23rd & Union is closed all weekend which might cause some bottlenecks here in Madrona not to mention 520 and the Viaduct closed.  Fortunately, here at Madrona Wine we know how to handle bottle necks. We’ll be handling some great ones this weekend at the shop.  We suggest you skip the traffic and come join us.

Saturday, in honor of Columbus Day, we’ll be tracking the voyage of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  We start in Italy, hit Spain to stock up on a great value and then sail directly to the Pacific Northwest (where of course you know the ships first landed.)  Come make a discovery.
2015 Casale del Giglio, Lazio Satrico 
2012 Merriman, Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley
2010 Torre Oria, Gran Reserva
2015 Savage Grace, Cabernet Franc
2013 Owen Roe, Yakima Valley Red 

Sunday, we are afloat in the Mediterranean and pouring one white from Corsica and one red from Spain.

2015 Vetriccie, Ìle de Beauté Blanc $10
50% Vermentino, 50% Chardonnay
A Corsican Blanc with aromas of floral citrus, and mineral notes and full but crisp body.

2013 Capcanes, Mas Donis Barrica $12
85% Grenache, 15% Syrah
Montsant
The wine is barrel-aged for nine months before release. It shows wild red and black berry flavors, cherry, spices and herbs as well as smooth vanilla oaky toasty notes. It is ripe and complex on the palate with loads of sweet vibrant fruit, soft and velvet tannins and a nicely refreshing finish.  Was $14, Now $12

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 in honor of Columbus Day (and Thanksgiving for our neighbours to the North), we’ll be tracking the voyage of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  We start in Italy, hit Spain to stock up on a great value and then sail directly to the Pacific Northwest (where of course you know the ships first landed.)  Come explore with us as we seek the West Indies.
 
2015 Casale del Giglio, Lazio Satrico  $13
40% Chardonnay, 40% Sauvignon, 20% Trebbiano Giallo
Satrico takes its name from the ancient pre-Roman city of Satricum. Traces of the earliest huts, which formed a village around a central temple dedicated to the goddess Mater Matuta date from the IX century B.C. Remains of her temple can still be seen today close to Casale del Giglio’s vineyards in the hamlet of Le Ferriere, near the town of Latina. The wine has a fruity, lightly aromatic yet mineral nose, confirmed on the palate by a pleasing crispness and a lengthy finish.
 
2012 Merriman, Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley $18
Mike Merriman runs a small winery making Pinot in the Willamette Valley, but branches out to make this Chenin. He spotted an old vineyard by the side of the road late one evening while driving in the wine country of eastern Washington State. It was Chenin Blanc planted in the 1970’s, he decided to clean up two acres of it and make this wine.  This Chenin has aromas of bees wax, honeysuckle, gold raspberries guava and box elder. A caramel flan richness of texture shocked with vibrant acids and flavors of peach, myrrh and toasted pecans.
 
2010 Torre Oria, Gran Reserva $10
70% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
When you start on a voyage you need to stock up on supplies.  The Torre Oria is a good wine to stock up on.  It is aged in American and French oak for twenty four months and has notes of blackberries at first that expand into plums and red fruit leading to a long finish of toasty oak. 
 
2015 Savage Grace, Cabernet Franc $27
Michael Savage makes this Cab Franc with fruit from Copeland Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills.  The wine has a marked Old World influence, is unfiltered and unfined, with very little oak influence.  It is full of bright raspberry liqueur, rhubarb, with backbone of minerality and earth.
 
2013 Owen Roe, Yakima Valley Red  $30
45% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon
A big bold red from a warm vintage, The Yakima Valley Red has aromatics of spicy notes of cinnamon, anise and pink peppercorn. A blast of black raspberry, black cherry, and a beautiful bottom note of sweet black currant, it sings through the finish with cedar, spice, and floral accents.

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.

The mushrooms are happy here in Madrona, as showers are forecast off and on through out the next week, mixed with a little sunshine to warm them up.  Perfect weather for fungi.  Meanwhile at Madrona Wine we are wetting our whistles with a more vinuos moisture.

Saturday we have a lineup of organic and biodynamic wines from around the world that have recently pleased our palate.
2015 Bonny Doon, Picpoul  (California)
2014 Reyneke, Vinehugger White  (South Africa)
2015 Doamine Saint Nicolas, Reflets Pinot Noir  (France)
2014 Bastide Miraflors, Côtes Catalanes, “Vieilles Vignes”   (France)
2014 Reyneke Vinehugger Red (South Africa)
Good taste knows no borders.

Sunday we tread the balance between sweet and bitter as we taste a new (to us) Malaga from 2006, a new (to the market) White Vermouth and a stalwart standard Sweet Vermouth.  Swing by and take a sip.

2006 Ordonez Malaga  $12
The 2006 Seleccion Especial is stainless steel fermented and  offers an alluring perfume of jasmine, honey, and tropical fruits. Medium-sweet, the wine is balanced by lively acidity.  Was $22 now $12

Vittore White Vermouth  $13
In 1904 Cherubino Valsangiacomo produced the first vermouth bottle, after 100 years, the fifth generation of the Valsangiacomo family is still making it with the ancestral formula devised by Benedetto Valsangiacomo.  The white is just slightly off dry with citrus notes and hints of Mediterranean herbs.  It is fresh with some natural bitterness and a long attractive finish.

Punt e Mes, L’ Oringinale Alternativa  $20
Italy Punt e Mes literally means “point and a half” in Piedmontese.  It has been said that it owes its name to a sudden raise of the stock market (naturally, of a point and a half) which greatly benefitted the Carpano distilleries, which then created the vermouth.

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.

When we began putting the list together for this Saturday’s tasting we were focusing on delicious wines from around the world – distinct wines of place.  When we got the list compiled we realized that they were all either organic and biodynamicaly farmed (some certified, some not.)  Coincidence?  Conspiracy?  Naw, the planets were just in alignment.  Come taste the convergence.

2015 Bonny Doon, Picpoul $18
BDs Lip stinger is from their Biodynamically farmed Beeswax vineyard in Arroyo Seco, only a hop, skip and jump away from the cool breezes of Carmel.  “The nose of our Picpoul is maritime, coupled with a discreet suggestion of peaches, wildflowers and the (we really can’t help it, but it’s in there) ubiquitous fragrance of beeswax.”

2014 Reyneke, Vinehugger White $20
Chardonnay
Reyneke started in 1998 when Johan Reyneke Jr. took over the farming activities from his mother and produced the first wines on the family farm, in Stellenbosch.  Johan has moved to farming organically and finally to farming and producing his wines with biodynamic principles.  The nose presents lime zest, citrus aromas with tropical undertones and a touch of oak. The palate has a fresh acidity with some lovely texture and length. Flavors of fresh green apple and citrus continue on the palate to a floral fragranced finish

2015 Doamine Saint Nicolas, Reflets Pinot Noir  $21
From a Liore vineyard on southwest facing slopes with slate soils, the St Nick is a fresh tasting organic and biodynamic Pinot Noir.  The Reflets offers a bouquet of fine fruity and spicy notes with an elegance “all ligérienne”.  Ah, the French.

2014 Bastide Miraflors, Côtes Catalanes, “Vieilles Vignes”  $14
70% Syrah, 30% Grenache
Six week maceration, and old vine fruit explains the wine’s seriously intense fruit.  This Languedoc red has notes of violets, forest floor, black cherry jam and blackberries make an appearance in this medium-bodied, high-toned, dense, rich, complex, well-delineated red wine.  Organic

2014 Reyneke Vinehugger Red $20
80% Cabernet, 20% Merlot
Reyneke’s Red has aromas of clove and white pepper spice with layers of deep red cherry fruit. The use of the submerged cap ferment has resulted in a wine which has soft silky tannins making this wine very approachable in its youth. The palate shows lively red berry freshness with some good structure and a well-rounded 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.

Fall rustled into Madrona this last week bringing with it a reawakening of our love for darker red wines.  We’ll be tasting some of these all weekend at Madrona Wine.  It’s a great line up.

Saturday we are celebrating the diverse flavors of Italy with wines from Umbria, Campania, Piedmont and Veneto along with a new organic olive oil from the Marche region. The Taurasi is not to be missed.
La Vita è Bella Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
2014 Ganzo, Pinot Grigio
2013 Struzziero, Irpinia Coda di Volpe
2013 Scagliola, Barbera 
2013 Cá Salgari, Valpolicella Classico
2007 Struzziero, Campusensso Taurasi 

Sunday, we are pouring two Bordeaux & Burgundy Blowouts.  We bought the last of these two wines at great prices, but supplies are limited.

2013 Montanet Thoden, Bourgogne Garance $20
Pinot Noir
A drinking great now Burgundy from Kermit Lynch with full supple fruit and smooth tannins.  Was $32 now $20

2012 Chateau Tertre de Calon, Montagne Saint-Emilion  $13
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Glimmering red robe, bouquet of grilled red fruits. Beautiful expressions of nougat and vanilla enveloped in luxurious silky red berries, flowing finish.
Was $20 now $13

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.

Some flavors come just from only one place.  This Saturday we’ll be tasting some wines from around Italy that can come from nowhere else –-Umbria, Campania, Piedmont and Veneto –distinct regions with distinct wines.  We’ll also have our new organic olive oil open for tasting.  Come join us.
 
2014 Ganzo, Pinot Grigio $10
A fuller Pinot Grigio from Umbria that has well rounded tropical fruit and spice. Was $12 now $10
 
2013 Struzziero, Irpinia Coda di Volpe$18
Coda di Volpe (foxtail) is a white Italian wine grape varietal from Campania. The Struzziero is an excellent example — rich and intense with fruity floral aromas and notes of orange, citrus peel and quince.
 
2013 Scagliola, Barbera  $16
For four generations, the Scagliola family has been dedicated to the cultivation of its in full respect of nature and the biological balance of the vines on the last hills of Monferrato, on the edge of the Langhe. A bit of sand, some layers of marl and a good dose of limestone characterize the soil of this land. At the top of San Siro hill, surrounded by its vineyards, you will find the Scagliola Estate. The nose is fruit forward red fruits with some sage notes while the palate has some dried fruits kept together with Medium acid and spice.
 
2013 Cá Salgari, Valpolicella Classico $15
Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and Croatina
The Salgari estate dates back to 1840. The grapes for this Valpolicella are lightly dried before its 7 to 10 days of skin maceration. The wine shows fragrant notes of red flowers, fruits and prominent notes of cherries, soft tannins and good persistence. 12.5% alcohol by volume
 
2007 Struzziero, Campusensso Taurasi  $35
Taurasi Campoceraso, obtained from Aglianico grapes, is produced on the estate which bears the same name, between the municipalities of Venticano and Torre Le Nocelle. The wine is aged in oak barrels for at least 36 months. A full structured wine it can develop in the bottle for at least 25 years. The wine has an intense, refined, distinctive, persistent ethereal bouquet with hints of spices and vanilla. Its unmistakable flavor is silky and persistent with a full and rounded aftertaste.
 
La Vita è Bella Extra Virgin Olive Oil  500 ml — $15, 3 ltr — $42
The organic farm La Vita è Bella is located in a wonderful and unspoiled valley that is surrounded by soft hills, between Fabriano and Genga, two small towns in the heart of Marche region where they make a very flavorful high quality oil with spicy pepper notes. 

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.

We have a wet and windy weekend in the forecast here in Madrona.  At Madrona Wine clam is predicted as moisten our lips with some luscious wines.

Saturday we are staying close to home and trying some full wines from :Nota Bene (South Seattle) and Cedergreen Cellars (Kirkland).  They are Localishous!
2015 Cedergreen,  Sauvignon Blanc
2013 :Nota Bene, Chardonnay
2011 :Nota Bene, Una Notte
2013 :Nota Bene, Miscela
2008 Cedergreen, Merlot

Sunday, we are welcoming Fall with two Argentine Reds .

2012 Oasis del Cuyo $9
Cabernet Sauvignon
A smooth, everyday Argentine Cab with aromas of blackberry and pepper. Medium-bodied with soft tannins and a smooth mouth-feel. Was $13 now $9

2015 Santa Julia, Mountain Blend Reserva $13
70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Franc
This blend from Argentina’s Uco Valley got a big score from Decanter but keeps its modest price. Aromas of red cherry and violet with hints of high toned spice from the Cabernet Franc precedes the plum and blueberry flavors of the fuller-bodied Malbec on the palate. The tannins are fine grained and velvety, resulting in a complex wine of both elegance and great concentration.

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 tasting wines from two local boutique wineries.  :Nota Bene Cellars is a Seattle winery run by winemaker Tim Narby, who has been making wine for three decades. Cedergreen Cellars based in Kirkland is run by Kevin & Julie Cedergreen who have made wine in both Washington and New Zealand.  Both wineries make full Washington wines that we think you’ll like.
 
2015 Cedergreen, Sauvignon Blanc $14
100% stainless Sauvignon Blanc from Spring Creek vineyard near Benton City.  The wine shows a New Zealand influence.  It is crisp, clean and delicious with an aromatic mélange of star fruit, Bartlett pear and pippin blend seamlessly with an intriguing minerality.
 
2013 :Nota Bene, Chardonnay $20
This barrel fermented Chardonnay comes from Conner Lee Vineyard is aged 10 months in barrel sur lie with batonage, and full ML fermentation.  It has lovely aromas of Asian pear, apple, white peach and vanilla.  The palate is lush and lavish, followed by a lingering, persistently minerally finish.
 
2011 :Nota Bene Una Notte $23
72% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 14% Mourvèdre
This Southern Rhone style blend comes from Stone Tree & Heart of the Hill vineyards.   It is full of strawberry and raspberry fruit in the bouquet, followed by juicy, spicy darker fruit and good structure.
 
2012 :Nota Bene, Miscela $20
68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 3% Malbec.
Miscela is Italian for blend.  As the name suggests, this is a blend of miscellaneous varieties sourced from five different vineyards.  It has aromas of raspberry, cherry and plum, with scents of rose, sweet tobacco, cedar, rosemary and sage. The medium-bodied flavors are supple, yet deep, with notes of red licorice, medium roast coffee, pressed berries, and roasted nuts.
 
2008 Cedergreen, Merlot $36
From Conner Lee and Clifton Hills vineyards, the Merlot sees 20 months in barrel with 50% in new French oak.  “Whipping boy or muse, sinner or saint. Merlot is the way of wine. Subtle power, spice and aromatics transport you from the table to the land. Dark fruit, dust and a dry breeze spiral over the palate, beginning a conversation that will last for years.”

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.

Last week’s grey blanket of dampness has been pulled back leaving us a weekend of end of Summer Sunshine.  At Madrona Wine we have the door back open and we are soaking up the fresh air as we sip our way through a refreshing weekend line up of wine tasting.

Saturday, we’re tasting some great wines form some small producers in France including such unusual varietals as Duras & Mondeuse.
2014 Guillaume, Chardonnay
2015 Montrose, Côtes de Thongue Rosé   
2014 Domaine Graveirette, Cotes du Rhone
2014 Domaine de Brin, Vendemia Rouge, Gaillac
2013 Domaine De Idylle, Mondeuse 

Sunday, we are featuring two wines from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

2012 Kosovec Škrlet  $14
From the small, organically farmed estate in Croatia, this little-known grape varietal makes a refreshing wine. Škrlet has good natural acidity, great balance and high minerality in combination with nutty aromas and notes of meadow flowers, honey, lime-tree, a hint of light spices.

2011 Glatzer Sauvignon Blanc $11
A crisp Austrian Sauvignon Blanc with green and citrus fruit flavors. It has a fine, tight streak of acidity that also hints of more tropical flavors. 12.5% alcohol by volume. Was $16 now $11

We also have new art on the walls.  The Eye of the Beholder.  Selections from the Proprietors’ Collections
Taste in art is like taste in wine: personal and often eclectic.  Our current exhibition showcases some prime pieces from the purveyors at Madrona Wine Merchants private art collections.  Does their taste in art stack up against their taste in wine?  Stop by for a peek.

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.

Small wineries, small importers, the world seen through a grape — just a few of the things we love at Madrona Wine Merchants.  Saturday we have a lineup of just that brought to us by small Portland importer Petit Monde.  We’ll be tasting distinctly French wines from some singular growing regions like Jura, Gaillac, and Savoie, as well as uncommon grapes Duras and Mondeuse.  Come tour the world with us.
 
2014 Guillaume, Chardonnay $16
Guillaume supplies vines to most of Burgundy, but their vineyards are in Jura.  Their 2014 Chardonnay seemingly fuses the soil-inflected nuttiness of a fine Jura with the detail of a white Burgundy from the Cote Chalonnaise.  This unoaked Chard is very clean and pretty with lots of creamy fruit.  Brisk acidity and smoky, chalky mineral undercurrents join with the wine’s brisk green apple fruit and sappy hazelnut expressions.
 
2015 Montrose, Côtes de Thongue Rosé   $12
65% Grenache, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah
Montrose is located in the Languedoc region of Southern France, 15 km away from the Mediterranean coast.  The name refers to its geographic location on a volcano (Mont) and to the pink (Rose) flowers and almond trees surrounding the vineyard.  The domaine was founded in 1701 and is still in the family.  This Rosé has notes of red berries and peach flavors with spicy overtones making an elegant wine combining roundness and freshness. And it comes in many sizes: 1.5 ltr — $25 & 3 ltr — $58
 
2014 Domaine Graveirette, Cotes du Rhone $16
100% Grenache
A family estate on the outskirts of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape that started making their own wine in 2005 Their Cotes 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.
 
2014 Domaine de Brin, Vendemia Rouge, Gaillac $15
80% Duras, 20% Merlot
The family owned Domaine de Brin estate is situated on a calcareous-clay plateau surrounded by an oak wood and uses organic growing and natural vinification methods.  Their Rouge ages for 18 months in large vats without sulfur and only get a very low level sulfiting before it is bottled unfiltered.  The wine has aromas of black fruits, and mild spices.  The flavors are fruity and generous with silky tannins. 
 
2013 Domaine De Idylle, Mondeuse  $18
Le Domaine de l’Idylle nestles in the age of the valley of the Combe de Savoie, deep in Rrench Alps. The Tiollier family has been working this terroir to produce subtle fine Savoy wines since 1840.  Mondeuse is the cool, elusive, peppery red of the Savoie that is a relative of Syrah.  The wine has aromas of  black pepper, violets, black cherries and tobacco. On the palate the wine alternates waves of fig, cherry and black plum fruit with complex undertones of cinnamon, hoisin sauce and sweet pipe tobacco. Long and lingering on the back-palate, reprises of black peppercorns and crunchy pie cherries mingle with finishing notes of bright acidity, medicinal herbs and fine, supple 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.