It looks like wonderful weather this weekend here in Madrona.  So get out and stroll to the shop where we’ll be pouring some beautiful wines to match the beautiful weather.

Saturday, starting at 2, we’re tasting some antipodal wines from down under.  Don’t miss the chance to try these delicious wines from Australia.  Chances are you’ll find the perfect wine for that barbeque that you should be planning.

Sunday, we’ll have a new Spanish white and a red to match up to the sunny weather.
2010 Castro Pequeño Chamelín, Verdejo ($9)
Aromas soft citrus, followed by crisp and light mouthfeel with a mellow richness from its notes of honey citrus & apple. Was $15 now $9

2012 Valdecampaña,  Ribera del Duero Crianza    ($15)
A dark and chewy Tempranillo with notes of blackberry, tobacco and  roasted vanilla bean.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

The buds are breaking out here, but it is harvest time in Australia. The grapes are being crushed and the must is fermenting.  This Saturday we’ll be tasting some antipodal wines from McLaren Vale and Langhorn Creek where Shiraz is king.  Come have a taste from the other side of the world. 
 
2012 Shadow Chaser, Chardonnay  $12
The grapes for the Shadow Chaser come from 4 vineyards across the McLaren.  Altitude ranges from 71 to 175 meters above sea level, and soil types vary greatly; biscay, clay, sand, silt & ironstone. This variation from vineyard to vineyard helps to give the wine complexity.  “Vibrant lemon and lime zest on the nose, with deeper pear and chamomile qualities in the background. Juicy citrus fruit flavors show good depth and tangy cut, with a gingery nuance kicking in on the back half. Bright, focused and tangy on the finish, which shows a hint of tarragon.”
 
2012 Imprimata, Grenache $17
The Imprimata is grown on a tough Ironstone laden hillside in McLaren Vale. The vines appear to float above the valley and the sea below, braving the winds off of the Southern Ocean and keeping yields achingly low, thus producing a profound Grenache of delicate balance. The wine is “Lush, expressive aromas of fresh raspberry and cherry compote, with a spicy topnote adding vivacity. Silky and sweet, offering intense red berry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that gain weight in the glass. Finishes silky and long, with resonating spice and floral notes.”
 
2013 Spring Seed, Scarlet Runner Shiraz $23
Spring Seed Wines are made with organically grown, single vineyard grapes that express the unique characteristics of the McLaren Vale foothills. The label is inspired by vintage flower seed packets.  Only 8% new French oak is used in the winemaking, keeping the emphasis on pure fruit flavors. “Dark berries, cherry and candied flowers on the nose. Plush and open-knit, showing sweet dark berry and candied violet qualities and a hint of bitter chocolate. Finishes on a spicy note, with good length and fine-grained tannins that add structure.”
 
2010 Winners Tank, Velvet Sledgehammer Shiraz $22
Winners Tank is a vineyard in the Langhorn Creek .  The name refers to an old water tank that sits in the corner of the vineyard. A strong rivalry exists between the three neighboring towns in the local Australian Rules Football competition. Each year the winning team heads out to the vineyard to paint the tank in their team colors. The Sledgehammer is picked a week later than their other shiraz giving it extra richness.  “Blueberry liqueur, cassis and hints of violet on the nose. Sweet, full and expansive, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors and a jolt of bracing acidity on the back half. Finishes with dusty tannins, appealing sweetness and lingering spicecake and floral nuances.”
 
2012 Flegenheimer Reserve Red  $27
85% Shiraz, 15% Petite Sirah
Flegenheimer’s McLaren Vale vineyard consists of ironstone and clay over limestone and benefits from cool maritime breezes each afternoon. The wine “exudes aromas of warm blackberries and crushed black plums with hints of mulberries, black pepper, tree bark and charcoal. Very big and full-bodied, it fills the palate with warm berry preserves flavors and just a touch of pepper that is offset by chewy tannins and up-lifting acidity.”

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

This Sunday we’ll have two new arrivals open for tasting – a Rosè from California, and an Italian-style blend from Oregon. Come give them a try.

2014 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare       ($15)
35% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, 12.5% Roussanne, 8% Carignane, 16% Grenache Blanc, 8% Cinsaut, 1.5% Marsanne, 1% Couniose
“The wine does not overwhelm one with fruitybombasticity; its charms are seductively subtle. Discreet nose of alpine strawberry, evolving into a refreshing mintiness with additional air and warming. On the palate, a beautiful natural crispness and a great sleek and savory texture, in virtue of the extended lees contact/bâtonnage the wine received.” Sustainable. 13% by volume

2011 Memaloose York’s Reward    ($13)
46% Primativo, 42% Barbera, 12% Dolcetto
Named after Louis and Clarke’s unappreciated slave, this is a palate-cleansing blend of Italian varietals from a cool vintage. The grapes were grown in Idiot’s Grace Vineyard in Mosier, OR, and aged in neutral oak. The wine is fruity and tart, well suited for standing up to most dishes and opens up as it breathes.
12.5% by volume. 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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

The weather is mixing it up this weekend in Madrona, but rain or shine we’ll have our nose in a glass smelling the rich bouquets of Spring.

Saturday, we’ll be pouring some of our new discoveries from Portugal, Italy, Slovenia and France whose aromas just jump from the glass. That starts at 2.  Come get a jump on it.

Sunday, we have two West Coast blends that are nothing to sniff at.

2014
Bonny Doon
Vin Gris de Cigare       $15
35% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, 12.5% Roussanne, 8% Carignane, 16% Grenache Blanc, 8% Cinsaut, 1.5% Marsanne, 1% Couniose.
“The wine does not overwhelm one with fruitybombasticity; its charms are seductively subtle. Discreet nose of alpine strawberry, evolving into a refreshing mintiness with additional air and warming. On the palate, a beautiful natural crispness and a great sleek and savory texture, in virtue of the extended lees contact/bâtonnage the wine received.” 

2011 Memaloose York’s Reward $13
46% Primativo, 42% Barbera, 12% Dolcetto
Named after Louis and Clarke’s unappreciated slave, this is a palate-cleansing blend of Italian varietals from a cool vintage. The grapes were grown in Idiot’s Grace Vineyard in Mosier, OR, and aged in neutral oak. The wine is fruity and tart, well suited for standing up to most dishes and opens up nicely as it breathes.  Was $20 now $13

They’ll be open all day so stop on in.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

The warm moist air of Spring awakens our taste buds and we look around for fresh wines to quench our thirst with.  Saturday, we’ll be pouring some of our new discoveries from Portugal, Italy, Slovenia and of course a couple of French reds.  Come refresh your palate.
 
2014 Alianca, Vinho Verde  $8
Vinho Verde or “green wine” comes from the Minho province in the far north of Portugal.  The green refers not to the color but the age.  It is meant to be drunk young and fresh.  The Alianca is crisp with a good body and that wisp of effervescence to match its lime , green melon and saline notes  It is about as refreshing as a wine gets, and it’s only 10% alcohol makes it a great afternoon sipper.
 
2014 Bisson, Glera Frizzante $21
Glera is the grape of Prosecco, and Bisson’s dry sparkler is a fine example. The wine is incredibly refreshing with sundry hints of saline, minerals, citrus and herbs along with dry Mellon / lemon, yeasty notes.  The traditional crown bottle cap closure provides easy access for outdoor patio or beach dining.
 
2012 Domaine Ciringa, Fosilni Breg  $20
Sauvignon Blanc
From Slovinia, this rich Sauvignon Blanc come from Fosilni Breg (Fossil Mountain) vineyard.  It jumps out of the glass with aromas of peach, pear and gooseberry and a fine acidity along with a pronounced mineral character from the limestone fossil soil. Thanks to the Euro it is now only $20.

2012  Château Les Arromans, Bordeaux $13
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc
A small château run by two brothers produces this solid, straight forward, and correct Bordeaux without much fuss.  The grapes are from 35-year-old vines. And produce a wine with pleasant plum, blackberry and cassis notes flecked with a hint of tobacco and smooth, chalky tannins.  Organic.

2013 Château Massiac, Minervois Rouge  $18
75% Syrah, 25% Carignan
Chateau Massiac (which dates from 1667), sits in the heart of Minervois. Bernard Boudouresques and his family recently revived the domaine, planting vineyards and converting the estate to organic viticulture.  The site is exposed to both the winds that sweep up from the Mediterranean and the cooling northwest wind coming from the mountains which consistently dries the vineyard and makes it less vulnerable to the maladies of the vine.  The Minervois Rouge is structured and balanced with intense, concentrated notes of dark fruit and spice backed by rich earth and minerals. As the wine ages, the fruit flavors give way to light herbal notes of juniper, rosemary and thyme as well as the savory flavors of wild berries and a hint of the “animal”.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

This Sunday we’ll have two old world wines open for sampling – a Grüner from Austria, and a Tempranillo from Spain. Come give them a try.

2012 Höpler, Grüner Veltliner    ($13)
A tasty Grüner with notes of grass, roses, apricot and lime. 13% by volume

Was $15 now $13

2012 Valdecampaña
Ribera del Duero Crianza    ($15)
Tempranillo
A dark and chewy Tempranillo
with notes of blackberry, tobacco and roasted vanilla bean.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

It is an Eating & Drinking weekend here in Madrona, with Passover today followed by Easter on Sunday, and here at Madrona wine merchants we don’t pass up any occasion for a good meal or a fine bottle.

Saturday, somewhere between the sun and showers, we’ll be pouring a delicious line up of French wines that will inspire awe and bring out ahhs!.  That they go well with food goes without saying.  That starts as 2 and goes as long as the wines last.

Sunday we are OPEN, and Mark will be hunting for eggs around the shop and biting the heads off of chocolate bunnies, while sipping on two old world arrivals that have just rolled into the shop.

2012 Höpler, Grüner Veltliner   $13
From Austria, this tasty Grüner has notes of grass, roses, apricot and lime and is on special. Was $15 now $13

2012 Valdecampaña, Ribera del Duero Crianza    $15
From Spain, this dark and chewy Tempranillo has notes of blackberry, tobacco and roasted vanilla bean.
WE have it on good authority that the Easter Bunny loves Grüner. 

Hop in and check them out.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

From the small producers to the big houses, nothing makes us salivate more than the wines of France. This Saturday we have a succulent line up to quench that thirst and have you gasping with delight. Come say ah!

2013 Domaine de la Chauviniere, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine $11
Mellon de Bourgogne
Chauviniere comes from estate vineyards on the slopes overlooking the Maine River, whose granite soils produce very elegant wines with lovely lemon and mineral freshness. The vines average 45 years which gives this wine its immense concentration of fruit, and it is aged on its lees or ‘sur lie’ over winter to give it even more depth of flavor and a wonderful aromatic intensity. The wine has aromas of fresh pear and citrus along with mineral notes. The palate is bone dry, light with complex notes of citrus fruit and yeast.

2013 Labbé Abymes Vin de Savoie $13
100% Jacquère
Abymes is one of 16 crus of the Savoie nestled in the foothills of the alps on France’s eastern border. The “Abymes” moniker actually refers to the boulders present in the vineyard. It is punctuated by flavors of freshly sliced lemon, green apple, white pear, and a textbook Savoie minerality. The wine is crisp and refreshing and perfect for Fondue.

2012 Maison Sichel, Bordeaux $13
Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
Maison Sichel started out in 1883 as a family run négociant which over the years has expanded to become a winemaker as well. Their entry Bordeaux is A fruit forward Bordeaux that drinks better than its price or its plain label. It’s expressive nose displaying aromas of overripe blackberry fruits and violet. It has a generous, velvety palate with rounded, silky tannins.

2013 Domaine Brusset, Laurent B, Cotes du Rhone $15
Grenache, Syrah, Carignane, and Cinsault
In 1947 Andre Brusset founded the vineyard, set among olive and apricot groves, in 1986 his son Daniel bought the abandoned but now famous south-facing Gigondas terrace-vineyards on the Dentelles de Montmirail. Today, Laurent, the third generation of the Brusset family, meticulously crafts wines with charm, depth, and complexity. All grape varieties are hand-harvested separately, de-stemmed, fermented on their natural yeasts, slowly and softly, with maturation on the lees.” The 2013 Côtes du Rhône Laurent B has superb purity and freshness in its dark cherry, graphite, leather and dried spice-driven bouquet. Tasting like a mini-Gigondas, with medium-bodied richness and depth, and a focused, masculine feel on the palate.” Wine Advocate

2010 Chateau Peyrabon, Haut Medoc $32
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 6%Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
This Haut Medoc is a succulent and solid Bordeaux from the great 2010 vintage that is drinking well now so you don’t have to wait. “Some roasted herbs, damp earth, interwoven with red and black currants, cherries and spice box are all present in this classic Bordeaux, which exhibits medium body, good density and plenty of balance and elegance. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.” –Wine Advocate

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

This Sunday we’ll have two wines from France open for sampling – an Alsace from the Northeast of France, and a Cabernet from the South. Come give them a try.

2013 Hugel Gentil            ($14)
This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called “Gentil”. Gentil “Hugel” allies the suave, spicy flavor of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Sylvaner. Very yummy.
12.5% by volume

2012 Fortant Coast Select    ($10)
Cabernet Sauvignon
A Languedoc Cabernet that for some reason they want to look like it came from California. The wine features an intense nose with notes of blueberry and violet. Round and juicy on the palate with lovely flavors of freshly picked black fruit.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

The clouds have come back to mix in with our beautiful weather.  But it is a great weekend to get your chores done, like a little Spring Cleaning. 

Saturday we’re pouring some great wines at special prices that our distributors have cleaned out of their warehouse.  Now it’s your turn to clean up.  Get your chores done and have come have a taste.

Sunday we’ll be sampling some new arrivals.  We’ve got two new French wines lined up to try.

2013 Hugel, Gentil  $14
This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called “Gentil”.  Hugel’s Gentil allies the suave, spicy flavor of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Sylvaner.  A very yummy combo.

2012 Fortant, Coast Select  $10
Cabernet Sauvignon
A Languedoc Cabernet that for some reason they want to look like it came from California.  The wine features an intense nose with notes of blueberry and violet. Round and juicy on the palate with lovely flavors of freshly picked black fruit.

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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.