are off to France and Spain, showcasing these two:

2014 Abonnat La Gardonne   $11
60% Gamay, 40% Pinot Noir
This wine comes from the town of Boudes to the south of the Auvergne vineyard in the Loire. On the nose, smoky and peppery notes accompany a sustained fruitiness (blackcurrant, redcurrant) with support of a fine acidity. Organic. 12% alcohol by volume
 
2015 Viña Século Mencia   $11
25-year-old vines from Bierzo in Northwestern Spain. Medium-body, cherry red, with aromas of of ripe fruit, vanilla, and spices. Ideal paired with chicken, grilled meats, or pasta.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Spanish wine history dates back to around 1100 BC when the Phoenicians founded the trading post of Cádiz in southwestern Spain, though many archaeologists believe that grapes were first cultivated sometime between 4000 and 3000 BC, much before the wine-growing culture of the Phoenicians. Come taste this history with us!

2017 Bodegas Ontañon “Akemi” Rioja Blanco $15
Viura
A collaboration between Michelin-starred Kiro Sushi Restaurant in Lagroño and Bodegas Ontañon. Akemi means “beauty of dawn” in Japanese and Viura is an indigenous white grape varietal from Rioja – known in other parts of Spain as Macabeo. The wine is dry with an attractive warm richness with lots of Asian Pear flavors and a saline note. What a surprise — this would go great with sushi! 12.5% alcohol by volume

2016 Campos de Risca Jumilla $13
From the sunny arid part of SE Spain known in Spanish as the ‘Levante’ this tasty red is 100% Monastrell (aka Mourvédre). Intense and a deep red Bordeaux color. The nose shows aromas of dried and some fresh fruits, red berries but also dried figs and prunes. The palate is explosive but full of soft fruit and tannins.

2016 Domino de la Abadesa Ribera del Duero Crianza  $19
90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha
From high-elevation vineyards on the northern plateau just north of Madrid. Ontañon gives the Crianza a long maceration with 12 months in American Oak (60%) and French Oak (40%) barrels, both used and new, followed by 12 months in bottle prior to release. Fresh and firm, with dusty cocoa, underbrush and licorice notes framing the black cherry and red currant fruit. Keen acidity and well-integrated tannins give this red nice focus. Sustainable

2016 Costers del Priorat “Petit Pissarres”  $22
60% Garnacha Tinta, 40% Samsó (Carignan or Mazuelo)
Petit Pissarres is derived from the word “Pizarra” which is “slate” in Spanish, and this delicious Priorat is almost revelatory in that it’s not nearly as massive as most reds from this fast-rising region. Intense red with purple tones. It has a very fresh aroma, full of flowers and red fruits sensations that are confirmed in the palate and finishes cheerful and lively!

Bodegas Grant Oloroso “La Garrocha” 375 ml $14
Situated in El Puerto de Santa Maria and popularly known as Bodegas Las 7 Esquinas (7 Corners Winery). Its origins go back to 1841 when it was founded by Edmundo Grant Falconell. Their label, La Garrocha, refers to a famous dance performed with a stick while on horseback. This Oloroso which spent nine years aging through the Solera system is dry and rich with a dark color and a penetrating hazelnut bouquet.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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 has been a soggy week here in Madrona.  But last night’s winds might have blown some of the rain away, at least for a couple of days.  While we dry out and get ready for the Oscars we’ll be tasting some highly nominated wines here at the wine shop.  Stop in and pick your favorites.

Saturday we have some big wines from small producers in France and Italy.  They are all organic and that is just the start.
2017 Domaine Montrose Côtes de Thongue Rosé  $10
2018 Château Brézé Clos de Midi  $20
Chenin Blanc
2018 La Montagnette Côtes du Rhone Villages  $14
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvédre, 5% Carrignan
2018 Mélaric “le Tandem”  $19
60% Grolleau, 40% Cabernet Franc
2017 Reale Cardamone  Tramonti Costa d’Amalfi $25
80% Piedirosso, 20% Tintore. 

Sunday we have two Washington wines that compete for the category of Best Value.
2016 Sparkman Apparition  $13
75% Roussanne, 12% Grenache Blanc, 13% Marsanne
This wine is mostly Roussanne, with the balance equal parts Marsanne and Grenache Blanc, with the fruit coming from Olsen and Boushey vineyards. Lemon verbena, grape-nut, peach and apple aromas lead to broad stone-fruit flavors.
2017 Freehand Cellars Syrah  $13
Aromatics of blackberry jam, plums and black currents followed by layers of smoked meats with a touch of anise and white pepper.  The entry is smooth with lush tannins and a perfect balance of oak and dark fruits that envelopes the palate with rich layers of exotic spices, followed by a lush finish that showcases the gorgeous French oak.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Little is big.  This Saturday we are pouring five wines from small organic producers from the countryside of France and Italy.  Come have a small sip of these big wines.

2017 Domaine Montrose Côtes de Thongue Rosé  $10
65% Grenache, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah
Montrose is located in the Languedoc region of Southern France, 15 km away from the Mediterranean coast. Red berries and peach flavors with spicy overtones. It is an elegant wine combining roundness and freshness. Was $13 now $10

2018 Château Brézé Clos de Midi  $20
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 La Montagnette Côtes du Rhone Villages  $14
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvédre, 5% Carrignan
A non-interventionalist CDR. no cultured yeasts, no filtration, no fining, no enzymes, no SO2 on the grapes at harvest (or during the vinification), only a little bit for bottling, just great tasting Rhone wine.

2018 Mélaric “le Tandem”  $19
60% Grolleau, 40% Cabernet Franc
Mélanie and Aymeric Hilaire established their young property in the outer ring of the Saumur, near the new appellation of Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame. This is where the dark volcanic soils of the Loire begin their shift to bright limestone, and the Mélaric wines stylistically sit in Saumur-ness and the Anjou wines to the west. It makes the best of its mix of relaxed Grolleau fruit and tensile, spicy cabernet franc. Fresh, vivid and grippy with tight raspberry and cherry, and some pepper notes.
 
2017 Reale Cardamone  Tramonti Costa d’Amalfi $25
80% Piedirosso, 20% Tintore
Tintore is known for a very dark purple-red color, adding a deeper hue to the Piedirosso. The wine has notes of plum and dark fruits, very fresh.  There is also spice, black pepper, and chewiness to the wine. Medium-bodied with light tannins. The wine finishes long.  Organic

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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 another wet weekend here in Madrona.  Nothing to do about it other than take lots of vitamin D and pull the cork on a good bottle of wine.  Stop on by the wine shop and watch the rain with us.

Saturday we are pouring wines from the Republic of Georgia, where they still ferment in qvevri — clay pod-like vessels nestled in the earth for natural temperature control. It is very old school wine making.  
2017 Mosmieri Kakhuri Amber $14
2017 Saperavi Qverri Red  $15
2017 Alazani Valley Red $11
2017 Khvanchkara AOC Red $22
2016 Satrapezo Rkatsiteli Ice Wine  $30

Sunday we have two Italian wines open as we watch the rain drops fall.
Palama Arcangelo Salento Bianco Frizzante  $12
A lightly sparkling Malvasia from Puglia. The wine is refreshing, quite dry, fizzy with a touch of salinity and lemon peel. 11% alcohol by volume
2017 Terre Margaritelli Roccascossa  $11
70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Franc
From the heart of Umbria, the Roccascossa is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. The flavors move between fruity cherry and savory smoke. The ripe, red berries are contrasted with hints of pepper and bright acidity.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Marani’s vineyards have been cultivated for generations.  Their Kondoli vineyard is mentioned in 1742 in Life of Georgia as showcasing the best of Kakheti region.  The terrain is composed of alluvial, strongly skeletal, loamy soil on a limestone bedrock. Climate is transitional from humid subtropical to continental under the influence of the Great Caucasus Mountains from the left bank of Alazani River and Tsiv-Gombori mountain range from the right. Cold air flows down the valley from the Caucasus glaciers, forming an ambient microclimate for quality viticulture with large swings between day and night temperatures.  Most of the 240 hectares of Kondoli vineyard are still planted with indigenous Georgian varieties, such as Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Alexandreuli, Mtsvane and Kisi. Come taste a bit of the old world.
 
2017 Mosmieri Kakhuri Amber $14
This amber colored wine has a delicate bouquet of fresh quince and dried fruits, with mild tannins, complimented with pleasant finish.

2017 Saperavi Qverri Red $15
Saperavi is Georgia’s premier red varietal, it comes on with the intensity and longevity of an all-night feast. The wine has firm tannins with an earthy element from 6 months spent aging underground in qvevri (clay pod-like vessels nestled in the earth for natural temperature control). That earthen quality is a signature trait of Georgian wines.  Notes of tart pomegranate and currant jam give way to a peppery dill on the finish.
 
2017 Alazani Valley Red $11
100% Saperavi, grown in the Alazani Valley in Kakheti. The wine has dominant blackcurrant, blackberry and cherry aromas. It is fresh and fruity, but still full bodied.  The varietal notes are followed by a complex and sweet finish.
 
2017 Khvanchkara AOC Red $22
50% Aleksandreuli, 50% Mujuretuli
A blend of two Georgian grapes from the Khvanchkara AOC, the wine shows aromas of raspberry, strawberry with some notes of roasted almonds.  The palate is of wild strawberry is followed by a mellow blend of dried fruit, pomegranate and a touch of caramel, though there’s plenty of lively acidity to keep it fresh and balanced.
 
2016 Satrapezo Rkatsiteli Ice Wine  $30
Dense and sticky, it exposes ripe poached pears, candied berry, honey and golden raisin aromas. Vibrant fruit flavors accented by the natural sweetness are well balanced with embedded orange zest. The finish is fresh with fruity core leading to a tantalizing citrus and lingering aftertaste.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Happy Chinese New Year! Here in Madrona Wine we are taking a break the week’s events and celebrating by just watching the rain fall and drinking some very tasty wines. Come start the Year of the Rat in a laid back fashion.

Saturday we are pouring the Synergistic Wines of L’Archetipo from Puglia. Synergy is the next step in Bio dynamic farming, paying more attention to the ecological balance in the vineyard.  The taste tells all.
2016 Marasco Brut Nature $23
100% Maresco (Apulian indigenous vine).
2017 Greco Bianco $18
2017 Fiano $20
100% Fiano Minutolo
2016 Litrotto Rosso $19
30% Montepulciano, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Primitivo, 10% Susumaniello.
2016 Niuru Maru $20
100% Negroamaro

Sunday, we continue celebrating with two more Italian wines starting with a Sicilian White and ending with Amarone’s little brother Ripasso. Stop on by and welcome the New Year.
2018 Firriato Altavilla Della Corte Grillo   $13
A Sicilian white with delicate scents of white spring flower and citrus. On the bright, linear palate, fresh acidity supports peach and lemon zest while a hint of saline picks up the finish. 12.5% alcohol by volume
2016 Cesari Mara Ripasso  $17
75% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
The Mara has notes of ripe fruit, fruit preserve and cherries.  Its incredible persistence is striking: it lingers on the palate, where it opens in all its power with a warm, elegant body.

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Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.