It is a crisp Autumn weekend here in Madrona.  We are getting ready to turn the clocks back on Sunday, getting a brighter morning and earlier night.  The Halloween costumes are packed away for another year. And, it is time to drink some wine. This weekend we are drinking wines from Greece and the Iberian Peninsula.  Walk up to the shop and join us.

Saturday, we have Greek Wines including three from the island of Crete.  No Minotaurs  were injured during the making of these wines.
2018 Alexakis Assyrtiko  $18
2018 Douloufakis Crete Vidiano Dafnios  $16
2016 Douloufakis Crete Liatiko Dafnios  $17
2016 Skouras Nemea Agiorgitiko “Saint George”  $18
2016 Alpha Estate  “Hedgehog Vineyard” Xinomavro $22

Sunday we head to the Iberian Peninsula.  No bull fighting required.
2017 Succés Experiència Parellada                                                           $12
100% Parellada
This is old-vine Parellada from two twenty-something winemakers in Spain’s high-altitude Conca de Barbera. So light it’s almost clear, bright lemon-lime and pear on the palate, texture and structure from 12 hours of skin contact and minerality from limestone soils. Organic. 12% alcohol by volume. Was $20 now $12
2014 Vicente Faria Gloria Reserva Douro                                               $15
40% Tinta Roriz, 30% Touriga Franca, 30% Touriga Nacional
This balanced, rich wine is produced by a family company dating to the 19th century. It has tannins, signs of wood aging and layers of black fruits. Still young, it will develop well into a solid, concentrated wine. Drink from 2020.

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 head to Greece where we’ll be tasting some pure varietals from very ancient wine growing regions. Such grapes as Assyrtiko, Vidiano, Liatiko, Agirogitiko, and Xinomavro are a welcome break to a new world palate. 

2018 Alexakis Assyrtiko  $18
Around 5,000 years ago, the Minoans settled the Southern Aegean.  Today, in Crete, farmers are cultivating the ancient variety Assyrtiko which originated from the island of Santorini. The Alexakis brothers source these grapes from high-elevation vineyards where ancient winepresses have survived since the Bronze Age. This Assyrtiko’s bouquet displays aromas of passion fruit, mango and citrus. It has a balanced taste with crispy acidity and a characteristic minerality around the palate and a long and lasting finish.
 
2018 Douloufakis Crete Vidiano White Dafnios  $16
100% Vidiano
Vidiano is an ancient Cretan variety which was fading into extinction before being revived by young winemakers like Nikolas and the Alexakis brothers.  The Dafnios has tropical fruit and apricot aromas and a palate of creamy tropical fruit and minerals give this wine a decidedly Greek character.
 
2016 Douloufakis Crete Red Dafnios  $17
100% Liatiko
From Crete, the Liatiko is a delicious rarity. The wine is medium-bodied and soft but with a tangy cherry edge and a spicy dried roses and lavender streak. 
 
2016 Skouras Nemea Agiorgitiko “Saint George”  $18
From up north in Nemea, this classic Greek red reveals aromas of blackberries, black raspberries and ripe strawberries with just a touch of anise and spices such as clove and cinnamon. It is a medium-bodied wine with graceful texture, balanced acidity and very ripe elegant tannins. The finish is moderately long, full of red fruits with a touch of sweet vanilla and black pepper.
 
2016 Alpha Estate  “Hedgehog Vineyard” Xinomavro $22
The Hedgehog coms from a sandy 23-acre vineyard close to the winery, on the Amyndeon plateau facing lake Petron and Mount Voras in northern Macedonia.  This silky Xinomavro is perfectly balanced, fresh and crisp. It is complex, with a bouquet of small berries red fruits, leather and spices (vanilla, pepper, clove), and hints of ripe blackberry. The wine has rounded tannins, balanced acidity and well-integrated wood tones with a long aftertaste with intense quince aroma.

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 a week of beautiful Autumn weather here in Madrona.  The skies are clearing and the leaves are rustling across the ground. After you finish raking up a few of them swing by the wine shop and reward yourself for the hard work.  We’ve have a great line up to suit the season.  But first, before we get to that we are sampling,, there are a couple of things to mention.

Thursday is Halloween!!  Madrona Wine and other neighborhood businesses will be handing out candy to trick or treaters. We’ll also have a little treat for the adults so dress up and come on by.  This is also the last week to get a look at our current art show. Between Summer and Fall oil studies by Suzanne Brooker.  Now for the wines:

Saturday we have a lineup of Autumnal Italian.
2017 Carpineto, Dogajolo Bianco $13
40% Chardonnay, 30% Grechetto, 30% Sauvignon Blanc
2017 Vinosia, Fiano di Avellino  $17
2016 Carpineto, Dogajolo Red $13
80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
2016 Viberti, Langhe Nebbiolo $20
2015 Carpineto Chiant Classico Reserva  $24

Sunday we are featuring a pair of wonderful Washington wines at stock up now prices.
2018 Weather Station Fumé Blanc  $15
Sauvignon Blanc
Fumé yields polished flavors that are fresh and lively with enticing grapefruit, pineapple and spicy characters that unfold nicely on the smooth finish. Barrel-aged for six months, this wine is creamy and delicious. 13.5% alcohol by volume
2013 Finn Hill L’ Abime Syrah $15
A big hitting WA Syrah takes a drop in price. Char, firepit, barrel spice and herb aromas lead to elegantly styled cranberry flavors in this wine. The tannins lend a light structure. Was $30 now $15

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 welcoming Autumn with some wines from Italy.   We have some rich whites and deep reds.  Come toast the season.
 
2017 Carpineto, Dogajolo Bianco $13
40% Chardonnay, 30% Grechetto, 30% Sauvignon Blanc
Dogajolo comes from the Italian word doga, meaning “stave” — the narrow strips of wood used to form oak casks.  Produced from estate-grown fruit from the Montepulciano estate, each varietal is vinified separately in stainless steel tanks.  medium-bodied white with pleasant citrus aromas and flavors, the Bianco is a young, fresh wine with a balanced acidity and clean, delicate finish.
 
2017 Vinosia, Fiano di Avellino  $17
Vinosia is a family winery in Irpinia, the heart of Campania.  . The winery consists of over 300 acres under cultivation, of which 1/3 are directly owned and the rest are under direct management with long-term contracts. The Fiano has hints of almonds, walnuts with floral notes and tropical fruits finishing dry, warm, smooth with hints of honey
 
2016 Carpineto, Dogajolo Red $13
80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
The, Dogajolois briefly aged in oak rendering a medium-bodied red that is soft on the palate with a balanced acidity. The nose is fruity with hints of cherry, coffee, vanilla, and spice. It is full and soft on the palate with complex and well-developed flavors and tannins.

2016 Viberti, Langhe Nebbiolo $20
Viberti Nebbiolo is a fresh expression of Piedmont’s signature varietal, marked by ripe red fruit flavors, particularly cherries, and soft tannins.  The wine si vinified in stainless steel, and aged for 9 months before being transferred into neutral oak barrels known as tini where it rests  2-3 months prior to bottling.
 
2015 Carpineto Chiant Classico Reserva  $24
100% Sangiovese
Produced from estate-owned vineyards located on the picturesque Tuscan countryside in the heart of the DOCG area.  The wine is aged for 2+ years in a combination of French Barriques and Slovenian oak casks, followed by 6 months in steel and cement vats. It showcases a complex and elegant bouquet highlighted by persistent raspberry and vanilla aromas. It has a velvety mouthfeel with a full-bodied texture and lengthy finish of black fruits.

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 is a sports-filled weekend for Seattle.  The Huskies, Sounders and Seahawks will play there games in the rain to poncho wearing crowds.  In warmer climes the Yankees and the Astros battle it out to see who goes to the Wolds Series. Here at Madrona Wine we have a full weekend of winners as well.  Come shake off the umbrella at the wine shop and taste some great wine.

Saturday, we are tasting some great French wines that are under-noticed in world of wine.
2017 Secret de Berticot, Cotes de Duras  $11
Sauvignon Blanc
2016 Adrien Vacher Mondeuse Cuvee Reservee  $13
100% Mondeuse
2017 Château Touril La tour du Touril Angela Rouge Minervois   $11
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
2014 Château Lalande de Gravelong Médoc  $17
50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
2015 Château Franc Grâce-Dieu,  St. Emilion Grande Cru  $32
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc

Sunday, we cross the border into Italy taking two traditional French grapes with us, from Alto Adage in the north to Sicily in the south,
2016 Castel Sallegg, Sauvignon  $12
From Alto Adage — Classic and direct Italian Sauvignon Blanc.  Aromas of grapefruit, peach, freshly cut grass, tomato leaves and nettles. It is moderately heavy, juicy and fresh on the palate with a pleasant mellowness and a good length.  Was $18 now $12
2015 Alcesti, Admeto Syrah $15
This Sicilian Syrah has a rich and mellow bouquet and notes of wild berries in perfect harmony with spicy hints of black pepper and balsamic notes. It has a generous flavor, with a pleasant tannic, velvety and persistent sensation.

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 have collected an array of French wines a bit off the beaten path of wine importing.  We have a Sauv Blanc from Duras in the South West, a Mondeuse from Savoie in the French Alps, a Grenache/Syrah from Minervois in the Languedoc and a pair of small estate Bordeaux, just because we like to drink Bordeaux every chance we get.   It’s a perfect line up for our damp Fall weather.
 
2017 Secret de Berticot, Cotes de Duras  $11
Sauvignon Blanc
The Berticot is a very smooth and silky Sauvignon Blanc.  The nose reveals boxtree, citrus and exotic fruits aromas. The palate is full-bodied and fresh, with grapefruit and lychee notes.  12% alcohol by volume
 
2016 Adrien Vacher Mondeuse Cuvee Reservee  $13
100% Mondeuse from a small Family run winery in the French Alps.  This lighter bodied red has aromas of black fruit (black currant, blueberry, blackberry) with a note of pepper on a nice finish. 
 
2017 Château Touril La tour du Touril Angela Rouge Minervois   $11
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
A friendly and juicy Languedoc  red from this small family estate.
 
2014 Château Lalande de Gravelong Médoc  $17
50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
The vineyards of Lalande de Gravelong are made up of 30-year-old vines planted on it gravel clay soil. The wine has aromas of ripe red fruits, plum and black cherry. Deep and fresh flavors of ripe plum, fruitcake, and black cherries are highlighted by notes of cedar and spice that accent its rich texture and well-integrated tannins. 13% alcohol by volume
 
2015 Château Franc Grâce-Dieu, St. Emilion Grande Cru  $32
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc
A rich and complex Bordeaux with a lot of leathery & mineral richness.

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’ve made to the weekend here in Madrona and it is time to settle back, open some wine and enjoy the Fall weather.  Put on a sweater and saunter up to the shop to see what we have open.

Saturday we are bouncing all over the place to pour some of our new (& old) favorite finds.  Slovenia, Portugal, France, Italy, & Spain.
2014 Dveri, Pax Sivi Pinot  $11
Pinot Gris
2016 Orison, Pipa  $12
43% Anao Vaz, 27% Arinto, 20% Roupeiro, 10% Verdelho
2017 La Montagnette, Cotes du Rhone Villages  $14
50% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 15% Mourvédre
2015 La Bioca, Ronchi Barbaresco    $30
Nebbiolo
2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva $44
75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazeulo

Sunday we are pouring two new wines from Bodega el Porvenir
de Cafayate in Argentina.
2018 Bodega el Porvenir
de Cafayate,  Amauta Torrontés $12
The Amauta, in the original cultures of Cafayate, was the great teacher, the wise man. Yellow with bright greenish tonalities, bright and vivacious. Fresh, fruity, tropical; intense with a second aroma of flower along with citric notes. Fresh, young, fruity. Good structure, balanced and with good acidity. 13% alcohol by volume
2017 Bodega el Porvenir de Cafayate, Amauta Tannat $12
Intense ruby red with violet and black notes. Aroma of spices with notes of eucalipt, dark fruits like figs and menthol. Intense mouthfeel and sweet entry due to the ripe tannins. Medium-high structure with balanced acidity and long final. It is an intense wine with freshness and complexity.

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 bouncing all over the place to pour some of our new (& old) favorite finds.  Slovenia, Portugal, France Italy, & Spain — Hop on over to the shop and have a taste.
 
2014 Dveri, Pax Sivi Pinot  $11
Pinot Gris
The Podravje region is Slovenia’s largest and most productive wine region with  extensive wine hills. It shares the same elevation high elevation as Austria and northern Italy of up to 350 meters and wine growing here nets a distinctive ripe, very aromatic style of wine.  The Sivi Pinot has notes of oriental spices, red apples and warm buttery notes and juicy stone fruit. Full bodied and dry Pinot Gris with lots of rich extracts and flavor.  Was $20 now $11

2016 Orison, Pipa  $12
43% Anao Vaz, 27% Arinto, 20% Roupeiro, 10% Verdelho
The 2016 Pipa White wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged in oak. Hand battonage, the process of stirring the lees in-barrel, uniquely influences the evolving texture and profile of the wine, highlighting a depth of mineral and fruit, clean-citrus, melon, and stone.

2017 La Montagnette, Cotes du Rhone Villages  $14
50% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 15% Mourvédre
A non-interventionist 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.

2015 La Bioca, Ronchi Barbaresco    $30
Nebbiolo
A Cru Babaresco with aromas of luxurious dark cherry and raspberry fruit mixed with herbal notes. The palate is intense, with savory fruit, earth notes and fine tannins.
Was $35 now $30

2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva $44
75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazeulo
A remarkable red with no concession to modernity, this Reserva is fermented in 140-year-old wooden vats followed by six years of ageing in oak casks, the rest in bottle. The wine has complex notes of spice, leather, cherries, balsamic and cigar box with a long savoy 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.

Beginning October 18th all French, German and Spanish wine entering the country will have a 25% tariff charged to them. This also applies to olives, virgin olive oil, cherries, oranges and lemons from Spain, pork sausages and roasted coffee from Germany. Italian cheeses like pecorino, Parmesan and provolone. Stilton cheese, sweet biscuits and Scotch whiskies from Britain.  But it does not apply to wine already in the country, or on our shelves.  Come stock your shelves this weekend as we are pouring pre-tariff wine from Spain and France before the prices jump up.  If your cellar is big enough you might want to buy enough to make it to the next administration.  Here’s what we are tasting:
 
Saturday is Spain!  We are featuring five wines from some of the major regions of Spain.  Come belly up to Iberia.
Bohigas, Cava Brut Reserva $13
2016 Sin PalaBRAS, Albareño $18
2016 Protos, Tinto Fino $15
2010 Lan, Rioja Grand Reserva $25
2014 Unio, Licorella Priorat $25
 
Sunday is Basic Bordeaux!  We will be pouring the white and the red of Grand Bateau. Two easy drinking, drinking Bordeaux from Chateau Beychevelle. 
2017 Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc  $11
80% Sauvignon Blanc
From well-known Bordeaux producer Château Beychevelle, this Sauvignon Blanc shows citrus and herbal characters with a touch of oak and mineral backbone. Sustainable
2016 Grand Bateau Bordeaux Rouge  $11
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Ruby color. Nose is delicately toasty and opens towards ripe fruit aromas of cassis and prunes, vanilla and spices. On the palate fleshy, soft, and elegant, sustained by ripe and savory 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.

Saturday we are featuring five wines from some of the major regions of Spain.  It is a blend of a few old friends and a few new faces. Come join us and belly up to Iberia.
 
Bohigas Cava Brut Reserva $13
Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada
The Bohigas family has been growing grapes on their land since 1290. Their vineyards are in the Anoia River Valley, planted in limestone and clay soils, but further upstream at higher altitudes and cooler climates than the Penedes cava producers.  The wine spends 24 months on its lees before disgorgement. Lemon/lime, crushed rock and white currant notes are present in this crisp, elegant, refreshing, zesty, dry sparkler. Hints of wheat thins and brioche add complexity.
 
2016 Sin PalaBRAS, Albareño $18
An Upper Case Albareño from Rais Baixais from 75-year-old vines.  Classic Albariño aromas of sea brine, tropical fruits, lees and dust precede a minerally lemony palate with tangy flavors of lemon, lime and gooseberry. This is a fresh clean example with a long stony citrusy finish.
 
2016 Protos, Tinto Fino $15
100% Tempranillo
“Ribera del Duero” was literally this winery’s brand name until 1982, when Protos gifted the name to the rest of the region, allowing for the creation of the Ribera del Duero appellation. The Into Fino has black fruit aromas, well balances with the oak, bringing sweet spicy and nice toasty notes.  It is tasty, sweet, well balanced, with pleasant smooth tannins and toasty reminders on the finish.
 
2010 Lan Rioja Grand Reserva $25
Bodegas LAN was founded in 1972 and named after the initials of the 3 provinces in the Rioja Designation of Origin: Logrono (now La Rioja) Alava and Navarra. It is located in the heart of Rioja Alta. Their Grand Reserva has aromas of ripe red fruits combined with spicy notes from the aging in oak (vanilla, cinnamon, fennel, licorice root) and tertiary aromas (leather, cigar box) from its prolonged bottle ageing. Full bodied and round, its mouthfeel is elegant and very well balanced.
 
2014 Unio Licorella Priorat $25
50% Carignan, 25% Garnacha,  15% Merlot
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. The mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable. Unio’s Classic has drilling aromas of graphite and balsamic dark fruits. Roaring berry, chocolate and pepper flavors get brushed aside by the tannic roughness of the 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.